Pt1 Wealth, Wives, and Punishment: The Story of Korah’s Rebellion Against Moses in Numbers 16 (Sanhedrin 109b-110a)

This is the first part of a two-part series. The outline of the series is below.

Intro

Part 1: Korah’s Rebellion

This sugya explores the biblical story of Korah’s rebellion in Numbers 16, offering a wide range of interpretations from Tannaitic and Amoraic sources. It begins with a stark disagreement between R' Akiva and R' Yehuda ben Beteira about whether Korah’s followers have any share in the World-to-Come. R' Akiva, citing Numbers 16:33, asserts they are excluded entirely, while R' Yehuda ben Beteira counters with a hopeful reading of Psalms 119:176, likening them to a lost sheep ultimately retrieved.

The sugya then turns to a close reading of the names and lineage in Numbers 16:1. Reish Lakish interprets each name in Korah’s ancestry as an allusion to moral or spiritual failure, framing the genealogy itself as an indictment. Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak adds that Jacob’s name is deliberately excluded from Korah’s line due to a prayer in Genesis 49:6 distancing himself from future rebels.

Other figures from the rebellion—Dathan, Abiram, and On ben Peleth (און בן פלת)—receive similar etymological treatment. Uniquely, On is said to have been saved by his wife, who cleverly dissuaded and prevented him from joining Korah. In contrast, Korah’s wife is blamed for inciting him, accusing Moses of nepotism and manipulating religious ritual for personal gain. The wives thus become narrative foils, captured by a quote from Proverbs: ‘The wisdom of women builds her house, but folly with her hands tears it down.’

Additional layers follow. The 250 men who joined Korah are described as prominent sages, experts in calendrical calculation. The rebellion's fallout even included slander against Moses: R' Shmuel bar Naḥmani claims he was falsely suspected of adultery with married women, prompting his public humiliation. R' Shmuel bar Yitzḥak adds that these suspicions caused Moses to isolate himself from the camp entirely.

Part 2: Korah’s wealth and final punishment

This section of the sugya explores post-rebellion traditions about Korah’s immense wealth, his unique punishment, and his ongoing legacy in rabbinic imagination. Reish Lakish and R' Elazar both frame Korah’s downfall as driven by his riches, interpreting biblical verses to show that his money was not just incidental but the very thing that 'stood him on his feet'—and ultimately led to his ruin. R' Levi amplifies this image with a legendary detail: the keys to Korah’s treasure houses required 300 white mules to carry.

R' Ḥama bar Ḥanina adds a backstory: Korah stumbled on one of the three treasure hoards Joseph had buried in Egypt. One of the others went to the Roman ruler Antoninus, and the third is still hidden, reserved for the righteous (in the messianic future).

As for Korah’s death, there’s disagreement. R' Yoḥanan insists he died in a plague—neither among the burned nor the swallowed—while a baraita claims the opposite: he suffered both fates. Rava adds theological and cosmological color, saying the sun and moon refused to shine until justice was done for Moses. They were only compelled to move when God shot arrows at them.

Rava also reads Moses’ dramatic words in Numbers 16:30 as a literal request for God to create a new opening to Gehenna if one didn’t already exist. The saga ends with Rabba bar bar Ḥana’s surreal tale of seeing smoke rise from Korah’s pit and hearing his followers chant from within: 'Moses and his Torah are true, and we are liars'—a haunting image of eternal regret.

Outline

Intro

1. Part 1: Korah’s Rebellion

2. Part 2: Korah’s wealth and final punishment

The Passage - Wealth, Wives, and Punishment: The Story of Korah’s Rebellion Against Moses in Numbers 16 (Sanhedrin 109b-110a)

Part 1: Korah’s Rebellion

1. Tannaitic dispute re the assembly of Korah

   1. R' Akiva - The assembly of Korah has no share in the World-to-Come - Numbers 16:33

   2. R' Yehuda ben Beteira - They are like a lost item that will eventually be found - Psalms 119:176

2. Reish Lakish - Korah 'took' a bad acquisition for himself; each ancestor name indicates a symbolic critique - Numbers 16:1

3. Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak - Jacob's name was omitted from Korah's lineage due to his prayer - Genesis 49:6

