Q&A: A Note on the Korach Portion – The Creation of the Earth's Mouth
A Note on the Korach Portion – The Creation of the Earth's Mouth
Question
Have a good week.
"Ten things were created on Sabbath eve at twilight, and these are they: the mouth of the earth, etc."
It seems that Korach's sin and punishment were anticipated.
Doesn't this, on a straightforward reading, support the dualistic deterministic position (Rabbeinu Crescas, Mei HaShiloach)?
Answer
Maybe if I were reading it as a blank slate. But the gates of interpretation have not been locked. For example: it was created in nature that if there would be a sin, it could swallow the sinners, but the sin itself depends on the person. The potential for this was created in advance, but its actual realization depends on free choice. And even if you take it literally, it would still only mean that Korach's sin was planned in advance, but not necessarily all human actions.
Discussion on Answer
Moshe, what's the question? Why should the other punishments also have been created at twilight? Why should they have been created then?!
Actually, according to the plain meaning, the earth opened its mouth in the present: "and the earth opened its mouth…" And before that it says: "But if the Lord creates a creation…" meaning that every creation is something from nothing. "But if the Lord creates a creation"—Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote: "Some say that 'creation' indicates the coming into existence of something from nothing, and many lands have already split open."
It seems from his words that he did not believe that the mouth of the earth was created at twilight on Friday during creation.
And similarly one can ask forcefully: what about the fire that came out from heaven and consumed Aaron's two sons? Why wasn't that created at twilight?
And likewise regarding the overturning of Sodom and Gomorrah, and brimstone and fire: "And the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven."
And it is also written about the future: "And I will enter into judgment with him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his troops, and upon the many peoples that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone." Why wasn't that created at twilight?