From Where Do The Sons Of Korach Have The Power To Repent?
Despite the fact that the sons of Korach fell into the pit, Torah says that they did not die. Rashi explains that they did not die because they repented in their hearts in time. Question: where does the Torah hint long before this episode that the sons of Korach will fall into the pit, but will not die? Or, in other words, where did they get the strength to repent? For example, Yehoshua did not sin because Moshe prayed for him, and added the letter "Yod" to his name, for there was a possibility that without this help he would not survive. So, who prayed for the sons of Korach and gave them the strength to repent and survive?
In my opinion, the following answer may be offered:
Korach's fall into the pit has some parallels with the story of Yosef's fall into the pit. For example:
1. Korach (by spiritual forces) was thrown into a pit. Yosef (by his brothers) was thrown into a pit
2. The pit of Korach was in the desert (midbar). Yosef's pit is also said to have been in the desert
(midbar)
3. About Korach it is said that he took Dotan (and others). About Yosef in the chapter Vayeshev it is written that when he got lost in Shechem, a man found him and said that his brothers had left, saying "Let's go to Dotan". There Rashi comments that by this they wanted to say "Let's go look for "dotot" (דתות), ie legal preconditions to kill Yosef. Korach also looked for legal preconditions against Moshe in order to displace Aaron to the post of chief priest.
4. To start arguing with Moshe, Korach took a robe dyed in the color "teheilet", which is made from the blood of the sea creature "chilazon". Yosef's brothers took his shirt and dipped it into into the blood of a goat.
So, when the brothers of Yosef saw him from afar, they said the following words "Let's kill him and throw him into a pit, and say that a wild beast ate him, and we will see what will become of his dreams." Here Rashi explains that the last words ("and we will see what will become of his dreams") - they were not said by the brothers, but by Ruach Hakodesh (Holy Spirit), in order to refute the words of the brothers, as if to say: "we shall see whose words will come true - yours or Mine". And immediately after these words, the Torah writes: “And Reuven heard, and wanted to save him (Yosef) from the hands of the brothers and he said: 'We will not kill him.' And Reuven also told them: 'Do not spill blood! Throw him into the pit in the wilderness, but do not touch him, 'and this is in order to save him (Yosef) and return ("leashivo") him to his father. " And to these last words, that is "this is in order to save him (Yosef) and return (" leashivo ") him to his father" also are not the words of Reuven, but the words of Ruach Hakodesh, who testifies that Reuven really intended to save his brother ... thinking - I am the first born, etc. and only I will be blamed, etc. "
It is interesting here that in this episode the words of the brothers and the words of Ruach Hakodesh are intertwined, and the latter is prophetic. Therefore, these words can be understood as referring to the events of this episode with the brothers and Yosef, as well as the prophetic predictions of Ruach Hakodesh about future parallel events. I suggest the following interpretation:
It is written "And Reuven heard" - what did he hear? He heard the words of Ruach Hakodesh that this would not come to be, that is, Reuven is in a prophetic state and hears the words of Ruach Hakodesh, and under the influence of this state he says: "We will throw him into a pit, but we will not kill him." Whom won't we kill? Sons of Korach. Why is this connected with Korach and not with anyone else? Because the story with Korach is parallel to the story of Yosef.
Why should Reuven say this? Because, according to Rashi, he said "I am the first-born", and after the incident with the golden calf, the birthright was passed from the tribe of Reuven to the tribe of Levi, and Korach is from the tribe of Levi. Therefore, Reuven and Korach are also brothers in the birthright. And it seems to me that Rashi is hinting at this when he writes: "These are the words of Ruach Hakodesh, which testifies that Reuven really intended to save his brother." What brother? Korach from the tribe of Levi, brother by birthright.
