Ask Around Your Shabbos Table
On the day of Korach’s rebellion Moshe sent a messenger to Dasan and Aviram to summon them so that he could solve the dispute. They utterly refused and acted with brazenness (see Bamidbar 16:12-14). Yet the next morning, Moshe made a second attempt, as the Torah says, וַיָּקָּם משֶּה וַיֵּלֶּךְ אֶּל־דָּתָּן וַַֽאֲבִירָּם... Moshe arose and went to Dasan and Aviram... (Bamidbar 16:25) And on this verse, citing the words of a Midrash, Rashi writes: כסבור שישאו לו פנים (Moshe thought that they will respect him [and agree to end the dispute]).
Ask Around Your Table: In light of who Dathan and Aviram were and in light of how they reacted to Moshe’s request to make peace on the previous day, why would Moshe think that now they will respect his words!?
Answer: The Torah is demonstrating to us that a Jew should always project positively!
