Korach and Korihor

[Bernard Gui]

In addition to the striking similarity of their names, the somewhat parallel paths of their rebellion and apostasy are fascinating. Both were clever, intelligent, well-spoken, good debaters, knowledgeable in the scriptures. Both were dissemblers. Both challenged legitimate priesthood authority and led their followers in rebellion. Both accused their leaders of enriching themselves and oppression. Both occupy similar positions in the lore of their respective faiths....”Don’t be a Korach/Korihor!”

Korach led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron.  https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/45961/jewish/Who-Was-Korach.htm

Quote

....Korach is regarded as the father of all quarrelers: his very name is synonymous with disharmony and conflict. The Talmud goes so far as to proclaim: "Anyone who engages in divisiveness transgresses a divine prohibition, as it is written: 'And he shall not be as Korach and his company.'" But if there is more to Korach — the person and the idea — than a jealousy-drive power struggle, why does every petty squabbler fall under the umbrella of "Don't be like Korach"?

....What exactly did Korach want? His arguments against Moses and Aaron seem fraught with contradiction. On the one hand, he seems to challenge the very institution of the kehunah ("priesthood"), declaiming to Moses and Aaron: "The entire community is holy, and G‑d is within them; why do you raise yourselves over the congregation of G‑d?"....

Korach actually desired the office of the Kohen Gadol for himself!....Korach comes across a cchampion of equality, railing against a "class system" that categorizes levels of holiness within the community. Yet, in the same breath, he contends that he is the more worthy candidate for the High Priesthood.

Why do you raise yourselves over the congregation of G‑d?" he argued. Why this "ladder" of spirituality, on which the Moseses and Aarons of the generation occupy a higher rung than the farmer who works his land or the merchant engrossed in his accounts? Why is the "ordinary" Jew told to regard Aaron as the one who represents him in the Sanctuary and who facilitates his relationship with G‑d? Is G‑d closer to heaven than to earth? Is serving Him by transcending the material a more important part of humanity's mission than utilizing the material existence to fulfill His will?

Give me the High Priesthood, said Korach, and I will eliminate the connotations of "leadership" and "superiority" that Moses and Aaron have given it.

Korach's vision seems the paragon of harmony: diverse elements unified by a common goal. But while his "separate but equal" world may unite its various components in that they all serve the same overall goal, it fails to provide for any true connection between them. The paths may converge at the destination, but they are separated by walls which isolate and divide them. Without a reciprocal relationship between them, without any sense of where they stand vis-a-vis each other, their separateness inevitably disintegrates into factionalism and conflict.

By pointing to Korach as the father and prototype of divisiveness (machloket) the Talmud is saying: This pseudo-peace, this "Parallelism" that says, "I do my thing, you do yours, but it's all equally good, there's no objective 'higher' and 'lower', so there's neither need nor responsibility of one toward the other" — this is the source of all conflict in our world. 

So in the final analysis, Korach own internal state constituted the ultimate rebuttal of his argument against Moses and the ultimate refutation of his own divisive "peace". His own desire for the High Priesthood, his yearning upward for a rung on the "spiritual ladder" higher than his own (though he, himself, would not have defined it as such), demonstrated the truth that, whatever a person's place and role in life, his commitment to it must be coupled with the desire for something higher. Korach's failing was twofold: that in regard to his own self, he had the desire but lacked the commitment (a state analogous to being "consumed by fire"); and in regard to what he was advocating, he saw only the commitment, and not the desire (a state analogous to being "swallowed by the earth").

This explains why an entire section of Torah carries the name "Korach", the name of an unrepentant sinner. For we are to derive the positive aspect of Korach's deed — his striving for an existence more spiritual than his own — and apply it to our lives. 

 

Korihor led a rebellion against Alma and his priests.    https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/30.44

Quote

O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.....Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so....

Because I do not teach the foolish traditions of your fathers, and because I do not teach this people to bind themselves down under the foolish ordinances and performances which are laid down by ancient priests, to usurp power and authority over them, to keep them in ignorance, that they may not lift up their heads, but be brought down according to thy words.Ye say that this people is a free people. Behold, I say they are in bondage....

And he did rise up in great swelling words before Alma, and did revile against the priests and teachers, accusing them of leading away the people after the silly traditions of their fathers, for the sake of glutting on the labors of the people.

 

Comments?

