Answers to this Week’s Riddles
(For the riddles, please see back page)
1) The Taz in his sefer Divrei Dovid answers: Normally there are two ways to understand something, one according to the simple peshat, and one according to the Medrash. However, in Parshas Korach there is only one way, and the Medrash is the simple peshat. Since the Medrash is the simple peshat, Rashi was allowed to so what he says.
The Pri Megodim (Sefer HaMagid al HaTorah) says something unbelievable to explain the words of Rashi. He writes: If a darshen would get up and speak about a particular parsha at a time when it is not that parsha, his drosha won’t be good and well accepted, since it’s not timely. However, Parshas Korach, the parsha of machlokes, will be accepted and a good drosha any time, as there is no time this parsha isn’t applicable.
2) i) Since they wanted to raise themselves up and be more elevated than the rest of Klal Yisroel, they were punished and were made lower than the rest of Klal Yisroel. We find precedent for such an idea from Uziyah. In Divrei HaYamim (2, 26) we learn about how Uziyah wanted to enter lifnei velifnim [into the most inner part of the Beis HaMikdosh] and he was punished and sent outside all three camps. The same thing by Korach and his assembly, they wanted to be more elevated than the rest of Klal Yisroel, therefore, they were punished and made lower than everyone else.
ii) The machlokes lead by Korach was attacking the Torah which keeps the Heaven and the Earth standing, therefore, he was punished by being swallowed into the ground. (Rabbeinu Bechayeh)
iii) In order to show all future generations, that those who fight against tzadikim receive no mercy, and don’t even get punished with a regular death. (Divrei Chaim)
iv) Korach was unhappy with Moshe and argued “Why are you more elevated”. The Torah testifies about Moshe that “he was very humble, more humble than any other person on the face of the earth”. In order to punish Korach and place him on a level lower than Moshe, he needed to be placed lower than the earth. (Zer Zahav)
v) Since they ruined their mouths with lashon horah and machlokes, measure for measure, the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them. (Belzer Rebbe)
vi) Korach argued that “the entire nation is holy” and we don’t need a leader. The Mishnah in Avos teaches: “Daven for the peace of those in charge (the malchus), as if there isn’t fear of them, people would swallow each other up”. Since Korach was against this, the ground swallowed him up.
3) Rashi (16:6) writes that when Korach challenged Moshe and Aharon by claiming that the entire assembly was equally holy and did not need their leadership, Moshe tried to refute their argument by telling Korach that unlike other religions that feature multiple priests, Jews have only one G-d, one Torah, and one Kohen Gadol. The Gemara (Chullin 60b) says that initially, the sun and moon were the same size, but the moon complained that two kings cannot rule together with one crown. Hashem responded by telling the moon to reduce itself, to which the moon argued that it should not be punished for raising a valid concern. When Hashem saw that the moon could not be comforted, He commanded us (28:15) to bring a goat as a sin-offering on Rosh Chodesh to atone for His decision to diminish the moon. This indicates that the moon was justified in its position, because if not, no atonement would be necessary. According to Rashi, the dispute between Korach and Moshe revolved around this very issue, whether two leaders can rule simultaneously (Korach) or not (Moshe).
Rav Moshe Yaakov Rabikov, a shoemaker in Tel Aviv who was a hidden tzaddik until the Chazon Ish prevailed upon him to reveal his greatness and miraculously help others, explains that when Korach sees us offering a goat as a sin-offering on Rosh Chodesh to atone for the downsizing of the moon, he realizes that the moon was correct in its claim that two equal leaders cannot coexist, in which case Moshe was right and he was wrong.
This insight inspires him to verbally proclaim that Moshe and his Torah are true, while he and his followers are liars.
4) The Medrash Rabbah (18:19) teaches: חיים שאולה יש אומרים חיים וקיימים עד עכשיו – “’Alive into the depths’ some say, alive and kicking until this very day.”
Based on this Medrash the Shu’’t Avodas HaGershuni in his sefer Tiferes HaGershuni writes that the wives of the Adas Korach [assembly of Korach] which weren’t swallowed up, such as those who weren’t involved in the machlokes were forbidden to remarry, since their husbands were still alive.
The Tiferes HaGershuni quotes the Terumas HaDeshen (2:102) who discusses whether the wives of Eliyahu HaNavi and R’ Yehoshua ben Levi who never died were able to remarry. The practical application of this question, is if in future times someone merits to be on such a level and never dies. The Terumas HaDeshen writes: אשת רעהו – (the) “wife of a friend” is forbidden, not אשת מלאך – “the wife of an Angel” and since these people are ruchniyusdika people [spiritual people] and not gashmiyusdik [physical] there is no problem for their wives to remarry.
The Tiferes HaGershuni concludes: The Terumas HaDeshen is referring to people like Eliyahu HaNavi, however, for those people swallowed alive in the times of Korach, it’s obvious that it was forbidden for their wives to remarry.
5) i) The Maharam Shif answers: Chazal established that time as a time for there to be peace in the house, and we light Shabbos candles then which are lit for sholam bayis, since this is a dedicated time for peace, the yetzer horah fights harder. This is why Chazal stressed that when asking, עשרתם ערבתם הדליקו את הנר – “Have you separated tithes, made the eruv, and lit Shabbos candles” one should make sure to ask in a nice tone, in order not to cause machlokes.
ii) The six days of the week are blessed via Shabbos. The only utensil which is able to hold blessing is peace. Therefore, the Sotan fights hard to cause machlokes on Shabbos – on the day which causes peace, and this way there will be no utensil able to hold peace, and the whole week will be full of strife and unsuccessful.
Based on the above, the Chasam Sofer explains the pasuk:ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השבי ע י יהיה לכם, the success of the six days of the week all come through the merit of Shabbos, therefore, לא תבע רו אש המחלוקות בכל מושבותיכם ביום השביע י - don’t get into any machlokes in all your dwelling places on Shabbos, so that berachah has where to take place. (Chasam Sofer, Gittin 52b)
