Tanach
Bamidbar 16:23-35 במדבר ט״ז:כ״ג-ל״ה
Part of: KorachKorach, Aliyah 3Chapter 16
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
Adonoy spoke to Moshe, saying:
Adonoy spoke to Moshe, saying:
דַּבֵּר אֶל־הָעֵדָה לֵאמֹר הֵֽעָלוּ מִסָּבִיב לְמִשְׁכַּן־קֹרַח דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָֽם׃
Speak to the congregation, saying: “Depart from the vicinity of the dwelling of Korach, Dasan and Avirom.”
Speak to the congregation, saying: “Depart from the vicinity of the dwelling of Korach, Dasan and Avirom.”
Rashi
וַיָּקׇם מֹשֶׁה וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם וַיֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרָיו זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Moshe rose up and went to Dasan and Avirom and the elders of Israel went along after him.
Moshe rose up and went to Dasan and Avirom and the elders of Israel went along after him.
Rashi
ויקם משה. כְּסָבוּר שֶׁיִּשְּׂאוּ לוֹ פָנִים וְלֹא עָשׂוּ:
Moshe rose up. He thought they would treat him with regard, but they did not.
וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל־הָעֵדָה לֵאמֹר סוּרוּ נָא מֵעַל אׇהֳלֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָֽרְשָׁעִים הָאֵלֶּה וְאַֽל־תִּגְּעוּ בְּכׇל־אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם פֶּן־תִּסָּפוּ בְּכׇל־חַטֹּאתָֽם׃
He spoke to the congregation, saying: “Please get away from the tents of these evil men, and do not touch anything belonging to them, lest you be swept away in all their transgressions.”
He spoke to the congregation, saying: “Please get away from the tents of these evil men, and do not touch anything belonging to them, lest you be swept away in all their transgressions.”
וַיֵּעָלוּ מֵעַל מִשְׁכַּן־קֹרַח דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם מִסָּבִיב וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם יָצְאוּ נִצָּבִים פֶּתַח אׇֽהֳלֵיהֶם וּנְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וְטַפָּֽם׃
They withdraw from the dwelling of Korach, Dasan and Avirom, and all around; and Dasan and Avirom went out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, children and infants.
They withdraw from the dwelling of Korach, Dasan and Avirom, and all around; and Dasan and Avirom went out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, children and infants.
Rashi
יצאו נצבים. בְּקוֹמָה זְקוּפָה — לְחָרֵף וּלְגַדֵּף, כְּמוֹ (שמואל א י"ז) "וַיִּתְיַצֵּב אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם" דְּגָלְיָת (תנחומא):
Went out and stood. With a haughty bearing, to revile and blaspheme, as “he stood disdainfully for forty days” [at the incident] of Golias.
ונשיהם ובניהם וטפם. בֹּא וּרְאֵה כַּמָּה קָשָׁה הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת, שֶׁהֲרֵי בֵית דִּין שֶׁל מַטָּה אֵין עוֹנְשִׁין אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁיָּבִיא שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת, וּבֵית דִּין שֶׁל מַעְלָה עַד עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה, וְכָאן אָבְדוּ אַף יוֹנְקֵי שָׁדַיִם (שם):
With their wives, children and infants. Come, see how inexorably destructive disputes are, for earthly tribunals do not mete out punishment until two pubic hairs have appeared, and the heavenly tribunal until twenty years, but here, even nursing infants perished.
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה בְּזֹאת תֵּֽדְעוּן כִּֽי־יְהֹוָה שְׁלָחַנִי לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵת כׇּל־הַֽמַּעֲשִׂים הָאֵלֶּה כִּי־לֹא מִלִּבִּֽי׃
Moshe said: “This is how you will know that Adonoy has sent me to perform all of these deeds, for, I did not devise them myself.
Moshe said: “This is how you will know that Adonoy has sent me to perform all of these deeds, for, I did not devise them myself.
Rashi
לעשות את כל המעשים האלה. שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי עַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר, לָתֵת לְאַהֲרֹן כְּהֻנָּה גְדוֹלָה וּבָנָיו סְגָנֵי כְהֻנָּה, וֶאֱלִיצָפָן נְשִׂיא הַקְּהָתִי:
To perform all these deeds. Which I have done by the word of God; conferring the kehunah Gedolah on Aharon, [appointing] his sons as assistants, and Elitzafan as leader of the Kehosites.
אִם־כְּמוֹת כׇּל־הָֽאָדָם יְמֻתוּן אֵלֶּה וּפְקֻדַּת כׇּל־הָאָדָם יִפָּקֵד עֲלֵיהֶם לֹא יְהֹוָה שְׁלָחָֽנִי׃
If as all men die will these men meet their deaths, and the reckoning (fate) of all men will be reckoned upon them, then Adonoy has not sent me.