Edited June 16, 2018 by Bernard Gui

[Exiled]

I wonder how many biblical parallels like this there are in the book of mormon? Dr. Robert Price posits that the new testament gospels are merely rewrites of old testament stories. 

http://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/art_midrash1.htm

[USU78]

This addresses head on the question of organized religion vs individual worship. The Exodus answer is that the latter is rebellion against G-d.

You are on to something

[Robert F. Smith]

51 minutes ago, Exiled said:

I wonder how many biblical parallels like this there are in the book of mormon? Dr. Robert Price posits that the new testament gospels are merely rewrites of old testament stories. 

http://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/art_midrash1.htm

Yes, and some scholars point out that the book of Ether is a restatement of the story of the Nephites & Lamanites in miniature -- with a last battle of extermination at the close, at the very same hill.

Price is not the first to understand the NT narrative in light of the OT.  Other excellent studies are:

William Stegner, Narrative Theology in Early Jewish Christianity (1989).

F. F. Bruce, New Testament Development of Old Testament Themes (1968/1969).

Jesus himself asserted that he was fully presaged by the prophets of the OT (Lk 24:27, Jn 5:46).

[Exiled]

13 minutes ago, Robert F. Smith said:

Yes, and some scholars point out that the book of Ether is a restatement of the story of the Nephites & Lamanites in miniature -- with a last battle of extermination at the close, at the very same hill.

Price is not the first to understand the NT narrative in light of the OT.  Other excellent studies are:

William Stegner, Narrative Theology in Early Jewish Christianity (1989).

F. F. Bruce, New Testament Development of Old Testament Themes (1968/1969).

Jesus himself asserted that he was fully presaged by the prophets of the OT (Lk 24:27, Jn 5:46).

Couldn't resist. 😎 Anyway, I guess if one has a top down system, usurpers and challengers need to be supressed. My problem is that the church bases its authority claims on the word of those very persons claiming authority. God never spoke to some common member commanding that member to call someone else to lead. Joseph Smith was the one who always supposedly received his revelations always calling himself to be the leader. Criticism of leaders is frowned upon today and if someone gets an answer to prayer that is against the brethren, it is discounted by default.  It seems authority is pretty secure based on the system. 

[Bernard Gui]

2 hours ago, USU78 said:

This addresses head on the question of organized religion vs individual worship. The Exodus answer is that the latter is rebellion against G-d.

You are on to something

Thanks. I hope someone smarter than me will pick up on it. 

[Robert F. Smith]

25 minutes ago, Exiled said:

Couldn't resist. 😎 Anyway, I guess if one has a top down system, usurpers and challengers need to be supressed. My problem is that the church bases its authority claims on the word of those very persons claiming authority. God never spoke to some common member commanding that member to call someone else to lead. Joseph Smith was the one who always supposedly received his revelations always calling himself to be the leader. Criticism of leaders is frowned upon today and if someone gets an answer to prayer that is against the brethren, it is discounted by default.  It seems authority is pretty secure based on the system. 

That misunderstands the nature of a prophetic call, which does not come via democratic selection, but from God himself -- whether to Moses, or to Samuel, or to Isaiah.  The call of Joseph Smith follows that same pattern -- John W. Welch, "The Calling of a Prophet," paper presented 10 Oct 1986 at the Annual BYU Religious Studies Center Book of Mormon Symposium, and published in M. Nyman & C. Tate, eds., First Nephi: The Doctrinal Foundation (1988), 35-54, online at https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/book-mormon-first-nephi-doctrinal-foundation/3-calling-prophet ; Geo Widengren, The Ascension of the Apostle and the Heavenly Book (King and Saviour III) (1950).

[Robert F. Smith]

2 hours ago, USU78 said:

This addresses head on the question of organized religion vs individual worship. The Exodus answer is that the latter is rebellion against G-d.........................

Not so.  Even though there may be an organized Congregation of God on Earth, that does not mean that one cannot engage in individual worship.  The Patriarchs and Father Lehi felt quite comfortable building altars and making sacrifices whenever they wished, without permission from anyone.  Perhaps we need to know the context you have in mind.  What in fact is rebellion?

[Bernard Gui]

From the Temple Institute of Jerusalem...more on Korach. Interesting to compare with Korihor...

Quote

Korach, the wanna-be king of the Israelites and self proclaimed 'man of the people,' who led a brazen challenge to Moshe's leadership under G-d's Divine sovereignty, has been 'honored' with an entire Torah reading named after him. His short lived rebellion garnered only two hundred and fifty followers, a minuscule proportion of the Israelite encampment, and both Korach and his shameless followers were swiftly eliminated by Moshe, who, on G-d's behalf, displayed zero tolerance for Korach's outrageous claims and audacious demagoguery. Like countless two-bit pretenders who have made the headlines one day only to disappear off the face of the earth the next day, Korach came, he claimed and he was soundly defeated and deleted.....

