Why did Korach rebel against Moses?

The fifth of the ten biblical portions in Numbers, Korach (16:1-18:32), raises many questions, including how to translate the words“Korah took” when the Torah does not say what he took, what argument Korak used when he criticized Moses, why Moses’brother Aaron was also attacked, and why leaders of the tribe of Reuben joined Korach’s rebellion against the brothers.  

In my Book “Onkelos on the Torah: Understanding the Bible Text: Numbers,” I described the Aramaic translator Onkelos’ rendering of 16:1, “Korach took (and argued against Moses and Aaron, saying), Why do you elevate yourselves above the community of Israel”

I wrote that Onkelos’s translation of “took” understood it as reflexive, meaning “he took himself,” and used a word in the translation meaning “separated himself.” I supported this interpretation by showing that this also occurred in Genesis 14:15, Exodus 14:10, and Job 15:12. I also described the many other interpretations of Korah’s rebellion.

The early twentieth-century rational Bible commentator Arnold Ehrlich disliked Onkelos’ interpretation of “took” and the other interpretations of Korach’s rebellion.

Ehrlich describes Korach’s behavior

In the prior portion, in Numbers 15:32-36, the Torah describes the event of a man who was discovered violating the Shabbat by gathering wood on the holy day. He was brought to Moses, Aaron, and the entire assembly and was placed in custody because it was unclear what should be done to him.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘The man must be put to death; all the congregation must stone him with stones outside the camp.’ So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.”

Ehrlich cleverly suggests that Korach used this recent event to enrage the Israelites against Moses and Aaron. Ehrlich mocked the idea offered by others that Korach disputed with Moses and Aaron over a religious matter. He pointed out that a religious argument would not enflame the population, but the recent case of the wood gatherer would.

As some people do today when they defend rapists and murderers in sanctuary cities, Korach acted like a reasonable person who argued that the gatherer was not given all the rights and protections that humans must be given. No court of law investigated the matter. He was not given a chance to defend himself. Yes, Moses and Aron were leaders, but they abused their role and mistreated a human being. Korach argued that acting humanely is more important than gathering sticks.

In short, Ehrlich sees Korach using an ancient and still modern tactic of rabble-rousers.

Ehrlich also explains why the tribe leaders of Reuben joined Korach and why Aaron was also attacked. Reuben was the patriarch Jacob’s firstborn. Reuben’s descendants felt they should have been given precedence over the descendants of Jacob’s third son, Levi. They argued that since Moses and Aaron abused their roles as leaders, the tribe of Reuben must replace them.