If as all men die will these men meet their deaths, and the reckoning (fate) of all men will be reckoned upon them, then Adonoy has not sent me.
Rashi
לא ה' שלחני. אֶלָּא אֲנִי עָשִׂיתִי הַכֹּל מִדַּעְתִּי, וּבְדִין הוּא חוֹלֵק עָלַי:
Adonoy has not sent me. Rather, I did everything independently, and he (Korach) is justified in opposing me.
וְאִם־בְּרִיאָה יִבְרָא יְהֹוָה וּפָצְתָה הָאֲדָמָה אֶת־פִּיהָ וּבָלְעָה אֹתָם וְאֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם וְיָרְדוּ חַיִּים שְׁאֹלָה וִֽידַעְתֶּם כִּי נִֽאֲצוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה׃
If Adonoy will create a [new] creation and the ground will open its mouth and swallow them along with all of their belongings, and they will go down alive to the grave, then you will know that these men have angered Adonoy.”
If Adonoy will create a [new] creation and the ground will open its mouth and swallow them along with all of their belongings, and they will go down alive to the grave, then you will know that these men have angered Adonoy.”
Rashi
ואם בריאה. חֲדָשָׁה:
But if Adonoy will create a new creation.
יברא ה'. לְהָמִית אוֹתָם בְּמִיתָה שֶׁלֹּא מֵת בָּהּ אָדָם עַד הֵנָּה, וּמַה הִיא הַבְּרִיאָה?
To kill them with a death no one has ever experienced until now. What is this creation? “The earth will open its mouth and swallow them.” Then, you will know that they angered God, and I spoke according to the word of the Almighty. The Rabbis interpret, ‘if the mouth of the earth was created during the six days of creation, fine, but if not, let God it create [now]!’
ופצתה האדמה את פיה וְתִבְלָעֵם, אָז וידעתם כי נאצו הֵם אֶת הַקָּבָּ"ה, וַאֲנִי מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה אָמַרְתִּי; וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵרְשׁוּ: וְאִם בְּרִיאָה פֶה לָאָרֶץ מִשֵּׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְרֵאשִׁית מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו יִבְרָא ה' (סנהדרין ק"י):
וַֽיְהִי כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אֵת כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַתִּבָּקַע הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר תַּחְתֵּיהֶֽם׃
As he was finishing speaking all these words the ground beneath them split.
As he was finishing speaking all these words the ground beneath them split.
וַתִּפְתַּח הָאָרֶץ אֶת־פִּיהָ וַתִּבְלַע אֹתָם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיהֶם וְאֵת כׇּל־הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר לְקֹרַח וְאֵת כׇּל־הָרְכֽוּשׁ׃
The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their houses and all the people belonging to Korach and all of the possessions.
The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their houses and all the people belonging to Korach and all of the possessions.
וַיֵּרְדוּ הֵם וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם חַיִּים שְׁאֹלָה וַתְּכַס עֲלֵיהֶם הָאָרֶץ וַיֹּאבְדוּ מִתּוֹךְ הַקָּהָֽל׃
They, and all belonging to them, went down alive to the grave, and the earth covered them and they perished from among the assembly.
They, and all belonging to them, went down alive to the grave, and the earth covered them and they perished from among the assembly.
וְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתֵיהֶם נָסוּ לְקֹלָם כִּי אָֽמְרוּ פֶּן־תִּבְלָעֵנוּ הָאָֽרֶץ׃
All of Yisroel who were around them fled from their uproar, for they said, perhaps the earth will swallow us.
All of Yisroel who were around them fled from their uproar, for they said, perhaps the earth will swallow us.
Rashi
נסו לקלם. בִּשְׁבִיל הַקּוֹל הַיּוֹצֵא עַל בְּלִיעָתָן:
Fled from their uproar. Because of the sound of the earth swallowing them up.
וְאֵשׁ יָצְאָה מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה וַתֹּאכַל אֵת הַחֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתַיִם אִישׁ מַקְרִיבֵי הַקְּטֹֽרֶת׃ {ס}
A fire came forth from Adonoy and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were bringing the incense.
A fire came forth from Adonoy and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were bringing the incense.
העלו. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, הִסְתַּלְּקוּ מִסְּבִיבוֹת מִשְׁכַּן קֹרַח:
Depart (lit. go up). As Targum [Onkelos] renders, (אִסְתַּלָּקוּ), ”depart,” from around Korach’s dwelling.