4. Names of Dathan, Abiram, On, Peleth interpreted as moral commentary - Numbers 16:1

5. Rav - On ben Peleth was saved by his wise wife

   1. On’s Wife Saves Him by getting him drunk and uncovering her hair - Numbers 16:3

6. Korah’s wife instigated rebellion by criticizing Moses’ motives

   1. Moses’ leadership as a self-serving power grab: Moses is king, he appoints his brother Aaron as High Priest, and gives supporting roles to his nephews

   2. Priestly portions—teruma and tithe—are tools for consolidating family privilege.

   3. She mocks the purification rite in Numbers 8:5–11, in which Levites are shaved and waved—seeing it as humiliation and objectification

   4. She ridicules the commandment of tekhelet

   5. The wise woman (On’s wife) builds her house, while the foolish woman (Korah’s wife) tears it down - Proverbs 14:1

7. The 250 leaders in Korah's rebellion were experts in calendar calculation and had worldwide reputations - Numbers 16:2

8. R' Shmuel bar Naḥmani citing R' Yonatan - Moses was accused of adultery - Psalms 106:16

9. R' Shmuel bar Yitzḥak - Men warned their wives to avoid Moses; he consequently withdrew from the camp - Exodus 33:7

Appendix - “Let Me Die with the Philistines”: Self-Sacrificial Violence and the Limits of Medical Trust on Shabbat (Avodah Zarah 28a)

Part 2: Korah’s wealth and final punishment

1. Reish Lakish - Korah’s wealth was his downfall - Ecclesiastes 5:12

2. R' Elazar - Korah’s possessions are what 'stood at his feet' - Deuteronomy 11:6

3. R' Levi - Korah’s keys alone required 300 mules

4. R' Ḥama bar Ḥanina - Korah found one of Joseph’s hidden treasures

5. R' Yoḥanan - Korah died in a plague, not by fire or being swallowed - Numbers 16:32; 26:10

6. Baraita - Korah was both burned and swallowed - Numbers 16:35; 26:10

7. Rava - Sun and moon hesitated to shine without justice for Moses - Habakkuk 3:11

8. Rava - Moses requested an opening to Gehenna be created - Numbers 16:30

9. Baraita - Sons of Korah survived and sang in Gehenna - Numbers 26:11

10. Rabba bar bar Ḥana - Personally Saw Gehenna’s smoke from fissures and heard Korah’s men saying 'Moses and His Torah are true'

Appendix - Rav Yehuda citing Shmuel - “All the silver and gold in the world”: The Historical Chain of Global Wealth Transfers, from Joseph to Rome - over the course of 14 steps and 1500 years (Pesachim 119a)

The Passage

Sanhedrin.109b.12-110b.1

Part 1: Korah’s Rebellion

Tannaitic dispute re the assembly of Korah

R' Akiva - The assembly of Korah has no share in the World-to-Come - Numbers 16:33

תנו רבנן:

עדת קרח אין להם חלק לעולם הבא,

שנאמר:

• ״ותכס עליהם הארץ״ –

  • בעולם הזה,

• ״ויאבדו מתוך הקהל״ –

  • לעולם הבא.

דברי רבי עקיבא.

A baraita states (Tosefta 13:9):

The members of the assembly of Korah have no share in the World-to-Come,

as it is stated:

• “And the earth closed upon them” (Numbers 16:33),

  • meaning in this world,

• and also: “And they perished from among the assembly” (Numbers 16:33),

  • meaning in the World-to-Come;

this is the statement of R' Akiva.

R' Yehuda ben Beteira - They are like a lost item that will eventually be found - Psalms 119:176

רבי יהודה בן בתירא אומר:

הרי הן כאבידה המתבקשת,

שנאמר:

״תעיתי כשה אבד

בקש עבדך

כי מצותיך לא שכחתי״.

R' Yehuda ben Beteira says:

Although it says that they perished, they are like a lost item that is sought, ultimately found, and rehabilitated,

as it is stated:

“I have gone astray like a lost sheep;

seek out your servant,

for I do not forget your mitzvot” (Psalms 119:176).

Reish Lakish - Korah 'took' a bad acquisition for himself; each ancestor name indicates a symbolic critique - Numbers 16:1

1. ״ויקח [קרח]״ –

   1. אמר ריש לקיש: שלקח מקח רע לעצמו.

2. ״קרח״ –

   1. שנעשה קרחה בישראל.

3. ״בן יצהר״ –

   1. בן שהרתיח עליו את כל העולם כצהרים.

4. ״בן קהת״ –

   1. בן שהקהה שיני מולידיו.

5. ״בן לוי״ –

   1. בן שנעשה לויה בגיהנם.

Apropos Korah, the Talmud proceeds to interpret the verses written concerning him.

1. “And Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, took [va-yikkaḥ]” (Numbers 16:1),

   1. Reish Lakish says: He purchased [lakaḥ] a bad acquisition for himself, as through his actions he drove himself from the world.

2. “Korah”

   1. alludes to the fact that because of him a void¹ [korḥa] was created in the children of Israel.

3. “Son of Izhar,”

   1. is referring to a son who incited the wrath of the entire world upon him like the heat of the afternoon [tzohorayim].

4. “Son of Kohath,”

   1. is referring to a son who blunted [hik’ha] the teeth² of his parents, i.e., he shamed them with his conduct.

5. “Son of Levi,”

   1. is referring to a son who became an escort [levaya] in Gehenna.

Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak - Jacob's name was omitted from Korah's lineage due to his prayer - Genesis 49:6

וליחשוב נמי בן יעקב,

בן שעקב עצמו לגיהנם?

אמר רב שמואל בר רב יצחק:

יעקב ביקש רחמים על עצמו,

שנאמר:

״בסדם אל תבא נפשי

בקהלם אל תחד כבדי״.

• ״בסדם אל תבא נפשי״ –

  • אלו מרגלים.

• ״בקהלם אל תחד כבדי״ –

  • זה עדת קרח.

The Talmud asks: But if Korah’s lineage is being interpreted disparagingly, why not let the Torah also include: Son of Jacob [Ya’akov],

and interpret it: A son who contorted [she’akav] himself until he reached Gehenna?

Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak says:

Jacob prayed for mercy for himself that his name would not be included in the lineage of Korah,

as it is stated:

“Let my soul not come into their council;

to their assembly let my honor not be united” (Genesis 49:6).

• “Let my soul not come into their council”;

  • these are the Twelve spies. Jacob prayed that his name would not be mentioned in their regard.

• “To their assembly let my honor not be united”;

  • this is referring to the assembly of Korah.

Names of Dathan, Abiram, On, Peleth interpreted as moral commentary - Numbers 16:1

1. ״דתן״ –

   1. שעבר על דת אל,

2. ״אבירם״ –

   1. שאיבר עצמו מעשות תשובה,

3. ״ואון״ –

   1. שישב באנינות,

4. ״פלת״ –

   1. שנעשו לו פלאות,

5. ״בן ראובן״ –

   1. בן שראה והבין.

The Talmud proceeds to interpret the names of Korah’s cohorts: “Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben” (Numbers 16:1).

1. “Dathan”

   1. is one who violated the precepts [dat] of God.

2. “Abiram”

   1. is one who braced [iber] himself from repenting.

3. “And On”

   1. indicates one who sat in acute mourning (אנינות) [aninut] over the sin that he committed, and he repented and was spared.

4. “Peleth”

   1. is one for whom wonders [pelaot] were performed.

5. Son of Reuben [Reuven],

   1. is a son who saw and understood [ra’a ve-hevin] the nature of what was transpiring and repented.

Rav - On ben Peleth was saved by his wise wife

אמר רב:

און בן פלת אשתו הצילתו.

אמרה ליה: מאי נפקא לך מינה?!

• אי מר רבה –

  • אנת תלמידא,

• ואי מר רבה –

  • אנת תלמידא.

Rav says:

On, son of Peleth, did not repent on his own; rather, his wife saved him.

She said to him: What is the difference to you?!

• If this Master, Moses, is the great one,³

  • you are the student.

• And if this Master, Korah, is the great one,

  • you are the student.

Why are you involving yourself in this matter?!

אמר לה:

מאי אעביד?!

הואי בעצה

ואשתבעי לי בהדייהו.

On said to her:

What shall I do?!

I was one of those who took counsel

and I took an oath with them that I would be with them.

