scholar Josephus wrote that Korah was an Israelite of principal account, both by family and wealth, who was able to speak well and could easily persuade the people. Korah envied the great dignity of Moses, as he was of the same tribe as Moses and he thought he better deserved honor on account of his great riches. Josephus wrote that Moses called on God to punish those who had endeavored to deal unjustly with the people, but to save the multitude who followed God's commandments, for God knew that it would not be just that the whole body of the Israelites should suffer punishment for the wickedness of the unjust. In classical rabbinic interpretation The parashah is discussed in these rabbinic sources from the era of the Mishnah and the Talmud: Numbers chapter 16 Like Pseudo-Philo (see "In early nonrabbinic interpretation" above), the Jerusalem Talmud read the commandment to wear tzitzit in together with the story of Korah's rebellion that follows immediately after in . The Jerusalem Talmud told that after hearing the law of tassels, Korah made some garments that were completely dyed blue, went to Moses, and asked Moses whether a garment that was already completely blue nonetheless had to have a blue corner tassel. When Moses answered that it did, Korah said that the Torah was not of Divine origin, Moses was not a prophet, and Aaron was not a high priest. A Midrash taught that traces Korah's descent back only to Levi, not to Jacob, because Jacob said of the descendants of Simeon and Levi in , “To their assembly let my glory not be united,” referring to when they would assemble against Moses in Korah's band. A Midrash taught that Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On all fell in together in their conspiracy, as described in , because they lived near each other on the same side of the camp. The Midrash thus taught that the saying, "Woe to the wicked and woe to his neighbor!" applies to Dathan and Abiram. reports that the descendants of Kohath, among whom Korah was numbered, lived on the south side of the Tabernacle. And reports that the descendants of Reuben, among whom Dathan and Abiram were numbered, lived close by, as they also lived on the south side of the Tabernacle. Similarly, a Midrash taught that because Reuben, Simeon, and Gad were close to Korah, they were all quarrelsome