ויהי ככלותו לדבר [וגו'] ותקבע האדמה אשר תחתיהם (במדבר טז לא). שמכל מקום שהוא רוצה הוא מצמיח את הפורענות.
(Numb. 16:31:) THEN IT CAME TO PASS, AS SOON AS HE HAD FINISHED SPEAKING […], THAT THE GROUND UNDER THEM WAS SPLIT APART, since he causes retribution to spring up from any place that he wants.51Tanh., Numb. 5:9; Numb. R. 18:19.
2
וירדו הם וכל אשר להם וגו' (שם שם לג). יש אומרים חיים נידונין עד עכשיו.
(Numb. 16:33:) SO THEY AND ALL THAT BELONGED TO THEM WENT DOWN < ALIVE INTO SHEOL>…. Some say they are alive and being punished up to the present.
3
ותכס עליהם הארץ (שם), הם אבדו אבל לא סררותם, אבל נעשו תחתיהם שרים אחרים.
(Ibid., cont.:) THEN THE EARTH CLOSED OVER THEM. They perished but not their offices; indeed, other ministers were appointed in their stead.
4
וכל ישראל אשר סביבותיהם נסו לקולם (שם שם לד), שהיו צווחין למשה משה רבינו הצילנו.
(Numb. 16:34:) THEN ALL ISRAEL, SINCE THEY WERE ROUND ABOUT THEM, FLED AT THEIR CRY; so that they cried out to Moses: Moses our Master, save us!
5
ואש יצאה מאת ה' ותאכל את החמשים ומאתים איש מקריבי הקטורת (שם שם לה), אלו היו נבלעים, ואלו היו נשרפים וקרח עומד בין השרופים ,שאמר משה, ואתה ואהרן איש מחתתו (שם שם יז), וקרח לקח יותר מן כולם, שנשרף ונבלע, ולמה נעשה בו שני דינים, שאילו נשרף ולא נבלע, היו הבלועים מתרעמים ואומרים שלא הביא עלינו את כל הפורענות אלא קרח, והרי הן בלועין והוא ניצול, ואילו היה נבלע ולא נשרף, היו השרופין מתרעמין ואומרים שלא הביא עלינו את כל הפורענות הזו אלא קרח, והרי הן שרופין והוא ניצול, לפיכך נידון בשתי מיתות, ליהטו האש תחלה לעין כל השרופים, שבידו היה המחתה, ובה הקטורת, וקיפלתו האש כדור, האש מגלגלת בו, עד שהביאתו לפי הארץ לבין הבלועים, שנאמר ותפתח הארץ את פיה (שם שם לב).
(Numb. 16:35:) AND A FIRE WENT FORTH FROM THE LORD AND CONSUMED THE TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY MEN OFFERING THE INCENSE. The other ones had been swallowed up, but these were burned; and Korah stood among those who were burned, as Moses had said (in Numb. 16:17): YOU ALSO AND AARON, EACH HIS CENSER. Moreover, Korah received more <punishment> than all of them, in that he was <both> burned and swallowed up. And why were both sentences carried out against him? Because if he had been burned but not swallowed up, those who were swallowed up would have complained and said that though only Korah had brought retribution upon them, here they were being swallowed up while he escaped. But if he had been swallowed up and not burned, those who were burned would have complained and said that though only Korah had brought this retribution upon them, here they were burned while he escaped. For that reason he was condemned to both deaths. First in the sight of all who were being burned the fire set ablaze the one in whose hand was the censer with the incense in it. Then the fire rolled him up like a ball,52The translation here follows Buber’s emendation in n. 92, which reads KKDWR for KDWR in agreement with Codex Vaticanus, Ebr. 34; Codex Michael 577 No.155; Tanh. 5:9; and Numb. R. 18:19. and the fire rolled him along until it brought him to the mouth of the earth among those being swallowed up, as stated (in Numb. 16:32): AND THE EARTH OPENED ITS MOUTH.