On’s Wife Saves Him by getting him drunk and uncovering her hair - Numbers 16:3

On’s wife tells him she knows the entire assembly (כנישתא) is holy, citing their own claim (Numbers 16:3), and promises to save him.

She gives him wine, gets him drunk, lays him in their tent, and sits at the entrance with her hair exposed. Anyone who approaches sees her and turns back.⁴

While Korah’s faction is swallowed, On is spared.

אמרה ליה:

ידענא דכולה כנישתא קדישתא נינהו,

דכתיב: ״כי כל העדה כלם קדשים״.

אמרה ליה: תוב, דאנא מצילנא לך.

אשקיתיה חמרא, וארויתיה

ואגניתיה גואי.

ויתבא על בבא,

וסתרתה למזיה,

כל דאתא, חזיה הדר.

אדהכי והכי, אבלעו להו.

She said to him:

I know that the entire assembly is holy,

as it is written: “For all the assembly is holy” (Numbers 16:3), and they observe the restrictions of modesty.

She said to him: Sit, for I will save you.

She gave him wine to drink

and caused him to become drunk

and laid him on a bed inside their tent.

She sat at the entrance of the tent.

and exposed her hair as though she were bathing.

Anyone who came and saw her stepped back.

In the meantime the assembly of Korah was swallowed into the ground, and On, son of Peleth, was spared.

Korah’s wife instigated rebellion by criticizing Moses’ motives

Moses’ leadership as a self-serving power grab: Moses is king, he appoints his brother Aaron as High Priest, and gives supporting roles to his nephews

Korah’s wife is portrayed as the instigator of his rebellion against Moses. She frames Moses’ leadership as a self-serving power grab: Moses is king, he appoints his brother Aaron as High Priest, and gives supporting roles⁵ to his nephews.

איתתיה דקרח אמרה ליה:

חזי מאי קעביד משה!

1. איהו

   1. הוה מלכא,

2. לאחוה

   1. שוויה כהנא רבא,

3. לבני אחוהי

   1. שוינהו סגני דכהנא

Korah’s wife said to him:

See what Moses is doing!

1. He

   1. is the king,

2. he appointed his brother

   1. High Priest,

3. and he appointed his brother’s sons

   1. deputy priests.

Priestly portions—teruma and tithe—are tools for consolidating family privilege.

• אי אתיא תרומה

  • אמר ״תיהוי לכהן״,

• אי אתו מעשר דשקליתו אתון

  • אמר ״הבו חד מעשרה לכהן״.

• If teruma comes,

  • he says: Let it be for the priest;

• if the first tithe comes, which you as Levites take,

  • he says: Give one tenth to the priest.

She mocks the purification rite in Numbers 8:5–11, in which Levites are shaved and waved—seeing it as humiliation and objectification

She mocks the purification rite in Numbers 8:5–11, in which Levites are shaved and waved—seeing it as humiliation and objectification.

Korah responds that Moses himself underwent the same rite. But his wife dismisses this as theatrics: Moses is willing to degrade himself only to justify degrading others.⁶

ועוד ד

1. גייז ליה למזייכו

2. ומיטלל בכו, כי כופתא,

עינא יהב במזייכו.

אמר לה: הא איהו נמי קא עביד!

אמרה ליה:

כיון דכולהו רבותא דידיה,

אמר איהו נמי ״תמת נפשי עם פלשתים״.

And furthermore, he

1. shears your hair

2. and waves you as if you are as insignificant as excrement (see Numbers 8:5–11),

as though he set his sights on your hair and wishes you to be shaven and unsightly.

Korah said to her: But didn’t he also do so; he shaved his hair like the rest of the Levites?

She said to him:

Since it is all done for his own prominence,

he also said metaphorically: “Let me die with the Philistines” (Judges 16:30); he was willing to humiliate himself in order to humiliate you.

She ridicules the commandment of tekhelet

She then ridicules the commandment of tekhelet (sky-blue thread), reducing it to an arbitrary assertion of Moses’ authority.

Her sarcastic suggestion—that Moses should dress his students in all-blue garments if tekhelet is truly significant—serves to undermine the ritual logic altogether.

ועוד, דקאמר לכו עבדיתו תכלתא.

