Questions for Korach

1.   What country was called Zavas Chalav Udevash.

2.   In Hebrew, Samim means drugs. Where do you see that taking medicine without a prescription is deadly?

✮3.   If you are fighting with someone wicked, and you are both davening to the Ribono shel Olam, and you know that you are the tzadik and the other guy is the rasha, should you just rely on the Ribono shel Olam to ignore your wicked opponent’s prayers, or do you have to do something else.

✮4.   It has been said that one out of forty of Klal Yisrael died as a consequence of the rebellion of Korach. That would be 603,550 divided by forty, 15,088. But the numbers we have are:

in the immediate punishment of Korach and his men, 250 plus Korach and Dasan and Aviram, 253;

in the subsequent plague,14,700.

The total is 14,953, which is 135 fewer than 15,088.

Find the simple gematria that answers this question perfectly.

✮5.   The general rule is that while a Talmid Chacham and a father can be mochel on their kavod, a king can not be mochel. Where do we find that Moshe was mochel on his kavod. For extra credit, suggest why the rule does not apply in this case.

✮6.   In the American vernacular, ‘oily’ is used to describe a criminal who uses a slippery or slick or unctuous manner to trick you into doing something destructive out of his self interest. It’s just a coincidence, but where do we see such a term associated with a villain.

7.   The Gemara in Kiddushin 22b says that washing someone is a particularly personal type of service. We all know that our minhag is that Leviim wash the hands of Kohanim before duchening, and the Beis Yosef says that the only basis for this that he knows is the Zohar. Show me a possible source for this minhag in our parsha.  (Torah Temimah)

1.   What country was called Zavas Chalav Udevash.

Mitzrayim. 16:13,

הַמְעַט כִּי הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ לַהֲמִיתֵנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר כִּי־תִשְׂתָּרֵר עָלֵינוּ גַּם־הִשְׂתָּרֵר׃ 

אַף לֹא אֶל־אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ הֲבִיאֹתָנוּ וַתִּתֶּן־לָנוּ נַחֲלַת שָׂדֶה וָכָרֶם הַעֵינֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָהֵם תְּנַקֵּר לֹא נַעֲלֶה׃

2.   In Hebrew, Samim means drugs. Where do you see that taking medicine without a prescription is deadly?

From the Ketores haSamim. It killed Korach and his people, but it protected the people from the plague when Aharon brought it out.

3.   If you are fighting with someone wicked, and you are both davening to the Ribono shel Olam, and you know that you are the tzadik and the other guy is the rasha, should you just rely on the Ribono shel Olam to ignore your wicked opponent’s prayers, or do you have to do something else.

You should ask Hashem to not listen to his prayers. 16:15

וַיִּחַר לְמֹשֶׁה מְאֹד וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל ה' אַל־תֵּפֶן אֶל־מִנְחָתָם 

4.   It has been said that one out of forty of Klal Yisrael died as a consequence of the rebellion of Korach. That would be 603,550 divided by forty, 15,088. But the numbers we have are:

in the immediate punishment of Korach and his men, 250 plus Korach and Dasan and Aviram, 253;

In the subsequent plague,14,700.

The total is 14,953, which is 135 fewer than 15,088.

Find the simple gematria that answers this question perfectly.

17:12,   הַקָּהָל. Kahal equals 135.  Aharon's tefilla and ketores saved the Kahal, that is, the 135 who were about to die.

וַיִּקַּח אַהֲרֹן כַּאֲשֶׁר  דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה וַיָּרׇץ אֶל־תּוֹךְ הַקָּהָל וְהִנֵּה הֵחֵל הַנֶּגֶף בָּעָם וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־הַקְּטֹרֶת וַיְכַפֵּר עַל־הָעָם׃

(based on Maharil Diskin.)

5.   The general rule is that while a Talmid Chacham and a father can be mochel on their kavod, a king can not be mochel. Where do we find that Moshe was mochel on his kavod. For extra credit, suggest why the rule does not apply in this case.

16:12, where Moshe asked Dasan and Aviram to make peace.

Reasons that this was allowed-

San 19b, 

גבי מלך דתנן לא חולץ ולא חולצין לאשתו רבי יהודה אומר אם רצה לחלוץ וליבם זכור לטוב איני והאמר רב אשי וכו' ומשני מצוה שאני 

שום תשים, which is the source for not being able to forego, did not apply to Moshe, who was not chosen by the people. (Reb Chaim Kanievsky in his Shekel HaIKodesh and Mikneh Kiddushin 42b.) This also explains how Moshe could serve Yisro.

He was mochel in order to preserve his malchus.

6.   In the American vernacular, ‘oily’ is used to describe a criminal who uses a slippery or slick or unctuous manner to trick you into doing something destructive out of his self interest. It’s just a coincidence, but where do we see such a term associated with a villain.

16:1, Korach ben Yitzhar.  יִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן־יִצְהָר

 18:12, the mitzva of Teruma, Yitzhareicha, your oil.   כֹּל חֵלֶב יִצְהָר וְכׇל־חֵלֶב תִּירוֹשׁ וְדָגָן 

7.   The Gemara in Kiddushin 22b says that washing someone is a particularly personal type of service. We all know that our minhag is that Leviim wash the hands of Kohanim before duchening, and the Beis Yosef says that the only basis for this that he knows is the Zohar. Show me a possible source for this minhag in our parsha.  (Torah Temimah)

18:2,  וְגַם אֶת־אַחֶיךָ מַטֵּה לֵוִי שֵׁבֶט אָבִיךָ הַקְרֵב אִתָּךְ וְיִלָּווּ עָלֶיךָ וִישָׁרְתוּךָ

 Not in this parsha, but the Baal Haturim in Eikev sees a remez to the minhag that the Kohanim wash their hands. Devarim 10:8-9, and even though he doesn't say it, it would seem to also be merameiz that it is the Leviim who should do it.

מִשָּׁ֥ם נָסְע֖וּ הַגֻּדְגֹּ֑דָה וּמִן־הַגֻּדְגֹּ֣דָה יׇטְבָ֔תָה אֶ֖רֶץ נַ֥חֲלֵי מָֽיִם׃ 

בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗וא הִבְדִּ֤יל יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣בֶט הַלֵּוִ֔י לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן בְּרִית־יְהֹוָ֑ה לַעֲמֹד֩ לִפְנֵ֨י יְהֹוָ֤ה לְשָֽׁרְתוֹ֙ וּלְבָרֵ֣ךְ בִּשְׁמ֔וֹ עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

Baal Haturim:

בעת ההיא הבדיל ה' את שבט הלוי סמך כאן לומר שהלוים החזירו את ישראל: סמך מים ללשאת את הארון ולברך לומר שצריך ליטול ידיו כדי לישא כפיו: