Korach

The passuk states ותפתח הארץ את פיה “and the earth opened up its mouth.” In Parshas Eikev the passuk adds בקרב כל ישראל “amongst all of Yisrael.” Rashi brings: Rebi Yehudah explains, wherever one wanted to escape, the earth opened up its mouth underneath him and swallowed him. The openings happened all over, amongst Yisrael. Rebi Nechemia is bothered: it states in a singular lashon, פיה, her mouth, not פיותיה her mouths. Rather, the earth became slanted and pulled to it the people of Korach wherever they were. Everyone saw Korach’s group rolling down toward the one opening. The Sifsei Chachamim adds Hashem performed a great miracle: not one person who was not part of Korach’s group was drawn to the opening, although they could have been standing next to each other!

The passuk continues: ותבלע אותם ואת בתיהם ואת כל האדם אשר לקרח…. “And swallowed them, and their houses, and all the people who were to Korach. The simple explanation of בתיהם is their houses. Onkelos however translates “and the people of their houses.” The Nefesh HaGer explains this is because people did not have houses in the Midbar, rather tents. בתיהם is used in reference to their families, as says איש וביתו באו, a man and his household came. In Parshas Eikev the Torah states that the earth also swallowed אהליהם, their tents. The Me’at Tzari explains that the passuk which states ואת כל האדם “and all the people that was to Korach” refers to their slaves.

After the earth was opened, the passuk states וכל ישראל…נסו לקולם “and all of Yisrael ran….” Rashi explains that people ran away from the noise when they were being swallowed up. The Sifsei Chachomim adds, it sounded like thunder which frightens people and causes them to flee. It was not a noise of screaming which causes one to come close and check out the situation.

Onkelos however translates לקולם as the literal explanation; to their voices. The Kli Yakar explains that the passuk does not state מקולם from their voices, but rather נסו לקולם “they ran to their voices”. This is as the Gemara brings: the sons of Korach say משה ותורתו אמת והם בדאים, “Moshe and his Torah are true and they are the false ones.” They started saying this immediately after they were swallowed up. The people then came close thinking the sons of Korach were admitting their sin, and the people wanted to learn what not to do. Or as the Medrish Tanchuma brings: they were screaming “Moshe Rabbeinu save us. It seems from here that people came close to try to save them.

The Ramban explains: we find in nature that earthquakes occur. The earth opens up and remains opened. Sometimes it becomes filled with water. However, it is unheard of for the earth to open up, swallow, and then seal shut its mouth. This is an unbelievable miracle which Hashem performed to teach us that Moshe and the Torah are emes!