אי סלקא דעתך תכלתא חשיבא [מצוה],

אפיק גלימי דתכלתא

וכסינהו לכולהו מתיבתך

She said to him: And furthermore, with regard to that which he said to you, to prepare sky-blue dye for your ritual fringes,

one could respond to him: If it enters your mind, Moses, that using sky-blue dye is considered a mitzva,

take out robes that are made entirely of material colored with sky-blue dye,

and dress all the students of your academy in sky-blue robes without ritual fringes; why could one not fulfill the mitzva in that manner?

Clearly, Moses is fabricating all this.

The wise woman (On’s wife) builds her house, while the foolish woman (Korah’s wife) tears it down - Proverbs 14:1

The passage closes with reading this in the verse in Proverbs: the wise woman (On’s wife, as discussed earlier) builds her house, while the foolish woman (Korah’s wife) tears it down.

היינו דכתיב:

• ״חכמות נשים בנתה ביתה״ –

  • זו אשתו של און בן פלת,

• ״ואולת בידה תהרסנה״ –

  • זו אשתו של קרח

This is the meaning of that which is written:

• “The wisdom of women builds her house” (Proverbs 14:1);

  • this is referring to the wife of On, son of Peleth.

• And: “Folly plucks it down with her hands” (Proverbs 14:1);

  • this is referring to the wife of Korah.

The 250 leaders in Korah’s rebellion were experts in calendar calculation and had worldwide reputations - Numbers 16:2

1. 1. ״ויקמו לפני משה

   2. ואנשים מבני ישראל חמשים ומאתים [נשיאי עדה]״ –

      1. מיוחדים שבעדה,

2. ״קריאי מועד״ –

   1. שהיו יודעים

      1. לעבר שנים

      2. ולקבוע חדשים,

3. ״אנשי שם״ –

   1. שהיה להם שם בכל העולם.

1. 1. It is written: “And they arose before Moses,

   2. with men from the children of Israel, 250 princes of the congregation, the elect men of the assembly, men of renown” (Numbers 16:2).

      1. These men were the distinctive (מיוחדים) people of the assembly.

2. “The elect men of the assembly [keri’ei moed]”

   1. is referring to those who knew

      1. how to intercalate the years (לעבר שנים)

      2. and establish the months (לקבוע חדשים) in order to determine the time for each Festival [moed].

3. “Men of renown [shem],”

   1. is referring to those who had a reputation [shem] throughout the world.

R' Shmuel bar Naḥmani citing R' Yonatan - Moses was accused of adultery - Psalms 106:16

״וישמע משה ויפל על פניו״.

מה שמועה שמע?

אמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני, אמר רבי יונתן:

שחשדוהו מאשת איש,

שנאמר ״ויקנאו למשה במחנה״.

With regard to the verse: “And Moses heard and he fell on his face” (Numbers 16:4),

the Talmud asks: What report (שמועה) did he hear that elicited that reaction?

R' Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that R' Yonatan says:

He heard that they suspected him of adultery with a married woman,

as it is stated: “And they were jealous⁷ of Moses in the camp” (Psalms 106:16).

R' Shmuel bar Yitzḥak - Men warned their wives to avoid Moses; he consequently withdrew from the camp - Exodus 33:7

אמר רבי שמואל בר יצחק:

מלמד ש:

כל אחד ואחד קנא את אשתו ממשה,

שנאמר

״ומשה יקח את האהל

ונטה לו מחוץ למחנה״.

[...]

R' Shmuel bar Yitzḥak says:

This teaches that

each and every man warned⁸ his wife to distance herself from Moses and not enter into seclusion with him,

as it is stated:

“And Moses would take the tent

and pitch it outside the camp” (Exodus 33:7).

It was due to this slander that he withdrew from the camp.

[...]

Appendix - “Let Me Die with the Philistines”: Self-Sacrificial Violence and the Limits of Medical Trust on Shabbat (Avodah Zarah 28a)

Avodah_Zarah.28a.10-12

Initial Contradiction; Resolution: Status of the Patient

The Talmud notes that R' Yoḥanan received medical treatment from a non-Jew, despite his own statement (via Rabba bar bar Ḥana) that one may not seek treatment from non-Jews for injuries that override Shabbat prohibitions. This seems inconsistent, as tzafdina (a dangerous gum disease) qualifies for such override.

