Sanhedrin 110a — the Talmud in English

A woman sat at the entrance of the tent,

she sat at the entrance of the tent],

and uncovered her hair

[and exposed her hair].

Everyone who came,

everyone who came to call for On ben Pelet,

saw

[his wife, who was sitting with her hair uncovered], and

turned back

[and returned backward], for a woman's hair is erva.

Meanwhile, they were swallowed up

[in the meantime, the assembly of Korah was swallowed into the earth].

The wife of Korah 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 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 associates:

If teruma comes

[if they bring teruma]—

Moses said

Moses:

“Let it be for the priest.”

If maaser comes, which you take

[if they bring maaser, which you, the sons of Levi, take],

Moses said

Moses:

“Give”

[give]

one from ten to the priest

[the teruma of the maaser].

And furthermore

he does something to you,

for he shaves your hair

[he shaves all your hair, as it is stated: “And they shall pass a razor over all their flesh”],

and he plays with you like with a clod

[and mocks you as though you were fools, and you are regarded by him as dung],

he sets his eyes on your hair

[he sets his eyes on your hair, so that there should not be among you a person of form like him].

He said to her: “But he too is doing this”

[Moses himself also shaved all his hair]!

She said to him: “Since all of this is for his greatness”

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

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

That is to say, “I too shall shave with them now, in order to appease their minds.”

And furthermore, that he says to 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 is it not a mitzva to make the entire garment tekhelet?

Bring out garments of tekhelet

[bring out garments of tekhelet],

and cover all of your house of study

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

This is what is written: “

Wisdoms of women built her house, but folly with her hands destroys it.”

“Wisdoms of women built her house”—

this is the wife of On ben Pelet,

who saved her house through her wisdom.

“But folly with her hands destroys it”—

this is the wife of Korah,

who destroyed her house through her folly.

“And there stood before Moses, and men from the Children of Israel, two hundred and fifty

leaders of the assembly, those called to the appointed time, men of renown”— “

Men”—that is

the distinguished ones of the assembly.

“Those called to the appointed time”—

who were

wise men, who

knew how to intercalate years and to establish months.

“Men of renown”—

who had a name throughout the entire world.

“And Moses heard and fell upon his face.” What report did he hear,

that he fell upon his face?

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

As it is stated

in Psalms:

“And they were jealous of Moses in the camp.” Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzhak said: This teaches that each and every one made his wife jealous 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 for himself outside the camp.”

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

“And Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram,”

Moses waived his honor and went himself to the masters of the dispute.

Reish Lakish said: From here—

one should not hold on to dispute.

For Rav said: Anyone who holds on to dispute—

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

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

Rav Ashi said:

One who holds on to dispute—

is fit to be afflicted with leprosy. It is written here,

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

and he brought it out, and behold, his hand was leprous like snow.”

Rabbi Yosei said: Anyone who disputes the kingship of the House of David—

is fit to be bitten by a snake. It is written here,

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

“And Adonijah slaughtered sheep, cattle, and fatlings with the stone of Zoheleth,” and it is written there: “With the venom of creeping serpents of dust”.

Rav Ḥisda said: Anyone who disputes his teacher—

is like one who disputes the Divine Presence.

As it is stated

in the dispute of Korah:

“When they rebel against the Lord.”

Thus, although they disputed Moses, the matter is considered for them as though they disputed the Divine Presence.

Rabbi Ḥama son of Rabbi Ḥanina said: Anyone who makes a quarrel with his teacher

[who quarrels with him and speaks insolent words against him]—he is

like one who makes

a quarrel

with the Divine Presence. As it is stated

when the Children of Israel quarreled with Moses [“And the people quarreled with Moses, etc.”]:

“They are the waters of Meribah, where the Children of Israel quarreled with the Lord.”

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

[who says of his teacher that he treats him with cruelty]—

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

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

“Not against us are your complaints, but against the Lord.”

Rabbi Abbahu said: Anyone who thinks against his teacher

[who covers him and speaks cunningly against him, seeking more than is fitting for him]—

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

It is written in the Book of Ecclesiastes:

“Wealth preserved for its owner

to his harm.” Rabbi Reish Lakish said: This is the wealth of Korah.

For through his wealth he became arrogant and thought that he was fit for the stature of Moses and Aaron. “

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

and all the substance at their feet.”

What is “the substance”?

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

And Rabbi Levi said: A load of three hundred

white mules

carried

the

keys to Korah's treasure houses. And all of them,

all those keys and locks,

keys

[keys]

and leather locks

[and locks]

of leather

were made of leather ].

And nevertheless, although those keys and locks were light, since they were made of leather and not metal, they required three hundred mules to carry them. This teaches us how wealthy Korah was.

Rabbi Ḥama son of Rabbi Ḥanina said: Joseph hid three treasures in Egypt:

one of the treasures

was revealed to Korah,

and from it he became exceedingly wealthy.

And one

of them

was revealed to Antoninus son of Asuerus

[an emperor who lived in the time of Rabbi and loved Israel].

And one—

is hidden for the righteous in the future to come.

And Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Korah was not among the swallowed

[those who were swallowed in the earth]

and

also

not among the 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

the swallowed?

For it is written: “

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

and all the men who belonged to Korah.”

It implies that the earth swallowed Korah's men,

but not

his

Korah

himself.

And

from where do we know that he

was not

among

the burned?

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

It implies that the fire consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were in Korah's assembly,

but not

his

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 two hundred and fifty men, and two additional fire pans, for Korah and Aaron].

In a mitnaita it was taught: Korah was among

also

the burned, and

also

among the swallowed.

How so?

When the men of his assembly were burned, his soul was burned with them, but his body remained existing. Afterward, his body rolled to the place of the swallowed and was swallowed there with all that belonged to him.

Among the swallowed

from where?

For it is written: “

And the earth opened its mouth

and swallowed them and Korah.”

Thus Korah was among the swallowed.

Among the burned

from where?

For 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

behold, even

Korah

was 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 shall be laid bare, etc.; the earth shall be split open, etc.;

sun and moon stood in their habitation; by the light of Your arrows they went”?

This teaches that

when the earth split open,

the sun

and the moon ascended to

the firmament called

Zevul. They said before Him

[before the Holy One, blessed be He]:

“Master of the universe! If You execute judgment upon the son of Amram”

[upon Moses]—

we shall go out

to illuminate the earth,

but if not—

we shall not go out!”

Until the Holy One, blessed be He, cast into them

the

arrows

the Holy One, blessed be He [and this is what is stated: “By the light of Your arrows they went”].

He said to them

to the sun and moon: “Yet every day the kings of the east and west bow down to the sun when they place their crowns upon their heads, and you do not protest against this—

against My honor

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

And

also

now

[now],

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 the time of that incident .

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

[has already been created]

Gehenna—

all the better. And if not—

the Lord should create

Gehenna now.

And we raised the question:

For what purpose,

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

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, to bring the opening closer

[to bring the opening of Gehenna closer] to Korah's place, so that it would open there and they would be swallowed into the earth.

“And the sons of Korah did not die.” It was taught: In the name of our teacher they said: A fortified place was secured

[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 song .

Rabba bar bar Ḥana said: Once I was traveling along the road.

That Ishmaelite merchant said to me

[an Ishmaelite merchant]:

“Come, and I shall show you the swallowed of Korah”

[come and I shall show you the place where the assembly of Korah was swallowed].

He went

[Rabba bar bar Ḥana went with him],

he 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 the 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”

[pay attention to what you hear] from the opening.

And I heard that they were saying thus

[and I heard that they were saying thus]:

“Moses and his Torah are true, and they are liars”

[they were saying this about themselves].