וְאִם -בְרִ יא ָ֞ה יִבְר ָ֣א ה' וּפ ָֽצְת ָ֨ה ה ָֽאֲד מ ָ֤ה אֶת-פִָ֨יה ָ֙ וּב ָֽלְע ָ֤ה אֹת םָ֙ וְאֶת-כ ל- תֶא הֶלִּ֖ א ה םיִ֥ש נֲאָֽ ה וּ֛צֲאִָֽנ יִִּ֧כ םֶֶּ֕תְעַדיִָֽו ה לֹֹ֑אְש םי יַח וּ֥דְרָָֽֽ יְו םֶֶ֔ה ל רֶָ֣שֲא- ה': (ט"ז ל' )
("If a creation Hashem will create, and the land will open its mouth and swallow them and all that belongs to them, and they will descend to the depths alive, and you will know that these men have infuriated Hashem." Bamidbar 16:30)
Ask the Ohr haChaim haKadosh: What is this double language of "creation": "If a creation Hashem will create"? Just say: "If Hashem will create..."
Explains the Ohr haChaim: Hashem created everything to sing His praises (see Perek Shira). Our Sages (Sanhedrin 37b) teach us that ever since the land had swallowed Hevel's blood (after Kayin had killed him), it ceased to open its mouth in praise of Hashem. Fast-forward to the days of Moshe (who was actually Hevel's gilgul) and Korach (Kayin's gilgul): Moshe is asking that the land "re-open" its mouth and swallow up Korach and his men (and thereby "fixing" the swallowing of Hevel's blood).
One lesson for us: singing to Hashem is the opposite of damage and destruction—so let's get too it!