The Talmud answers that R' Yoḥanan was an adam ḥashuv (important person), and non-Jews would be deterred from harming him.

ורבי יוחנן היכי עביד הכי?

והאמר רבה בר בר חנה, אמר רבי יוחנן:

כל מכה שמחללין עליה את השבת —

אין מתרפאין מהן!

אדם חשוב שאני.

§ It was stated above that R' Yoḥanan sought the medical attention of a non-Jew.

The Talmud asks: And how could R' Yoḥanan do so?

But doesn’t Rabba bar bar Ḥana say that R' Yoḥanan says:

With regard to any injury for which Shabbat is desecrated,

one may not be treated by non-Jews.

Tzafdina is a disease for which Shabbat is desecrated, and yet R' Yoḥanan was treated by a non-Jew.

The Talmud answers: An important person such as R' Yoḥanan is different, as non-Jews would not dare to kill him.

Challenge from R' Abbahu; Final Resolution: Nature of the Healer

This explanation is challenged by the case of R' Abbahu, also an “important person”, who was nearly killed by a poisonous salve (סמא) on his leg (שקיה) prepared by the healer Jacob the Heretic,⁹ saved only by quick intervention of his students R' Ami and R' Asi, who licked (לחכוה) his leg to remove the poison.

והא רבי אבהו,

דאדם חשוב הוה,

ורמא ליה יעקב מינאה סמא אשקיה,

ואי לא רבי אמי ורבי אסי דלחכוה לשקיה,

פסקיה לשקיה!

The Talmud questions this: But R' Abbahu

was an important person,

and yet Ya’akov the heretic placed upon his leg a salve that was actually a poison.

And if it were not for R' Ami and R' Asi, who licked his leg to remove the poison,

his leg would have had to be amputated.

Apparently, Ya’akov the heretic attempted to kill R' Abbahu despite the fact that R' Abbahu was an important person.

The Talmud distinguishes the two cases:

R' Yoḥanan's healer was a professional who valued her reputation.

By contrast, heretics such as Jacob the Heretic may be driven by religious animus, and be willing to self-sacrifice; the Talmud invokes the Samson motif (“Let me die with the Philistines”) showing the concept of self-sacrificial violence.¹⁰

Therefore, R' Yoḥanan’s case involved lower risk.

דרבי יוחנן רופא מומחה הוה,

דרבי אבהו נמי רופא מומחה הוה,

שאני רבי אבהו

דמוקמי ביה מיני בנפשייהו ״תמת נפשי עם פלשתים״.

The Talmud explains: The healer of R' Yoḥanan was an expert physician who would not jeopardize her reputation by harming him.

The Talmud rejects this explanation: But the healer of R' Abbahu was also an expert physician.

The Talmud answers: The case involving R' Abbahu is different,

as heretics establish within themselves the attitude of: “Let me die with the Philistines” (Judges 16:30), i.e., heretics are willing to risk their lives in order to hurt Jews, due to their religious disputes.

By contrast, non-Jews will not jeopardize their own reputation for this purpose, and therefore it was permitted for R' Yoḥanan to be treated by the matron.

1. קרחה - literally: “baldness”.

On this word, compare the story at my “From Eunuch-ville to Bald-town: A Eunuch and R' Yehoshua the Bald Trade Insults Over Physical Shortcomings (Shabbat 152a)“.

The word is used in the exact same metaphorical sense elsewhere, in the context of Haman, see my “Talmudic Interpretations of the Book of Esther: Esther 3:8-3:11 (Megillah 13b-14a)“, section “Dismissing Concerns About Population Loss: Haman - the Jews are scattered among other peoples, so their eradication will not leave any noticeable unpopulated area“:

שמא תאמר,

קרחה אני עושה במלכותך

מפוזרין הם בין העמים.

Haman continued with his next response as expressed in the verse: Perhaps you will say that

I am making a “bald spot” (קרחה) in your kingdom, i.e., you fear that if an entire nation is wiped out there will be a desolate area within the kingdom.

There is no need to worry, though, as they are scattered [mefuzarin] among the peoples, and eradicating them will not result in the creation of an unpopulated zone in the area where they had once lived.

2. הקהה שיני.

