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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>From: Richard Wolberg <cantorwolberg@cox.net><BR>>>
If Korach questioned Moshe as to the authenticity of the Torah, at what point
was the Torah already revealed?<BR>In other words, the parasha Korach is part of
the Torah.<BR>Did Korach know that? If so, he would know his fate.
If not, what part of the Torah was he claiming Moshe wrote on his own?<BR>Also,
wasn't Korach present at Har Sinai? Didn't all the people hear/and or see
the actual voice of HaShem for the first 2 Commandments?<BR>So how could Korach,
after witnessing this, deny it? <<</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>The Torah was revealed bit by bit, as events occurred. Otherwise, the
Bnos Tzlafchad would not have had to ask Moshe about inheriting land in the
absence of brothers -- they could have just read the Torah till the end to see
what the answer was. Likewise, Moshe could have/should have avoided
hitting the rock -- so that he would be able to go into Eretz Yisrael -- or
conversely, Moshe had no choice BUT to hit the rock, since the Torah said he hit
the rock! </DIV>
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<DIV>However in actuality the parts of the Torah that deal with events that
occurred and questions that arose after Matan Torah were given to Moshe and
added to the Torah after Matan Torah, the whole Torah not being finalized until
Moshe's death. What was given on Sinai was the main body of law and the
history up till that point.</DIV>
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<DIV>BTW Korach did not deny the Torah, he only denied Moshe's authority.
Well, OK, the Torah says that Moshe acted on G-d's authority so denying Moshe is
tantamount to denying the Torah, but that's from our perspective after all the
events occurred. From Korach's perspective, he could well have known
that Moshe went up to Har Sinai and received the Law there, and still have
assumed that Moshe was arrogating to himself and to his brother more power than
Hashem had actually given him. In a way he was like today's Conservative
rabbis who claim to believe in the Torah (and some actually do) while at the
same time reading the Torah the way they want to read it and denying the
authority of Chazal.</DIV>
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<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#0000ff>--Toby
Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT></STRONG><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">--------------------</FONT></DIV>
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