How will he save him? The Torah writes: "to save him (the descendants of Korach) and return ("leashivo ") them to his father". But the word "return" is from the word "teshuva", repentance, and the father is the Heavenly Father. Reuven, in the state of Ruach Hakodesh, prays that his brother by birthright would do "teshuva", repentance, and turn his heart to the Heavenly Father. Hence the power of the sons of Korach to repent and survive at the very last minute by turning their hearts to the Heavenly Father..
In my opinion, the following answer may be offered:
Korach's fall into the pit has some parallels with the story of Yosef's fall into the pit. For example:
1. Korach (by spiritual forces) was thrown into a pit. Yosef (by his brothers) was thrown into a pit
2. The pit of Korach was in the desert (midbar). Yosef's pit is also said to have been in the desert
(midbar)
3. About Korach it is said that he took Dotan (and others). About Yosef in the chapter Vayeshev it is written that when he got lost in Shechem, a man found him and said that his brothers had left, saying "Let's go to Dotan". There Rashi comments that by this they wanted to say "Let's go look for "dotot" (דתות), ie legal preconditions to kill Yosef. Korach also looked for legal preconditions against Moshe in order to displace Aaron to the post of chief priest.
4. To start arguing with Moshe, Korach took a robe dyed in the color "teheilet", which is made from the blood of the sea creature "chilazon". Yosef's brothers took his shirt and dipped it into into the blood of a goat.
So, when the brothers of Yosef saw him from afar, they said the following words "Let's kill him and throw him into a pit, and say that a wild beast ate him, and we will see what will become of his dreams." Here Rashi explains that the last words ("and we will see what will become of his dreams") - they were not said by the brothers, but by Ruach Hakodesh (Holy Spirit), in order to refute the words of the brothers, as if to say: "we shall see whose words will come true - yours or Mine". And immediately after these words, the Torah writes: “And Reuven heard, and wanted to save him (Yosef) from the hands of the brothers and he said: 'We will not kill him.' And Reuven also told them: 'Do not spill blood! Throw him into the pit in the wilderness, but do not touch him, 'and this is in order to save him (Yosef) and return ("leashivo") him to his father. " And to these last words, that is "this is in order to save him (Yosef) and return (" leashivo ") him to his father" also are not the words of Reuven, but the words of Ruach Hakodesh, who testifies that Reuven really intended to save his brother ... thinking - I am the first born, etc. and only I will be blamed, etc. "
It is interesting here that in this episode the words of the brothers and the words of Ruach Hakodesh are intertwined, and the latter is prophetic. Therefore, these words can be understood as referring to the events of this episode with the brothers and Yosef, as well as the prophetic predictions of Ruach Hakodesh about future parallel events. I suggest the following interpretation:
It is written "And Reuven heard" - what did he hear? He heard the words of Ruach Hakodesh that this would not come to be, that is, Reuven is in a prophetic state and hears the words of Ruach Hakodesh, and under the influence of this state he says: "We will throw him into a pit, but we will not kill him." Whom won't we kill? Sons of Korach. Why is this connected with Korach and not with anyone else? Because the story with Korach is parallel to the story of Yosef.
Why should Reuven say this? Because, according to Rashi, he said "I am the first-born", and after the incident with the golden calf, the birthright was passed from the tribe of Reuven to the tribe of Levi, and Korach is from the tribe of Levi. Therefore, Reuven and Korach are also brothers in the birthright. And it seems to me that Rashi is hinting at this when he writes: "These are the words of Ruach Hakodesh, which testifies that Reuven really intended to save his brother." What brother? Korach from the tribe of Levi, brother by birthright.
How will he save him? The Torah writes: "to save him (the descendants of Korach) and return ("leashivo ") them to his father". But the word "return" is from the word "teshuva", repentance, and the father is the Heavenly Father. Reuven, in the state of Ruach Hakodesh, prays that his brother by birthright would do "teshuva", repentance, and turn his heart to the Heavenly Father. Hence the power of the sons of Korach to repent and survive at the very last minute by turning their hearts to the Heavenly Father..
Comments
Post a Comment