This is a biblical idiom, appearing in the Bible twice. For example, see Jeremiah.31.29-30:

בימים ההם לא־יאמרו עוד:

אבות אכלו בסר

ושני בנים תקהינה

In those days, they shall no longer say,

“Parents have eaten sour grapes (בסר)

and children’s teeth are blunted (תקהינה)”

כי אם־איש בעונו ימות כל־האדם

האכל הבסר

תקהינה שניו

But every one shall die for his own sins:

whosoever eats sour grapes,

his teeth shall be blunted.

The idiom also famously appears in the Passover Haggadah, in the “Four Sons” section, see here:

רשע מה הוא אומר?

מה העבודה הזאת לכם.

לכם – ולא לו.

ולפי שהוציא את עצמו מן הכלל

כפר בעקר

ואף אתה הקהה את שניו

[…]

The WICKED SON what does he say?

“What is this service to you?”

“To you,” he says, not to him.

When he sets himself apart from the community (הכלל)

he denies the very core of our beliefs (כפר בעקר)

And you must set his teeth on edge (הקהה את שניו)

[…]

3. רבה - “master, teacher, rabbi”.

4. They turn back because her exposed hair is immodest, see Wikipedia, “Head covering for Jewish women“, especially section “Sources“.

5. Specifically, as deputy priests:

סגני דכהנא - segan.

6. Citing the verse in Judges 16:30, where Samson says “let me die with the Philistines”.

This verse is often used metaphorically by the Talmud to refer to someone who’s willing to sacrifice themselves in order to hurt others, see search results here.

For example, see Avodah_Zarah.28a.10-12, quoted in the appendix at the end of this piece: “Appendix - “Let Me Die with the Philistines”: Self-Sacrificial Violence and the Limits of Medical Trust on Shabbat (Avodah Zarah 28a)“.

7. ויקנאו - playing on the fact that this word is strongly associated with jealousy in the context of the Ordeal of the bitter water. See especially the verse in Numbers.5.14, where the root “jealous” is mentioned four times:

ועבר עליו רוח־קנאה

וקנא את־אשתו והוא נטמאה

או־עבר עליו רוח־קנאה

וקנא את־אשתו

והיא לא נטמאה

but a spirit of jealousy (קנאה) comes over him [=the husband]

and he is jealous (קנא) about the wife who has defiled herself;

or if a spirit of jealousy comes over one

and he is jealous about his wife

[although] she has not defiled herself—

In Talmudic literature, this act of “jealousy” is highly formalized (as kinui - קינוי), see Hebrew Wikipedia, “סוטה (הלכה)“, section “קינוי וסתירה“.

8. קנא - literally: “was jealous”. Referring to formalized jealousy, see the previous footnote.

9. יעקב מינאה.

For other Talmudic anecdotes likely featuring the same person, see these other pieces of mine:

• “Roman Hegemon and Divine Judgement: R’ Eliezer’s Heresy Trial and a Teaching Attributed to Jesus on Using a Prostitute's Earnings to Fund a Temple Bathroom (Avodah Zarah 16b-17a)“, section “A Follower of Jesus and His Teaching on Using Prostitute's Earnings to Fund a Temple Bathroom (Deuteronomy 23:19; Micah 1:7)“

• “Of Serpents and Sages: The Stories of the Snakebite Deaths of Ben Dama and the Pumbedita Official (Avodah Zarah 27b; Shabbat 109b-110a)“, section “The Death of Ben Dama: A Tale of Healing, Heresy, and Halachic Boundaries (Avodah Zarah 27b)“

10. Compare Wikipedia, “Self-sacrifice“:

Self-sacrifice is the giving up of something that a person wants for themselves, so that others can be helped or protected, or so that other external values can be advanced or protected.

Generally, an act of self-sacrifice conforms to the rule that it does not serve the person’s best self-interest, and will leave the person in a worse situation than the person otherwise would have been.

Re specific case of Samson (killing himself in order to kill many Philistines), compare Wikipedia, “Altruistic suicide“:

Altruistic suicide is the sacrifice of one's life in order to save or benefit others, for the good of the group, or to preserve the traditions and honor of a society. It is always intentional. Benevolent suicide refers to the self-sacrifice of one's own life for the sake of the greater good.

Such a sacrifice may be performed for the sake of executing a particular action, or for the sake of keeping a natural balance in the society.