Torah Study Korach

Bamidbar/Numbers 16:1-18:32, 1 Samuel 11:14-12:22, Matthew 26:13-24

Torah Portion Bamidbar/Numbers 16:1-18:32

Numbers 16:3 “They assembled against Moses and Aaron. They said to them, “You’ve gone too far! All the community is holy—all of them—and Adonai is with them! Then why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Adonai?””

With what does Korach accuse Moshe and Aaron of going to far? *1

The holiness of the the Kohen above the priesthood.

The trumah for the priest.

What Korach considers senseless Mitzvot

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/246641/jewish/Korah-The-Rebel-of-the-Bible.htm

What mitzvot are generally thought to be something Korach took issue with? *1

Tzitzit - If a whole garment is blue why does it need a thread of Blue?

Mezuzah - If a home is filled with Torah scrolls why does it need a Mezuzah?

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/246641/jewish/Korah-The-Rebel-of-the-Bible.htm

Numbers 16:31-33 “As soon as he finished saying all these things, the ground split under them. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with all their households, all of Korah’s people and all their possessions. They went down alive into Sheol, they and everything that was theirs. The earth closed over them and they were gone from among the community.”

3. What survived being swallowed in to the earth?

a. Korachs son’s at least. Psalm 42, Psalm 44-49, Psalm 84 & 85, Psalm 87 & 88.

b. The censers used to offer incense.

4. Is there a significance to the censers not being swallowed up besides being made an overlay for the altar?

Numbers 16:41 “The next day, the entire community of Bnei-Yisrael grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You killed Adonai’s people!””

5. What example of cognitive dissonance or contradiction can we see in the people’s accusation of Moshe and Aaron?

a. How can Moshe tell HaShem what to do?

b. Who was it that opened the ground to swallow Korach, Dathan and Abiram?

Numbers 16:46 “Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take the censer, put into it fire from the altar and put in incense. Get going and hurry to the assembly and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from Adonai and the plague has started.””

6. What incense was used? *2

a. not the most holy incence according to IBN EZRA it is the same incence according to Rashbam.

RASHBAM Add incense. This was to make it known that the same incense that would cause death if those who offered it were not priests would give life in the hands of those who were priests, so the Israelites would know that they were fit to serve. IBN EZRA Take the fire pan, and … add incense. Notice that Moses says “the” fire pan but not “the” incense. Intelligent people will understand what I mean.

Michael Carasik, ed., Numbers: Introduction and Commentary, trans. Michael Carasik, First edition, The Commentators’ Bible (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 2011), Nu 17:11.

Numbers 16:48 “He stood between the dead and the living and the plague stopped.”

7. What could this verse mean more deeply? *3

Z. “So, too, the angel of death handed over something to him: ‘and he put on the incense and made atonement for the people’ (Num. 16:47), ‘and he stood between the dead and the living’ (Num. 16:48). If the other hadn’t told him where, would he have known what to do?” B. Shab. 89a

Jacob Neusner, The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary, vol. 2 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2011), 388.

Numbers 17:12-13 “But Bnei-Yisrael said to Moses saying, “Look! We will die! We are all lost! We are lost! Anyone approaching the Tabernacle of Adonai will die! Must all of us die?””

a. Did the sprouting of Aaron’s staff ease the fear of Bnei-Yisrael?

b. Would anything?

c. Why was the generation not allowed to enter in to the Promised Land?

Numbers 18:8 “Adonai then said to Aaron, “See, I have given you charge over all My offerings. All the sacred things from Bnei-Yisrael I have given to you as set aside for you and your sons as a permanent share.”

8. What do you understand the word Permanent to mean? the word for permenant in Hebrew means eternal and is olam עוֹלָם

Haftarah portion 1 Samuel 11:14-12:22

1 Samuel 11:14-15 “Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal and reaffirm the kingdom there.” So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before Adonai in Gilgal. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before Adonai, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.”

9. Is this the first time Saul is made King?

a. No

1 Samuel 12:13-15 ““Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have asked for, and behold, Adonai has set him as king over you. If you fear Adonai and worship Him, and listen to His voice and do not rebel against the command of Adonai, then both you as well as the king who reigns over you will be following Adonai your God. But if you do not listen to the voice of Adonai and rebel against the command of Adonai, then the hand of Adonai will be against you and against your fathers.”

10. What will happen if bnei-Yisrael will obey Adonai?

a. both the people and the king will follow Adonai.

1 Samuel 12:20-21 “Samuel said to the people, “Fear not! Indeed you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following Adonai, but worship Adonai with all your heart. Do not turn aside to go after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are futile.”

11. What are they empty and futile things Samuel warns about?

a. idolatry

Basorah Portion Matthew 26:13-24

Matthew 26:14-16 “Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judah of Kriot, went to the ruling kohanim and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they weighed out thirty shekels of silver for him. From then on, Judah began looking for a chance to hand Him over.”

12. What motivated Judah of Kriot to decide to rebel against Yeshua?

a. when Yeshua was anointed.

13. Is there anything significant about the 30 shekels of silver?

A. It was the fine for when a slave was gored by an OX Exodus 21:32 “If the ox gores a male or female slave, he is to pay 30 shekels of silver to their master, and the ox is to be stoned.”

B. Zechariah 11:12-13 “Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, pay me my wages, but if not, don’t bother!” So they weighed out my wages—30 pieces of silver. Then Adonai said to me, “Throw it to the potter—that exorbitant price at which they valued Me!” So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them into the House of Adonai, to the potter.”

Matthew 26:17 “Now on the first day of matzah, the disciples came to Yeshua, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?””

Just a note the word for first in greek is actually the word for before. As well this form of the greek word is only used in this singular location in all the scriptures.

Matthew 26:23 “And He replied, “The one who dipped his hand in the bowl with Me, he’s the one who will betray Me.”

14. Why where they dipping their hands in to a bowl?

a. could be the hand washing ceremony, could be the traditional part of the seder with karpas, or it could just have been simply eating out of the same bowl.