Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah

Or HaChaim on Numbers 16:3/אור החיים על במדבר ט״ז:ג׳

ארַב לָכֶם כִּי כָל הָעֵדָה וְגוֹ׳ וּמַדּוּעַ וְגוֹ׳, פֵּרוּשׁ, רַבָּנוּת גְּדוֹלָה נְטַלְתֶּם לְעַצְמְכֶם יוֹתֵר מֵהָרָאוּי, וְאִם תֹּאמַר מַה הִיא הָרַבָּנוּת הַגְּדוֹלָה? כִּי כָל הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדוֹשִׁים, וְעוֹד לָהֶם שֶׁבְּתוֹכָם ה׳, מַה שֶׁלֹּא הִשִּׂיגָה אֻמָּה בָּעוֹלָם, וְאַתֶּם רַבָּנִים עֲלֵיהֶם. עוֹד רָמְזוּ בְּמַאֲמָר זֶה לוֹמַר כִּי הַשְּׁכִינָה שָׁכְנָה לִכְבוֹד יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא לִכְבוֹד אַהֲרֹן, וְהוּא מַאֲמַר בְּתוֹכָם ה׳.
1 רב לכם כי כל העדה כלם קדושים, "a great deal for you, for the whole community is holy." They meant that Moses and Aaron had arrogated too much authority to themselves. In the event that Moses and Aaron would ask wherein precisely they had arrogated to themselves too much authority, Korach and company said that in view of the fact that the entire community was holy having experienced direct communication from G'd something not granted to any other nation, plus the fact that G'd remained within its midst, Moses and Aaron had placed themselves above such a holy nation. By saying ובתוכם השם, "and G'd is in their midst," they hinted that the presence of G'd was due to the people and not to the merit of Moses and Aaron.
בוְאָמְרוֹ וּמַדּוּעַ וְגוֹ׳, פֵּרוּשׁ, לָמָּה אַתֶּם מוֹסִיפִין הֶכֵּר הָרוֹמְמוּת לְעַצְמְכֶם עֲלֵיהֶם? הַכַּוָּנָה בָּזֶה שֶׁהֵם אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַקָּרֵב לַגָּדֵר שֶׁעוֹמֵד בּוֹ אַהֲרֹן חַיָּב מִיתָה, זוֹ יַפְלִיג הַנְּשִׂיאוּת עַל קְהַל ה׳, וְאֵין רָאוּי לְזַלְזֵל כָּל כָּךְ בְּקָהָל קָדוֹשׁ קְרוֹבֵי אֵל עֶלְיוֹן לְפָסְלָם לְבִלְתִּי הַקְרֵב לַעֲבֹד לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵיהֶם.
2In view of this, מדוע תתנשאו "why do you raise yourselves above the community of G'd?" Korach and company referred specifically to the domain of the Tabernacle and the Sanctuary which Moses had declared out of bounds to ordinary Israelites on pain of death. They accused Moses and Aaron of having insulted the community as a whole by denying them access to the Sanctuary and the opportunity to perform sacrificial service there.