....This is a total and contemptible perversion of G-d's covenant with His people Israel, whose unity and indivisibility is intended to reflect G-d's perfect unity and indivisibility. Disguised as an attack on Moshe, Korach was out to banish G-d's Presence from the midst of the encampment, and from the face of the earth....

.....Those, who like Korach, conspire to separate themselves from the nation and steal G-d's presence in the process so that they can lord it over the people will ultimately find themselves banished to a place where neither the nation nor G-d's Presence can be found.

Chauncey Riddle said this about Korihor....

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1977/09/korihor-the-arguments-of-apostasy?lang=eng

Quote

Thus Korihor’s life teaches us that having the truths of the gospel and being a covenant servant of Christ are in nowise guarantees of salvation. We are also reminded that the most powerful opposition to the work of the Savior on this earth comes from those who know the truth and then deliberately turn from it and seek to destroy others.

 

[Bernard Gui]

1 hour ago, Exiled said:

Couldn't resist. 😎 Anyway, I guess if one has a top down system, usurpers and challengers need to be supressed. My problem is that the church bases its authority claims on the word of those very persons claiming authority. God never spoke to some common member commanding that member to call someone else to lead. Joseph Smith was the one who always supposedly received his revelations always calling himself to be the leader. Criticism of leaders is frowned upon today and if someone gets an answer to prayer that is against the brethren, it is discounted by default.  It seems authority is pretty secure based on the system. 

Again, from the Temple Institute...the lesson of a Korach...

Quote

Therefore, Korach's rebellion wasn't merely against the authority of Moses, or against the privilege of Aharon. Korach's rebellion was against the G-d of Israel. As our sages point out, one cannot rebel against the authority of the G-d of Israel without ultimately denying creation itself. Little wonder, then, that Korach's punishment was nothing less than an aberration from our normal expectations of how the created world works, when the earth opened up and swallowed both Korach and his band of rebels, whole. Again, our sages have noted that the very "mouth of the earth" that swallowed Korach up was created especially for this one task, in the twilight hours of the sixth day of creation. Did Korach really think that he was something new, something special, unanticipated by G-d since the beginning of time?

Korach truly did lack something, but it wasn't the coveted priesthood. Korach lacked all the qualities that Moses and Aharon possessed: humility, deference to others, obedience to G-d. It was these qualities that enabled Moses to quickly counter the growing uprising, divide the rebels, and readily despatch of Korach himself. If Korach felt he could engage Moses in a battle of ego and prestige, enticing Moses into playing according to the rules which he, Korach, could best manipulate, he was dead wrong. http://www.templeinstitute.org/talk/Tammuz_3_5769-June_25_2009.htm

 

 

[Paiute]

Korihor was Anti-Christ.

Nothing surprising he would act the same as Korach, or Satan.

Here's a modern-day version: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvester_Smith_(Latter_Day_Saints)

Argued with the Prophet almost constantly, threatened his dog, made false accusations on his character, likely claimed the Prophet didn't know what he was talking about.

[changed]

8 hours ago, Bernard Gui said:

 Both challenged legitimate priesthood authority

I used to go along with priesthood authority.  I don't any more, as I ran into a few non-legit priests who were supported by supposedly legit priests... Honestly, I don't know who is who any more.  I have felt the spirit, but never in regards to supporting any supposed leader.  

5 hours ago, USU78 said:

This addresses head on the question of organized religion vs individual worship. The Exodus answer is that the latter is rebellion against G-d.

You are on to something

You believe individual worship is rebellion against G-d?  Wow.... so don't say a prayer unless you are in church, and.. perhaps we should go back to only using Latin scriptures so that common individuals will not mess up the meanings, and those without priesthood holders in their house - I guess they are just out of luck.  We should all be dependent on our leaders to save us, and borrow our light from others?  because to go to G-d directly as an individual we are in rebellion against God?   just wow.

 

Edited June 17, 2018 by changed

[USU78]

40 minutes ago, changed said:

I used to go along with priesthood authority.  I don't any more, as I ran into a few non-legit priests who were supported by supposedly legit priests... Honestly, I don't know who is who any more.  I have felt the spirit, but never in regards to supporting any supposed leader.  

