Jun 22, 2023
Korach | The Midrashic History of Datan and Aviram, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom
The leaders of (part of) the rebellion against Moshe, Datan and Aviram, first mentioned in the context of the Korahide rebellion, are pictured by the Midrash as being a thorn in Moshe's side (to put it lightly) from the beginning of his career. We explore the methodology of Midrash on two planes - both the textual associations that lead to this history as well as the general Midrashic approach in presenting characters in Tanakh, both virtuous as well as vile, in a less nuanced but more accessible light and the homiletic-educational goals of Midrash as a general oeuvre.