LEAD TIDBIT:
Wicked Shrewdness

That’s how Midrash T’hilim describes Datan and Aviram (D&A), clever men on the side of evil. Their names appear nine times in the Torah - six times in Parshat Korach, twice in Parshat Pinchas, and once in Parshat Eikev. The contexts of each occurrence of the names of this infamous pair are significant.

We are first introduced to D&A in the opening pasuk of this week’s sedra as co-conspirators of Korach. The inference that might be drawn from the pasuk is that Korach recruited them for his battle with Moshe. They were neighbors, as Rashi points out. D&A had a history of anti-Moshe behavior. And they seem to have eagerly joined ranks with Korach. We are told that the wife of “On” b. Pelet convinced her husband of the folly of joining Korach’s rebellion - you, dear husband, are not a Levi and have no direct interest in Korach’s challenge to Moshe. This argument did not seem to affect D&A at all. Bamidbar Rabba describes their two main characteristics as Arrogance (chutzpa) and Discord.

Following the opening pasuk, the Torah details the “debate” between Moshe and Korach. The tact with Korach is based on the essence of the status of Leviyim, Kohanim, and leaders. Then Moshe calls upon D&A, not to address the issues - for D&A of Reuven there are no real issues in this confrontation. He calls upon them to see if they can be calmed with words of peace (Rashi). Their tirade against Moshe - and much more against Eretz Yisrael - so much pains and enrages Moshe that he asks G-d for the failure of the Korach+250 test.

Then later, G-d tells Moshe to tell the people to stay away from the area around the tents of Korach, D&A. But the very next pasuk tells us that Moshe (and the Elders) went to D&A (no reference to Korach). The implication here is that D&A are the main adversaries, with Korach taking a backseat.

When the people withdraw from the area of Korach, D&A, it is D&A that the Torah describes as arrogantly posturing - Korach is not mentioned.
In Parshat Pinchas, the story of Korach, D&A is mentioned, but look where. In the description of the lineage of Reuven. Korach seems to be incidental. D&A are the main subjects. The Torah even tells us that Korach’s sons did not die. But it tells us that as peripheral to the focus on D&A.

And then we get to Eikev, where Moshe is telling the people about what had happened in the past 40 years. He mentions what G-d did to Egypt, both in Egypt and at the Sea. And what happened to the Jewish people during those years. And what G-d did to D&A, the ones who were swallowed up by the Earth, they and their households. No mention of Korach. D&A were bad people. Sources tell us that they were suggesting themselves for the positions held by Moshe and Aharon when the people would decide to return to Egypt with them.

D&A were bad news, on a different level from Korach... and maybe from anyone else we know of.

Thank you Rabbi Gold, for your insights and ideas.