The Sequel to קרח’s Rebellion

Hashems Instructions

Once upon a time, after קרח’s rebellion, Hashem appeared to משה. Hashem said to him “Tell אלעזר הכהן to make the fire pans of the 250 rebels into a covering for the מזבח. This will be a reminder-‘ויהיו לאות לבני ישראל’- that only a כהן can bring a קרבן and not to be like קרח and his rebels- ‘ולא יהיה כקרח וכעדתו’.” Then משה went to אלעזר הכהן and told him this and אלעזר הכהן did what Hashem said.

בני ישראל Complain

בני ישראל complain to משה and אהרון, “You are killing Hashem’s nation! ”אתם המתם את עם ד'” Hashem says to משה and אהרון, “Go away from this nation and I will destroy them in an instant! ‘ואכלה אתם כרגע'” When they hear this, משה and אהרון fall on their faces.

The Plague…

Hashem instantly sent a plague to בני ישראל. Then, משה tells אהרון to take קטרת on a fire pan and bring it to  ask forgiveness for בני ישראל. Immediately, אהרון does this and he stands between the dead and the living and the plague stopped. How did אהרון stop the plague? אהרון grabbed the מלאך המות and they had an argument. אהרון won because everything משה said to do was from Hashem so the מלאך המות had to follow that. Also, why did אהרון use קטרת? It’s being used a lot! בני ישראל thought that קטרת was a killer קרבן and a cause of death ‘סם המות’. It killed קרח and his rebels, and earlier נדב ואביהוא. Hashem said if they see it stopped the plague, they will realize that the קטרת didn’t kill, it was their sins. ‘והחטא הוא הממית’

The Overnight Miracle

One leader from each שבט brought a staff, with their name and שבט written on it, to the אוהל מועד in front of the ארון. The leader for שבט לוי was אהרן. Whoever Hashem chooses will have flowers growing on their staff in the morning. ‘והיה האיש אשר אבחר בו מטהו יפרח’. This was to stop בני ישראל’s complaints. אהרן’s staff was in the middle of everyone else’s so no one could say that אהרן’s staff was closest to Hashem’s שכינה because it would have to pass through another staff first. ‘הניחו באמצא’.

The next morning, אהרן’s staff had grown flowers, buds and almonds but none of the other staffs had! The almonds are the fastest growing fruit and anyone who argues about who Hashem chose for the כהונה, their punishment would be fast to come. They left אהרן’s staff in the אוהל מועד as reminder to בני ישראל not to complain.

בני ישראל’s Uncertianty

בני ישראל aren’t sure what they should do now. How can they give קרבנות and do things in the ‘משכן ד? Are they meant to die if they ever try to do anything like this?  ‘כל הקרב הקרב אל משכן ד’ ימות האם תמנו לגוע’ What should they do now?