You believe individual worship is rebellion against G-d?  Wow.... so don't say a prayer unless you are in church, and.. perhaps we should go back to only using Latin scriptures so that common individuals will not mess up the meanings, and those without priesthood holders in their house - I guess they are just out of luck.  We should all be dependent on our leaders to save us, and borrow our light from others?  because to go to G-d directly as an individual we are in rebellion against God?   just wow.

Cain's sacrifice was an act of rebellion, outside the order ordained by G-d. 

The priesthood revealed by the hand of Elijah binds mankind together, father to son in families, member to member in congregations, friend to friend in communities.

Cain's sacrifice results in the disintegration of familial, community, and covenantal bonds that previously bound Cain to others. Rejection of the priesthood order disintegrates families, friendships, communities, and more: the whole world is wasted as a result of the rebellion against G-d's order.

Elijah is the key.

[Bernard Gui]

 

4 hours ago, changed said:

I used to go along with priesthood authority.  I don't any more, as I ran into a few non-legit priests who were supported by supposedly legit priests... Honestly, I don't know who is who any more.  I have felt the spirit, but never in regards to supporting any supposed leader.  

 A few non-legit priests don’t destroy the authority  of faithful priests. Neither Korach nor Korihor’s sins reflected badly on Moses or Alma. While they were able to convince others to follow them, things didn’t turn out well for them. As the rabbi from the Temple Institute pointed out, Korach’s rebellion was against God. In the end, both he and Korihor were called to justice. Perhaps there is  something positive we can learn from this.

 

Edited June 17, 2018 by Bernard Gui

[Bernard Gui]

2 hours ago, changed said:

You believe individual worship is rebellion against G-d?  Wow.... so don't say a prayer unless you are in church, and.. perhaps we should go back to only using Latin scriptures so that common individuals will not mess up the meanings, and those without priesthood holders in their house - I guess they are just out of luck.  We should all be dependent on our leaders to save us, and borrow our light from others?  because to go to G-d directly as an individual we are in rebellion against God?   just wow.

I don’t believe that is anywhere near what USU is saying.

Both Korihor and Korach challenged the authority of true prophets from within and tried to separate their people from them with false accusations and sophistry. The result was divisive apostasy, destruction, and sorrow. Brother Riddle noted that the worst form of persecution arises from within the flock.

Quote

....the most powerful opposition to the work of the Savior on this earth comes from those who know the truth and then deliberately turn from it and seek to destroy others.

These two men are perfect examples.

[Bernard Gui]

5 hours ago, Robert F. Smith said:

That misunderstands the nature of a prophetic call, which does not come via democratic selection, but from God himself -- whether to Moses, or to Samuel, or to Isaiah.  The call of Joseph Smith follows that same pattern -- John W. Welch, "The Calling of a Prophet," paper presented 10 Oct 1986 at the Annual BYU Religious Studies Center Book of Mormon Symposium, and published in M. Nyman & C. Tate, eds., First Nephi: The Doctrinal Foundation (1988), 35-54, online at https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/book-mormon-first-nephi-doctrinal-foundation/3-calling-prophet ; Geo Widengren, The Ascension of the Apostle and the Heavenly Book (King and Saviour III) (1950).

Regarding Korihor and. Korach.....What do you think of the similarities between their names, their actions, and their fates?

[Robert F. Smith]

53 minutes ago, Bernard Gui said:

Regarding Korihor and. Korach.....What do you think of the similarities between their names, their actions, and their fates?

I consider your comments on those similarities very insightful.

[changed]

12 hours ago, Bernard Gui said:

the worst form of persecution arises from within the flock.

I'll agree with that.  The worst type of betrayal comes from supposed saints who end up molesters and unfaithful abusers.  The next worst betrayal comes from those who support abusers and blame the victims.  

Edited June 17, 2018 by changed

[cinepro]

11 hours ago, Bernard Gui said:

Regarding Korihor and. Korach.....What do you think of the similarities between their names, their actions, and their fates?

Are they really that similar?

Korach:

Quote

Korach's difference with Moses was an ideological one, driven by the way in which he understood Israel's relationship with G‑d and by the manner in which he felt the nation ought to be structured.

https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/45961/jewish/Who-Was-Korach.htm

 

Korihor:

Quote

12 And this Anti-Christ, whose name was Korihor, (and the law could have no hold upon him) began to preach unto the people that there should be no Christ.

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/30.6-60?lang=eng#p5

I would also be curious what connection the names could have.  Are you suggesting that Korihor originally had a different name and changed it to be more like an obscure character from the brass plates?  Or that Mormon changed it from "Nephi" or "Sachihiro" to a more thematically appropriate name?  Or that his parents were inspired to give him a name similar to a bad guy from the scriptures so we could draw a thin connection thousand of years later?

