Aliya Summary: G‑d is angered by the Jews' association with Korach,
and wishes to destroy them. Moshe and Aaron pray on the Jews' behalf and
the decree is averted. The earth opens up and swallows Korach and his
family, and a heavenly fire consumes the rest of the 250 rebels. Moshe
instructs Aaron's son Elazar to retrieve the frying pans which were used
for the incense offering, to flatten them and plate the altar with
them--a visible deterrent for any individual who ever wishes to
challenge Aaron's priesthood. The next day, the community complains that
Moses and Aaron are to be blamed for the deaths of "G‑d's people."
As
we reach the crux of the Korach confrontation, we reach about Moshe
telling the people that the next morning they will see that everything
he's said and done is all G-d's doing and wishes, and the proof will be
that Korach and his followers will die an unnatural death. Sure enough,
everyone is instructed to keep their distance, and Korach and his gang
are swallowed by the ground. Incredibly, the very next day the Jews
complain to Moshe that he's killed people of the Lord (6). After all the
elaborate explanations and presentation proving that it's G-d behind
all this, they still claim that it's Moshe's doing. Yet, the Torah
doesn't describe anger or disappointment by either Moshe or G-d. Rather,
it lets it go and moves on to describing the heavenly cloud that
lowered. An interesting anecdote to complaints following a monumental
event. Perhaps human nature was allowed a day to process, to vent, and
then move on, as everyone apparently did.
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