דרש רבא מאי דכתיב ואם בריאה יברא ה' (במדבר טז ל), למאי אילימא למיברייה ממש, והכתיב ואין כל חדש תחת השמש (קהלת א ט), אלא לקרובי פיתחא, ובני קרח לא מתו (במדבר כו יא), תנא משום רבינו מקום נתבצר להם בגיהנם וישבו עליו [ואמרו שירה], אמר רבה בר בר חנה זימנא חדא הוה קאזילנא באורחא ואמר לי ההוא טייעא תא אחוי לך בלועי דקרח, אזלי וחזאי תרי ביזעי דקא נפקי קיטרא מינייהו, שקלי גבבא דעמרא ואמשייה במיא, ואותבה בריש רומחא ואיחרך, ואמר לי אצית מאי שמעת, שמעי דהוו קא אמרי משה ותורתו אמת והן בדאין, ולעתיד לבא הקב"ה עתיד להוציאם, ועליהם אמרה חנה ה' ממית ומחיה מוריד שאול ויעל (ש"א ב ו).
Rabba expounded what is written (in Numb. 16:30): BUT IF THE LORD CREATES SOMETHING NEW, <AND THE EARTH OPENS ITS MOUTH>. To what <does the verse refer>? If we say to an actual creation of something, then is it not written (in Eccl. 1:9): FOR THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN. Rather <it refers> to bringing the opening (into Gehinnom) up close (to the surface of the earth where Korah was standing).62The midrash sees the swallowing up of Korah and his companions as the first evidence for Gehinnom. See the fuller text in Tanh., Numb. 5:11; Numb. R. 18:20; Sanh. 110a. (Numb. 26:11:) THE SONS OF KORAH, HOWEVER, DID NOT DIE. It was taught in the name of our master: A place was set aside for them in Gehinnom where they sat [and uttered hymnody]. Rabbah bar bar Hanah said: One time it happened that we were travelling on the road, when a certain Arab merchant said to me:63Similarly BB 74a. Come, I will show you chasms of Korah.64Perhaps the straits of Scylla and Charybdis. So Jastrow, s.v., beli‘e. I went and saw two fissures out of which was coming smoke. He took a ball of clipped wool, steeped it in water, placed it on a spearhead, <and raised it over them>.65This logical end to the sentence is found in Tanh., Numb. 5:11; Numb. R. 18:20; BB 74a; Sanh. 110ab. Then he said to me: Listen, what do you hear. I actually heard them saying: Moses and his Torah represent truth, but they (i.e., Korah and his companions) are liars. So in the world to come the Holy One is going to take them out <of Gehinnom>. Moreover, it is with reference to them that Hannah said (in I Sam. 2:6): THE LORD BRINGS DEATH AND GIVES LIFE; HE BRINGS DOWN TO SHEOL AND RAISES UP.66The Midrash finds an indication that the life and raising up here refer to life in the world to come, since they follow death and the descent into Sheol. Cf. below, Numb.5:4a at the end; also Gen. R. 98:4; TSanh. 13:3; see ySanh. 10:1 (28a); 10:4 (29c).
דרש רבא מאי דכתיב ואם בריאה יברא ה' (במדבר טז ל), למאי אילימא למיברייה ממש, והכתיב ואין כל חדש תחת השמש (קהלת א ט), אלא לקרובי פיתחא, ובני קרח לא מתו (במדבר כו יא), תנא משום רבינו מקום נתבצר להם בגיהנם וישבו עליו [ואמרו שירה], אמר רבה בר בר חנה זימנא חדא הוה קאזילנא באורחא ואמר לי ההוא טייעא תא אחוי לך בלועי דקרח, אזלי וחזאי תרי ביזעי דקא נפקי קיטרא מינייהו, שקלי גבבא דעמרא ואמשייה במיא, ואותבה בריש רומחא ואיחרך, ואמר לי אצית מאי שמעת, שמעי דהוו קא אמרי משה ותורתו אמת והן בדאין, ולעתיד לבא הקב"ה עתיד להוציאם, ועליהם אמרה חנה ה' ממית ומחיה מוריד שאול ויעל (ש"א ב ו).
Rabba expounded what is written (in Numb. 16:30): BUT IF THE LORD CREATES SOMETHING NEW, <AND THE EARTH OPENS ITS MOUTH>. To what <does the verse refer>? If we say to an actual creation of something, then is it not written (in Eccl. 1:9): FOR THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN. Rather <it refers> to bringing the opening (into Gehinnom) up close (to the surface of the earth where Korah was standing).62The midrash sees the swallowing up of Korah and his companions as the first evidence for Gehinnom. See the fuller text in Tanh., Numb. 5:11; Numb. R. 18:20; Sanh. 110a. (Numb. 26:11:) THE SONS OF KORAH, HOWEVER, DID NOT DIE. It was taught in the name of our master: A place was set aside for them in Gehinnom where they sat [and uttered hymnody]. Rabbah bar bar Hanah said: One time it happened that we were travelling on the road, when a certain Arab merchant said to me:63Similarly BB 74a. Come, I will show you chasms of Korah.64Perhaps the straits of Scylla and Charybdis. So Jastrow, s.v., beli‘e. I went and saw two fissures out of which was coming smoke. He took a ball of clipped wool, steeped it in water, placed it on a spearhead, <and raised it over them>.65This logical end to the sentence is found in Tanh., Numb. 5:11; Numb. R. 18:20; BB 74a; Sanh. 110ab. Then he said to me: Listen, what do you hear. I actually heard them saying: Moses and his Torah represent truth, but they (i.e., Korah and his companions) are liars. So in the world to come the Holy One is going to take them out <of Gehinnom>. Moreover, it is with reference to them that Hannah said (in I Sam. 2:6): THE LORD BRINGS DEATH AND GIVES LIFE; HE BRINGS DOWN TO SHEOL AND RAISES UP.66The Midrash finds an indication that the life and raising up here refer to life in the world to come, since they follow death and the descent into Sheol. Cf. below, Numb.5:4a at the end; also Gen. R. 98:4; TSanh. 13:3; see ySanh. 10:1 (28a); 10:4 (29c).
חסלת פרשת קרח
The End of Parashah Qorah