Sanhedrin 110a (קי.) — the Talmud in English

He covered the entrance with a blanket [

she sat at the entrance of the tent],

and uncovered her hair [

and exposed her hair].

Anyone who came,

anyone who came to summon On ben Pelet,

saw [

he saw his wife sitting with her hair uncovered], and

turned back [

and returned], for a woman’s hair is considered nakedness.

Meanwhile, they were swallowed up [

in the meantime, the assembly of Korah was swallowed up by the earth].

Korah’s wife said to him: See what Moses is doing [

See what Moses is doing]!

He himself was king [

He himself is king],

he made his brother the High Priest [

he appointed his brother as High Priest],

and he made his brother’s sons deputies of the priesthood [

and he appointed his brother’s sons as deputies of the priesthood].

See how he cares only for himself and his close associates:

If teruma is brought [

if teruma is brought]—

Moses said

Moses:

Let it be for the priest.

If tithe is brought, which you take [

if tithe is brought, which you, the sons of Levi, take],

Moses said

Moses:

Give [

give]

one tenth to the priest [

the terumat ma’aser].

And furthermore

he does something to you,

for he shaves your hair [

he shaves all your hair, as it is stated: “Pass a razor over all their flesh”],

and he toys with you as though you were fools [

and he mocks you as though you were fools, and regards you as excrement],

he casts his eyes upon your hair [

he sets his eyes on your hair, so that none of you will have an appearance like his].

He said to her: But he does this as well [

Moses himself also shaved all his hair]!

She said to him: Since everything is for his greatness [

since everything you do is for his greatness and honor, and you fulfill even things that make you appear foolish],

he too said: “Let me die with the Philistines.”

That is, I will shave my hair along with them now, in order to appease them.

And furthermore, Moses tells you

Moses:

Make tekhelet [

make a thread of tekhelet on the corners of your garments].

If it enters your mind that tekhelet is important as a mitzva,

why does he not command that the entire garment be made of tekhelet?

Bring out garments of tekhelet [

bring out garments of tekhelet],

and cover all the members of your beit-midrash with them [

and cover all the members of your beit-midrash with them]!

This is what is written: “

Wisdom-women build her house, but folly tears it down with her own hands.”

“Wisdom-women build her house”—

this is On ben Pelet’s wife,

who saved her household through her wisdom.

“But folly tears it down with her own hands”—

this is Korah’s wife,

who destroyed her household through her folly.

“And they stood before Moses, with two hundred and fifty men from the Israelites

chieftains of the assembly, summoned for the appointed time, men of renown”— “

Men”—that means

the distinguished men of the assembly.

“Summoned for the appointed time”—

they were

wise men who

knew how to intercalate years and establish months.

“Men of renown”—

they had a reputation throughout the world.

“Moses heard and fell on his face.” What report did he hear

that caused him to fall on his face?

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: They suspected him concerning a married woman .

As it is stated

in Psalms:

“They were jealous of Moses in the camp.” Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: This teaches that each and every one made his wife subject to a warning because of Moses.

He said to her: Do not seclude yourself with Moses.

As it is stated: “And Moses would take the tent and pitch it outside the camp.”

He went outside the camp so that they would no longer suspect him.

“Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram,”

Moses waived his honor and went himself to the disputants.

Reish Lakish said: From here—

one should not hold on to a dispute.

For Rav said: Anyone who holds on to a dispute—

transgresses a prohibition. As it is stated: “And it shall not be like Korah and his assembly.”

That is, they must not act like Korah and his assembly, who held on to their dispute.

Rav Ashi said:

One who holds on to a dispute

is worthy of being afflicted with leprosy. Here it is written,

concerning the incident of Korah: “And it shall not be like Korah and his assembly, as the Lord spoke

by the hand of Moses concerning him”

919, and there it is written: “And the Lord said to him further: Please bring your hand into your bosom, etc.

He brought it out, and behold, his hand was afflicted with leprosy like snow.”

Rabbi Yosei said: Anyone who disputes the Davidic kingship—

is worthy of being bitten by a snake. Here it is written,

when Adonijah son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”—[and this is how he disputed the Davidic kingship, for he wished to reign in place of Solomon]:

“And Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fatlings beside the Serpent’s Stone,” and there it is written: “With the venom of crawling serpents of dust” .

Rav Ḥisda said: Anyone who disputes his teacher—

is like one who disputes the Divine Presence

. As it is stated

concerning Korah’s dispute:

“When they rebelled against the Lord.”

Although they disputed Moses, it is considered for them as though they disputed the Divine Presence.

Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: Anyone who quarrels with his teacher [

who fights with him and speaks insolently against him]—he is

like one who

quarrels

with the Divine Presence. As it is stated

when the Israelites quarreled with Moses [“And the people quarreled with Moses, etc.”]:

“These are the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord.”

Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa said: Anyone who complains against his teacher [

who says that his teacher treats him cruelly]—

it is as though he complains against the Divine Presence. As it is stated

when the Israelites complained against Moses [“And the entire assembly of the Israelites complained against Moses, etc.”]:

“It is not against us that you complain, but against the Lord.”

Rabbi Abbahu said: Anyone who harbors reservations about his teacher [

who brings accusations and contrives arguments against him, seeking more than is appropriate for him]—

it is as though he harbors reservations about the Divine Presence. As it is stated: “And the people spoke against God and against Moses” .

