במדבר, פרק ט״ז, פסוק כ״ג

At the climax of Korah's rebellion, tension within the camp reaches a boiling point. In this critical moment just before disaster strikes, God addresses Moses with a crucial clarification about divine justice and the proper way to lead a nation in crisis.

This communication follows a deep misunderstanding. Moses mistakenly assumed that God was angry with the entire nation of Israelites and planned to punish the whole congregation. However, unlike a human king who might indiscriminately punish a rebellious state without distinguishing between friend and foe, God knows exactly who actually sinned and who was merely swept up in the rebellion. He never intended to harm the innocent [בכור שור, כלי יקר].

When God previously instructed Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from the community, He did not mean they should stand aside alone while the rest of the nation was destroyed. Instead, the primary approach among commentators is that God was directing them to go out and tell the people to distance themselves from Korah's camp so they could be saved [כלי יקר].

Delivering this warning required immense sensitivity. Because the Israelites had been heavily persuaded by Korah, they would not easily or quickly abandon him. Moses could not simply issue a harsh demand. Instead, he had to approach the nation with words of reconciliation and clear explanation before giving the order to retreat. He was required to speak gently and frame his instructions as a request, ensuring the people understood that stepping away from the tents of the wicked was entirely for their own protection and survival [אלשיך].