S5E7: Korach the Prophet
from World of Medrash Hosted by Rabbi Aaron Zimmer
Most people know Korach as the ringleader of a rebellion. The Torah presents him as jealous, ambitious, and determined to undermine Moshe. But then the Midrash says something that changes the entire picture. It claims Korach had ruach hakodesh. How could Korach, of all people, be described as a navi? And where in the psukim could Chazal possibly see that? In this episode I explore the hidden clues that reveal who Korach really was. The Midrash describes him as a brilliant man, a carrier of the aron, and one of the elite of Shevet Levi. Rashi adds that he saw a vision of great descendants, including Shmuel, and that this vision convinced him he would survive the test of the ketoret. But none of this is stated explicitly in the Torah. So how did the Midrash know it? By following the story of the zekeinim in Bamidbar and examining the nevuah of Eldad and Meidad, I trace how the Midrash this shocking idea. Once that piece falls into place, the rest of the Midrash becomes clear. Korach’s downfall was not ignorance. It was the misuse of genuine greatness. World of Medrash uncovers how Rashi and Chazal reveal the deeper story behind the Torah’s narratives and the hidden structure that ties them together.
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