It is written in Ecclesiastes:

“There is wealth guarded by its owner

to his harm.” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: This is Korah’s wealth.

Through his wealth he became arrogant and thought that he was worthy of the status of Moses and Aaron. “

That the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, etc.,

and all the wealth at their feet.”

What is meant by “the wealth”?

Rabbi Elazar said: This is a person’s property, which sets him on his feet.

And Rabbi Levi said: The keys to Korah’s treasuries were a burden of three hundred

white mules

carrying

the

keys to his treasuries. And all of them,

all those keys and locks,

keys [

keys]

and locks [

and locks]

of leather [

were made of leather ].

Even though those keys and locks were light, since they were made of leather rather than metal, they required three hundred mules to carry them. This teaches us how wealthy Korah was.

Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: Joseph concealed three treasuries in Egypt:

one of the treasuries

was revealed to Korah,

and from it he became exceedingly wealthy.

And one

of them

was revealed to Antoninus son of Asoueros [

the emperor who lived during Rabbi’s time and was friendly toward Israel].

And one—

is hidden for the righteous in the World to Come.

And Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Korah was neither among those swallowed [

who were swallowed by the earth]

nor

was he

among those burned [

those two hundred and fifty men who offered incense and were burned]. Rather, he died in the plague.

And from where do we know that Korah

was not

among

those swallowed?

As it is written: “

And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed, etc.,

and all the people who belonged to Korah.”

This indicates that the earth swallowed Korah’s people,

but not

Korah

himself

.

And

from where do we know that he

was not

among

those burned?

As it is written: “When the fire consumed the two hundred and fifty men.”

This indicates that the fire consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were in Korah’s assembly,

but not

Korah

himself

[for there were two hundred and fifty men besides Korah, as it is stated: “Two hundred and fifty fire pans, and you and Aaron, each man with his fire pan.” There were two hundred and fifty fire pans for the two hundred and fifty men, and two additional fire pans, for Korah and Aaron].

In a baraita it was taught: Korah was among

also

those burned, and

also

among those swallowed .

How so?

When the members of his assembly were burned, his soul was burned with them, but his body remained intact. Subsequently, his body rolled to the place of those who were swallowed and was swallowed there with everything that belonged to him.

Among those swallowed—

from where?

As it is written: “

And the earth opened its mouth

and swallowed them and Korah.”

Thus, Korah was among those swallowed .

Among those burned—

from where?

As it is written: “And a fire went forth from before the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men

who offered the incense,”

and

therefore

Korah

was also among those who offered the incense! It necessarily follows that he was burned

with them [

with them].

Rava said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “

Nakedness is laid bare, etc.; the earth is split open, etc.;

the sun and moon stand in their abode; they go forth by the light of Your arrows”?

This teaches that

when the earth split open,

the sun

and the moon ascended to

a firmament called

Zevul. They said before Him [

before the Holy One, blessed be He]:

Master of the Universe! If You carry out judgment against the son of Amram [

Moses]—

we will go out

to illuminate the earth,

but if not—

we will not go out!

Until the Holy One, blessed be He, shot

the

arrows at them [

as it is stated: “They go forth by the light of Your arrows”].

He said to them

to the sun and moon: Every day, the kings of the East and the West bow down to the sun when they place their crowns on their heads, and you do not protest against this

! For My honor—

you did not protest, but for the honor of flesh and blood you protested?!

And

even

now [

at present],

they do not emerge until they are struck [

the sun and moon do not emerge to illuminate until they are struck with arrows ], for this is what the Omnipresent decreed upon them from that incident onward .

Rava expounded: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And if the Lord creates a creation, and the earth opens its mouth”?

Moses said before the Holy One, blessed be He: If a creation [

was already created]

of Gehenna—

that is well. But if not—

let the Lord create

Gehenna now.

We raise an objection:

For what purpose

did Moses intend this, when he said that the Lord should create it now?

If you say that he meant to create it literally, but

it is written:

“There is nothing new under the sun”!

That is, since the creation of the world during the six days of Creation, nothing new has been created.

Rather, he meant to bring the opening [

to bring the opening of Gehenna] closer to Korah’s location, so that it would open there and they would be swallowed by the earth.

“But the sons of Korah did not die.” It was taught in a baraita in the name of our master: A fortified place was prepared [

from the expression “a fortified city”]

for them in Gehenna,

for the Holy One, blessed be He, prepared a high place for them in Gehenna, and they did not descend so deeply; therefore, they did not die .

And they sat upon it [

upon that place],

and recited a song .

Rabba bar bar Ḥana said: Once I was traveling along the road [once I was walking along the road].

A certain Arab merchant said to me [

an Ishmaelite merchant]:

Come and I will show you those swallowed by Korah [

Come and I will show you the place where Korah’s assembly was swallowed].

He went [

Rabba bar bar Ḥana went with him],

and saw two fissures [

he saw two openings],

from which smoke was emerging [

from which smoke was emerging].

He took a tuft of wool [

he took a fleece of wool],

soaked it in water [

he soaked it in water],

and placed it on the head of his spear [

and placed it on the head of his spear]

and passed it over there [

and passed it over those openings], and

it was scorched [

the wool was burned], because the heat there was exceedingly great.

He said to me

the Ishmaelite merchant:

Listen to what you hear [

listen to what you hear] from the opening.

And I heard that they were saying thus [

and I heard that they were saying]:

Moses and his Torah are true, but they are liars [

they were saying this about themselves].