Selections with Commentary on Numbers 16.1-18.32 Korach
Korach of (the tribe
of) Levi with Dathan and Aviram of
Reuben
Begin a
rebellion with 230 (other) Israelites
of rank. They confront Moses
Declaring:
You have gone too far, all here are holy
Why do you
set yourself above God's congregation
Hearing this Moses throws himself on his face and says
O Levi, singers of joyous praises, isn't it enough that God
Separated
you out as community leaders and chose you
To serve in
God's tabernacle.
In your songs and dances of devotion
You draw very near, but now you demand to be the High Priest
Moses summons Dathan and Aviram who
say
We won't come. What right do you have
to set yourself above us
Moses says,
God will show who is chosen to present offerings before God
To Korach, he says, you and your party
come tomorrow
Along with Aaron take fire pans; each shall offer incense
to God
Korach rallies his party. Along with
Moses and Aaron
They stand at the entrance of the Tent
of Meeting
With so much fire burning and
incense rising
The glory of God is experienced by all
present
God tells Moses
Tell the community to withdraw from Korach,
Dathan and Aviram
Moses tells the community, get away
from them
Don't touch anything that is theirs
The people withdraw, but Dathan and
Aviran stand defiantly
A hand moves the earth (Earthquake!) The ground under them splits open Swallowing them and their houses and all those who were with Korach
A hand moves the earth (Earthquake!) The ground under them splits open Swallowing them and their houses and all those who were with Korach
They fall into the depths. The earth
covers them over
They are lost to the community. Fire
then comes down from heaven
Consuming the 250 who were presenting
incense
Moses and Aaron prostrate before
God. A plague of fear
begins to spread
Moses to Aaron: Quickly place some fire from the altar and
offer incense
Go quickly into the community and make
atonement for them all
Divine wrath is coming, the plague has already begun (Plague of fear)
Divine wrath is coming, the plague has already begun (Plague of fear)
Aaron runs into the midst of the
people
Where the plague is already beginning
to kill people
He offers incense to atone for the
people
He stands between the living and the dead, and the plague is stayed
He stands between the living and the dead, and the plague is stayed
The community protests to Moses: You
have killed God's people
As they are thus demonstrating, they
turn toward the Tent of Meeting Which suddenly is covered with cloud and God's
glory appears
God says, take a
staff from each paternal tribe, twelve staffs
Write Aaron’s name on Levi’s staff. Place
the twelve staffs
In the Tent of Meeting before the Ark of the
Covenant
The next day Moses comes to the Tent of
Meeting
Aaron’s staff, representing the house of
Levi, has blossomed
Giving forth leaves, producing blossoms and
almonds ripening on it
Moses shows it to all
God says, put Aaron’ staff back before the
Ark as a keepsake
Let it be a sign. (Our priestly services, Aaron’s staff within
us, bring it forward)
Aaron, I am giving you and your offspring this
gift of service
You are entrusted with the priesthood
All burnt offerings and wave offering will
come to me through you
Such elevated gifts are sacred offerings
In us
each is a Levite who takes care of the sanctuary and sings praises to God
There’s also a kohan, a
priest or priestess in us each who brings offerings to God And blesses in God’s
name
Weekly
Selections from Numbers
Drawn
from the Travelers
Torah Gita Calendar
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