What Did Korach and the 250 Incense Offerers Really Want?

The article explains the classic rebellion of Korach through a Torah commentary on Parashat Korach. It says Korach, a Levite from the family of Kehat, resented being passed over in favor of his younger relative Elizaphan ben Uzziel for leadership over the Kehatites, and that this envy drove him to challenge Moses and Aaron. He enlisted Dathan, Abiram, and On ben Peles from the tribe of Reuben, plus 250 prominent men from other tribes, and together they confronted Moses and Aaron over why only Aaron had been chosen for the priesthood.

The piece also asks why the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot uses Korach as the model of a conflict not for the sake of Heaven. Citing the Oznayim LaTorah, it says חז״ל chose Korach because his dispute looked sincere and halakhic from the outside, but was actually rooted in honor and jealousy. The article links the rebellion to the end of the previous parasha about tzitzit, saying Korach’s wife mocked the commandment with the argument of a garment entirely made of blue, and then another argument about whether a house full of Torah scrolls would still need a mezuzah.

When Moses hears the challenge, he says, “In the morning the Lord will show who is His, who is holy, and whom He will bring near to Him.” The article says the threefold wording answers three different demands. Korach wanted the high priesthood for himself as a descendant of Izhar, the second son of Kehat. The 250 men wanted the priesthood restored to the firstborns of each family and tribe, as before the sin of the golden calf. Dathan and Abiram wanted the birthright returned to Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

The article notes that On ben Peles withdrew at the last moment because of his righteous wife, while Korach’s wife is blamed for stirring the dispute. It also portrays Dathan and Abiram as chronic troublemakers, saying they had previously informed Pharaoh about Israel’s flight and later went out on Shabbat to undermine Moses over the manna. The takeaway is that Korach’s camp was not one unified opposition, but three competing factions, each seeking a different form of honor under the guise of divine service.