במדבר, פרק כ״ו, פסוק י״א

Amidst the recounting of ancestral lineages and the devastating consequences of past rebellions, a surprising moment of survival and free will emerges. Even as the leaders of a massive uprising were swallowed by the earth, the sons of Korach managed to escape destruction at the very last moment. The primary approach among commentators is that these sons were initially involved in their father's rebellious plot [רש"י, ביאור שטיינזלץ, חומש קה"ת]. However, another perspective suggests that they withdrew early and did not actively participate [בכור שור]. Being students of Moses, they ultimately refused to be dragged along by the wicked Dathan and Abiram, with whom their father had allied [העמק דבר].

The survival of the sons was not a simple matter of remaining safely on the surface. They were actually swallowed by the earth along with the rest of the congregation. However, because they harbored a sincere thought of repentance in their hearts at the final moment, they entered an intermediate state, being neither fully alive nor entirely dead [גור אריה, משכיל לדוד]. God performed a miracle for them inside the earth, preparing a high, fortified ledge within the pit, a place referred to by the sages as Gehenna, so they would not plunge to their deaths [רש"י, רבנו בחיי, שפתי חכמים]. Their isolated confinement within this deep pit served as a precise, measure for measure punishment for their initial role in a dispute that caused division and isolation within the nation [ברטנורא על התורה].

This miraculous rescue highlights the immense power of repentance. Even a fleeting thought of regret, before it could be translated into action, was enough to save them from death [חומש קה"ת]. The commentators agree that they did not remain trapped underground forever. After spending some time in the pit, a second miracle occurred. A pillar of rock rose beneath them, allowing them to sing a song of gratitude to God and return safely to the surface [דברי דוד, נחל קדומים, תורה תמימה]. Following their rescue, these sons went on to inherit a portion in the Land of Israel [תורה תמימה]. Furthermore, a lineage of great prophets and singers who served in the Temple descended from them, most notably the prophet Samuel [אבן עזרא, רבנו בחיי, מזרחי, ברכת אשר].

Finally, the timing of this detail is significant. The survival of these sons is recorded during the later census, right next to the family of Reuben, rather than during the original account of the rebellion. This placement emphasizes that the sin of Dathan and Abiram from the tribe of Reuben was far more severe than that of Korach. While Dathan and Abiram, who were the primary instigators, perished entirely along with their families and young children, Korach possessed a certain merit that ensured his guilt did not wash away his sons, allowing them to be saved [אור החיים, אבן עזרא, חזקוני].