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Weekly Reading Insights: Chukat
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Overview
of the Torah Reading
To be read on Shabbat Chukat (in Israel - outside of Israel click
here for this week's Parsha) - 3 Tamuz 5782 /July 2
Torah: Numbers 19:1-22:1
Haftorah: Judges 11:1-23 (Messengers to Edom)
Pirkei Avot:
Chapter 4
Chukat is the 6th Reading out of 10 in Numbers and it
contains 4670 letters, in 1245 words, in 87 verses
Overview: Chukat (Numbers 19:1-22:1)
opens with G-d's command to slaughter a red heifer whose ashes purify those
who had contact with the dead. The water the Jews had in the desert came in
the merit of Miriam the prophetess, Moshe's sister. After her passing, the Jews
complain about the subsequent lack of water. G-d then tells Moshe to speak to
a certain rock; when Moshe instead hits the rock to bring forth water, Moshe
and Aharon are punished with a decree that they will not merit to enter the
Land. Next, the Jews request to pass through the Land of Edom, but the Edomites
refuse, and the Jews must go around. Following this, Aharon passes away on Mt.
Hahar. When the Cana'anite king of Arad hears that the Jews are nearing his
land, he wages war with them. G-d fulfills the Jews' request to allow them to
defeat the Cana'anites and conquer their land, which they dedicate to G-d in
return for their victory. The Jews complain to Moshe again, and G-d sends poisonous
snakes to bite them. Moshe prays on the Jews' behalf, and G-d tells him to make
an image of a snake; Moshe makes a copper snake, places it on a pole, and those
that gaze up at the copper are cured of their snake bites. Next are details
about some of the places where the Jews traveled and also the Song of the Well.
The parsha concludes relating the Jews' defeat of Sichon and Og, two very powerful
kings, and the conquest of their lands
 An
Essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, Director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
Events that happened in the desert are archetypes and paradigms for what is
happening in our day to day lives. In this week's Torah reading, Chukat, once
again the Jewish people rebel against G d and Moshe and, as punishment, G-d
sends poisonous snakes to bite them. The people begged Moshe to pray for them,
saying, "We sinned...pray to G d that He remove the snake from us",
(Bamidbar/Numbers 21:7) which Moshe did. Rashi explains on this verse that one
of the lessons here is that when asked to forgive, do not be cruel, forgive.
How can we apply this to ourselves? The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that in human
relations, there are three levels of forgiveness:
1) Forgiveness that protects the offender from punishment. A person may pray
for the person who harmed him or her, but only in order to prevent any punishment
being meted out to the offender.
2) Forgiveness not only for the offending act, but for the person who caused
the harm. I forgive you and do not bear a grudge. I am erasing the memory.
3) The forgiveness is so heartfelt that the sin is totally uprooted. In this
case, the relationship is totally restored to its former positive state. I forgive
you. It is like the negative event never happened in the first place.
Concerning the matter of the snakes, the verse says, Moshe prayed "for
the sake of the people" (Ibid.). Not only did Moses pray for their lives
(that the punishment of the snakes cease), he prayed for their sake, for the
people, like the rebellion never happened at all. This is a demonstration of
Moses' complete love of the Jewish people. Even their worst behavior had no
effect on his love. He achieved the third and highest level of forgiveness.
Moshe's manner of forgiving was not cruel, as Rashi writes, "Don't be cruel,
and forgive." (Ibid.). Moshe was not satisfied with just preventing fatalities,
he also completely loved and wished well for those same people who rose up against
him. Moshe is an example for all of us.
The Midrash teaches something revolutionary. It says that G d, in His own way,
performs himself all the deeds He commands us. We put on tefillin, He
puts on tefillin. We do kindness, He does kindness. Did you ever see
a person sin and immediately, on the spot, a bolt of lightning strikes them
dead? Just as we see every day that G d forgives us with His unbounded mercy,
He also expects us to completely forgive one another when we feel we have been
wronged. Even more and much less tangible, when we consider how great and kind
G d is, that He constantly is restoring His relationship with us - no matter
how insensitively we act - we are also supposed to be inspired to reciprocate
with a feeling of wanting to improve and grow our relationship with Him, to
return to G d. True, this tremendously powerful return to G d goes against nature,
against the natural trend of life, it bends the limits of Creation. It is almost,
out of this world! This in turn will be an impetus for G d to also defy the
world's trend and take us out of this difficult exile and bring Mashiach - may
it be NOW!
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading,
see the archive.
FROM
THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org
Specifically, for an overview
of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary Kabbalists,
and more,
click to Chukat
one sample:
Contemporary Kabbalists
Conquering the Impurity
of Death
From the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe; adapted by Moshe Yaakov Wisnefsky
Death is the antithesis of holiness, for G d is the source of life and vitality.
When confronted with the reality of death, we become exposed to the the truth
that everything is decaying, dying, headed toward oblivion, and life seems futile
and meaningless. The individual must undergo a purification process to cure
his depression (real or potential) and reorient him back toward the enthusiasm
and vitality of holiness.
To continue, click
here.
For a free email subscription to our weekly anthology, click
here.
For another taste of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety of subjects,
click to the our
weekly Kabbalah magazine
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