We have explained in our article Biblical Formatting located on the world wide web at http://www.Rashiyomi.com/biblicalformatting.pdf, that the Biblical Author indicates bold, italics, underline by using repetition. In other words if a modern author wanted to emphasize a word they would either underline, bold or italicize it. However when the Biblical author wishes to emphasize a word He repeats it. The effect - whether thru repetition or using underline - is the same. It is only the means of conveying this emphasis that is different.

Verse Nu16-30b discussing the punishment that will befall the Korach rebellion states But if the Lord creates a creation, and the earth opens her mouth, and swallows them up, with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord. The underlined phrase - creates a creation - is a verb-noun repetition. General Repetition indicates emphasisis. The great 19th century Biblical exegete, the Malbim, explained that the specific noun-verb repetition applies its emphasis by requiring the noun to be intrinsic and not haphazard. Thus cooking a cookie indicates not haphazard cooking but rather cooking with a specific structure, the structure of a cookie. Similarly, sitting in a seat indicates that the seat is an actual seat, not, sitting e.g. on a table or bed.

Consequently Rashi interprets the phrase create a creation to indicate not something entirely new but rather the creation of something established to punish those who rebel against prophecy. In other words God traditionally punishes cities and countries that rebel against prophecy by earthquakes. So Moses says here If these people die normally - either a natural death or something totally unforseen - then Korach is right, I am not God's messenger. But if they die through an earthquake which God uses to punishes rebellions against prophecy then you will know that I am God's prophetic messenger and these people, Korach, have rebelled against God.

Advanced Rashi: Rashi literally says: If a creation from the six days of creation exists fine, but if not God should create a new creation and devour Korach. Such a formulation is simply a poetic play on words. Similarly the reference to the six days of creation is a poetic description of something established for rebellions, not entirely new.

But why did I deviate from Rashi's poetic translation and classify it as poetic but not the real reason. The answer is very deep. I have chosen an explanation method - repettion or verb-noun repetition that is common to many verses and is always interpreted the same way. Such an approach is more satisfying since it enables the student to learn and apply new principles. For this reason I chose Malbim's verb-noun repetition principle. Malbim himself chose this principle because of its universality. Once this principle was chosen we then re-reviewed Rashi and perceived the phrases he used - six days of creation - if it exists fine - as referring to established punishments against prophecy rebellions. As we go thru the yearly cycle we will have other opportunities to see this principle in action.