[Bernard Gui]

1 hour ago, cinepro said:

Are they really that similar?

Korach:

 

Korihor:

I would also be curious what connection the names could have.  Are you suggesting that Korihor originally had a different name and changed it to be more like an obscure character from the brass plates?  Or that Mormon changed it from "Nephi" or "Sachihiro" to a more thematically appropriate name?  Or that his parents were inspired to give him a name similar to a bad guy from the scriptures so we could draw a thin connection thousand of years later?

Thanks for your input.

From the Temple Institute...

Quote

Therefore, Korach's rebellion wasn't merely against the authority of Moses, or against the privilege of Aharon. Korach's rebellion was against the G-d of Israel. As our sages point out, one cannot rebel against the authority of the G-d of Israel without ultimately denying creation itself.

Korihor’s rebellious words denied the Christ. Korach denied the creation. Ultimately, both were denying God.

Edited June 17, 2018 by Bernard Gui

[USU78]

18 hours ago, Robert F. Smith said:

Not so.  Even though there may be an organized Congregation of God on Earth, that does not mean that one cannot engage in individual worship.  The Patriarchs and Father Lehi felt quite comfortable building altars and making sacrifices whenever they wished, without permission from anyone.  Perhaps we need to know the context you have in mind.  What in fact is rebellion?

By "individual" I mean fragmented, atomized, balkanized worship and, by extension, life.

Look at the tendencies around us. Korihor/Korach is everywhere. At the very time of and likely in response to the binding, Elijah-brought binding and sealing Priesthood.

[california boy]

When you have top down leadership, the more you can control those under you, the more secure the power   If you can control how many ear rings are allowed, whether you can have a tattoo, whether they can grow a beard, how many steps they can take on the sabbath etc. then you are assured absolute authority. Anyone questioning those little things can be challenged and labeled as in open rebellion against God. It is a story as old as time.  

Oddly, Christ exercised none of those qualities. In fact, He himself rebelled against them. Which ultimately caused church leaders to deal with his rebellion in the harshest way they could. They won the battle, but lost the war.    That is often the outcome. 

[Gray]

15 hours ago, USU78 said:

Cain's sacrifice was an act of rebellion, outside the order ordained by G-d. 

The priesthood revealed by the hand of Elijah binds mankind together, father to son in families, member to member in congregations, friend to friend in communities.

Cain's sacrifice results in the disintegration of familial, community, and covenantal bonds that previously bound Cain to others. Rejection of the priesthood order disintegrates families, friendships, communities, and more: the whole world is wasted as a result of the rebellion against G-d's order. 

Elijah is the key. 

Presentism. There was no distance in ancient Israel between theology and politics, religious observance and nationalism. It was all one thing. Now that we're beyond theocracy, rugged individualism as it pertains to religion is not some kind of existential threat to the tribe/congregation.

[Exiled]

20 hours ago, Bernard Gui said:

Again, from the Temple Institute...the lesson of a Korach...

 

Of course the leader defines himself as a proxy for God. So, rebellion against the leader is equated with rebellion against God. If the adherent gets what he/she believes is a contrary communication, that has to be viewed as error by definition as this would diminish authority to the point of being meaningless.  Too many questions makes the process too democratic and the leader cannot countenance that as his views lose their privilege and too many decisions need to be justified. The adherent just needs to obey and that is it. I think this is the lesson from these two examples.

[Bernard Gui]

1 hour ago, california boy said:

When you have top down leadership, the more you can control those under you, the more secure the power   If you can control how many ear rings are allowed, whether you can have a tattoo, whether they can grow a beard, how many steps they can take on the sabbath etc. then you are assured absolute authority. Anyone questioning those little things can be challenged and labeled as in open rebellion against God. It is a story as old as time.  

Oddly, Christ exercised none of those qualities. In fact, He himself rebelled against them. Which ultimately caused church leaders to deal with his rebellion in the harshest way they could. They won the battle, but lost the war.    That is often the outcome. 

Both Korihor and Korach tried to establish their own authority. Speaking of as old as time, Satan sought to overthrow the absolute authority of his Father and elder Brother. Christ himself is the ultimate source of authority to which all creation owes its existence and to which all will submit. That will be achieved in his way, not Satan’s, Korach’s, or Korihor’s. In the end order will rule over chaos. These men sought to create chaos. They failed.

Edited June 17, 2018 by Bernard Gui