Korach 16:01 · unit 2 — names as judgments

Parashas Korach · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 1

The Complete Passuk

וַיִּקַּ֣ח קֹ֔רַח בֶּן־יִצְהָ֥ר בֶּן־קְהָ֖ת בֶּן־לֵוִ֑י …

And Korach the son of Yitzhar…

Chabad.org — 16:1

Source Citation

Torah Temimah: Sanhedrin 109b — Resh Lakish on the names Korach, Yitzhar, Kehas, Levi.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
קֹרַח — שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה קָרְחָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל; בֶּן יִצְהָר — בֵּן שֶׁהִרְתִּיחַ עָלָיו אֶת כׇּל הָעוֹלָם כַּצׇּהֳרַיִם; בֶּן קְהָת — בֵּן שֶׁהִקְהָה שִׁנֵּי מוֹלִידָיו; בֶּן לֵוִי — בֵּן שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לְוָיָה בְּגֵיהִנֹּם.

English: Korach — that a baldness was made in Israel; son of Yitzhar — a son who heated the whole world upon him like noon; son of Kehas — a son who blunted the teeth of his parents; son of Levi — a son who became a companion in Gehinom.

Type of Learning

Name-midrash of the rebel’s lineage.

What Is Learned

Each link of the genealogy is read as a title of the harm he caused.