ויהי ככלותו לדבר [וגו'] ותקבע האדמה אשר תחתיהם (במדבר טז לא). שמכל מקום שהוא רוצה הוא מצמיח את הפורענות.
(Numb. 16:31:) THEN IT CAME TO PASS, AS SOON AS HE HAD FINISHED SPEAKING […], THAT THE GROUND UNDER THEM WAS SPLIT APART, since he causes retribution to spring up from any place that he wants.51Tanh., Numb. 5:9; Numb. R. 18:19.
וירדו הם וכל אשר להם וגו' (שם שם לג). יש אומרים חיים נידונין עד עכשיו.
(Numb. 16:33:) SO THEY AND ALL THAT BELONGED TO THEM WENT DOWN < ALIVE INTO SHEOL>…. Some say they are alive and being punished up to the present.
ותכס עליהם הארץ (שם), הם אבדו אבל לא סררותם, אבל נעשו תחתיהם שרים אחרים.
(Ibid., cont.:) THEN THE EARTH CLOSED OVER THEM. They perished but not their offices; indeed, other ministers were appointed in their stead.
וכל ישראל אשר סביבותיהם נסו לקולם (שם שם לד), שהיו צווחין למשה משה רבינו הצילנו.
(Numb. 16:34:) THEN ALL ISRAEL, SINCE THEY WERE ROUND ABOUT THEM, FLED AT THEIR CRY; so that they cried out to Moses: Moses our Master, save us!
ואש יצאה מאת ה' ותאכל את החמשים ומאתים איש מקריבי הקטורת (שם שם לה), אלו היו נבלעים, ואלו היו נשרפים וקרח עומד בין השרופים ,שאמר משה, ואתה ואהרן איש מחתתו (שם שם יז), וקרח לקח יותר מן כולם, שנשרף ונבלע, ולמה נעשה בו שני דינים, שאילו נשרף ולא נבלע, היו הבלועים מתרעמים ואומרים שלא הביא עלינו את כל הפורענות אלא קרח, והרי הן בלועין והוא ניצול, ואילו היה נבלע ולא נשרף, היו השרופין מתרעמין ואומרים שלא הביא עלינו את כל הפורענות הזו אלא קרח, והרי הן שרופין והוא ניצול, לפיכך נידון בשתי מיתות, ליהטו האש תחלה לעין כל השרופים, שבידו היה המחתה, ובה הקטורת, וקיפלתו האש כדור, האש מגלגלת בו, עד שהביאתו לפי הארץ לבין הבלועים, שנאמר ותפתח הארץ את פיה (שם שם לב).
(Numb. 16:35:) AND A FIRE WENT FORTH FROM THE LORD AND CONSUMED THE TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY MEN OFFERING THE INCENSE. The other ones had been swallowed up, but these were burned; and Korah stood among those who were burned, as Moses had said (in Numb. 16:17): YOU ALSO AND AARON, EACH HIS CENSER. Moreover, Korah received more <punishment> than all of them, in that he was <both> burned and swallowed up. And why were both sentences carried out against him? Because if he had been burned but not swallowed up, those who were swallowed up would have complained and said that though only Korah had brought retribution upon them, here they were being swallowed up while he escaped. But if he had been swallowed up and not burned, those who were burned would have complained and said that though only Korah had brought this retribution upon them, here they were burned while he escaped. For that reason he was condemned to both deaths. First in the sight of all who were being burned the fire set ablaze the one in whose hand was the censer with the incense in it. Then the fire rolled him up like a ball,52The translation here follows Buber’s emendation in n. 92, which reads KKDWR for KDWR in agreement with Codex Vaticanus, Ebr. 34; Codex Michael 577 No.155; Tanh. 5:9; and Numb. R. 18:19. and the fire rolled him along until it brought him to the mouth of the earth among those being swallowed up, as stated (in Numb. 16:32): AND THE EARTH OPENED ITS MOUTH.