Numbers 19:1–22:1
Parshat Chukat
Chukat opens with the red heifer, the classic chok — a mitzvah beyond human reason — which purifies from contact with the dead. Miriam passes away and the well that went with the people dries up; Moses strikes the rock instead of speaking to it and is told he will not enter the Land. Aaron passes away, the people are healed by looking at the copper serpent, and they defeat Sichon and Og.
Essays
Parsha Chukas Balak – Mezuzah Power The Jewish nation stood on the cusp of their conquest of Canaan, situated in close proximity to the Moabite Kingdom. Balak, the… Parsha Chukas – A Play on Words Even the “third class copper” Jew who was bitten by the serpent, the symbol of the evil inclination within us, is not beyond hope. Just harness your weaknesses for something higher and more sublime, and even that copper snake will cure you from your spiritual malady. Parsha Chukas – Aaron and the Clouds of Glory How do we prevent assimilation? How can we remain impervious to all of the alien influences of the outside world? It is through genuine Jewish unity. When we recognize that we are essentially one people, because we share a common soul, background and destiny, we can withstand any physical or spiritu Parsha Chukas – Catching Up The Torah, which comes from one G-d, is the very source of unity in our lives. Nevertheless, the Torah itself recognizes the legitimate division that exists between holy and the ordinary. The world was designed to have times, places, personalities and experiences that are special and holier than oth Parsha Chukas – Keep Your Mouth Open! Misplaced humility that minimizes our ability to generate positive energy is a denial of G-d’s power. Never underestimate the power of positive speech and the power to correct the past when the power of speech was abused. Parsha Chukas – Love Peace and Pursue Peace Aaron taught us the true definition of love and unity. It is not just a means to an end; it is an end. We must be proactive in pursuing it. Love of the other is based on an understanding of the essential nature of the human being. Aaron also taught is that pursuing peace cannot be at the expense of Parsha Chukas – Moses’ Obsession with the Complete Geulah Moses’ life was dedicated to removing the scourge of death from the earth. His quest will not be complete until he fully succeeds in the Messianic Age. The final Red Heifer in the Messianic Age will epitomize the completion and fulfillment of Moses’ life-goal of making this world G-dly by removing t Parsha Chukas – Mr. Dichotomy We must seek to translate the highest and most spiritual ideals into action. This provides us with a taste of the World-to-Come, where eternal life will be the norm. By introducing an element of consistency and durability in our own lives, we reveal that part of our soul that connects to our body th Parsha Chukas – Positive Reinforcement When the Jewish people are exalted and seen in their true spiritual light nature “feels” comfortable and more than willing to acquiesce to their needs. In this way, nature facilitates their dedication to the ideals of Judaism they so strongly identify with and for which everything was created in the Parsha Chukas – Restoring Normalcy The word tamei can be understood as a mindset that alerts the person to the true nature of life and to the utter absurdity and enigma of death. It is a stark reminder that while G-d creates everything normal, we were given the capacity to either preserve the normal status of the world or corrupt it– Parsha Chukas – Speak to the Rock! Jews who seem to be as “hard as a rock” should not be helped by using the “striking” method. In the past, the hardness of Jews who grew up in an environment saturated with Jewish knowledge and warmth, derived from their rebellious spirits. Nowadays, the hardness is a result of generations of benign Parsha Chukas – The Confident Spies The Jewish people have been compared to the human body. A healthy human body is one where all of its organs and limbs work in concert because their connection to the brain is intact. Similarly, the Jewish nation is spiritually healthy when all of us are united under the direction of our head; its Mo Parsha Chukas – The Logical Mystery Logic cannot capture everything just as a cup cannot contain ideas or feelings. In the words of the Tanya: To state that G-d is unfathomable is the equivalent of saying that one cannot touch wisdom with hands. G-d is inherently beyond the realm of logic. Parsha Chukas – The Mother of All Existence When G-d gave us the Torah, He gave us the capacity to bring eternal life to the world. The physical dimension of life would exist in tandem with the spiritual. As a result of the sin of the golden calf failing we will not be able to restore eternal life until the Messianic Age when the world will b Parsha Chukas – The Rational Irrational Person Which is more rational? The belief that the Jewish People’s survival through thousands of years of persecution was a coincidence, or that it was due to the fact that they were chosen by G-d to carry out a special mission, and that it was our stubborn adherence to the Torah that gave us our strength Parsha Chukas – The Role of the Tzadik Chassidic thought teaches that true tzadikkim have risen above sin. Nevertheless they too are “human” in that G-d causes them to experience temporary lapses in order for them to advance spiritually. When one falters and experiences a setback they can then leap to an exponentially higher level. Parsha Chukas – The Torah’s Response to the Kkk The three letters kuf (equivalent to the English letter k) corresponds to the three words that we exclaim in our prayers in praise of G-d: “Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh-Holy, holy, holy.” According to the Zohar these three forms of holiness that are vested within each and every Jew is an inheritance from Parsha Chukas – Three Human Conditions: Three Perspectives As we stand ready to greet Moshiach and the final Redemption we sometimes second-guess ourselves and question our worthiness to be redeemed. We might think of ourselves as undeserving. We must realize that we have beautiful garments that are woven together from all of the positive thoughts, words an Parsha Chukas – Touched by Transcendence When G-d is consistent we are in touch with and touched by an aspect of G-d that conforms to our level. When, however, we encounter a paradox and accept it as G-d’s will, we then access a “higher” and more essential aspect of G-d that transcends human comprehension. Parsha Chukas – Washing the Dust Off Our Feet Idolatry is not merely the worshipping of pagan g-ds made of wood and stone. According to the Talmud there are other far more subtle forms of idolatry, such as an inflated ego or anger.