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Why did Moshe engage with Korach's rebellion when both leaders foresaw their outcomes? Rashi (רש"י) reveals that Korach acted because he saw Shmuel would descend from him, while Moshe only fought because he knew he would win. Being right doesn't automatically justify engaging in conflict.
This shiur examines a fascinating Rashi (רש"י) that addresses why both Korach and Moshe entered into their famous conflict, despite each having prophetic insight into the future. The Rashi begins with a fundamental question: Korach was intelligent, so why did he do something so foolish as to challenge Moshe and Aharon? The answer lies in Korach's vision that the great prophet Shmuel would descend from him, and since Shmuel was considered equal to Moshe and Aharon, Korach believed that in Shmuel's merit, he would be saved from destruction. This led Korach to think it was impossible that such greatness would emerge from his lineage while he remained silent, so he joined the rebellion. However, his error was not understanding that his descendants would need to do teshuvah first. The more intriguing question Rabbi Zweig poses is why Moshe got involved in this conflict at all. If Korach was acting foolishly, why didn't Moshe simply ignore him? The answer, according to Rashi, is that Moshe also had prophetic vision - he saw that Korach's sons would survive and be saved. But this raises a deeper question about the nature of Moshe's involvement.
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Parshas Korach
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