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Overview
of the Torah Reading
To be read on Shabbat Chukat - 7 Tamuz 5785 /July 13
Torah: Numbers 19:1-22:1
Haftorah: Judges 11:1-23 (Messengers to Edom)
Pirkei Avot:
Chapter 5
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)
Everything has a source in the holy Torah, G-d's will and wisdom
and the blueprint for the world. In the Talmud (Brachot 63) the Talmudic
scholar, Reysh Lakish, asks how do we know that the only way that Torah
study can be truly established is when a person (focuses so completely
on his study that the person) dies from his efforts? We learn it from
the Torah verse in this week's portion, Chukat (Bamidbar/Numbers 19:14)
"This is the Torah of a person who dies in a tent." The word
"tent" is a Torah reference for a place of Torah study, as it
says about our forefather Yaacov, who studied Torah constantly, (Bereishit
r eishit/Genesis 25:27), "Yaacov, a pure person, who sits in tents."
Rabbi Meir Shapiro asks a question. There is something here that does
not make sense, an oxymoron. How can you say that a person's Torah is
truly established, i.e. that it will last forever, if the only way to
do it is by killing yourself over it? Who will continue to study the Torah?
And this is his answer. The true intention here is not about overexerting
yourself in your Torah study. Rather, it is about education of our children,
of the next generation. To guarantee a Jewish future, a person must stretch
themselves to their limit, endanger their life, literally, and do everything
possible in order to raise his/her and other people's children in a true
Jewish way. That person can then rest assured that the study of Torah
and also even the fulfilment of the commandments will continue forever.
Because the Torah always returns to a place where it is welcome.
The message is clear for all of us. To guarantee a Jewish future we must
make every effort to spread Judaism.
~~~~~~~~~~
It was the year 1927, the height of the battle of the communist regime
against Judaism. The Rebbe Rayatz (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, 1880-1950,
sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe) made a farbrengen (a Chassidic gathering)
in his house to celebrate the holiday of Purim.
Many of his followers came despite the great danger. It was forbidden
to gather for Jewish events, to go outdoors at night and, worst, the real
danger of communist spies who could report on everyone present.
In the middle of the event, the Rebbe stood up and started speaking with
great enthusiasm about the great need to fight, with every resource, the
Russian government's efforts to wipe out Jewish tradition. At one point
he turned to one of the chassidim (followers) and said,
"When someone makes a massive fire and gives you a choice, either
send your children to secular schools to be pulled away from Judaism,
or to throw yourself in the fire, THROW YOURSELF IN THE FIRE rather than
sacrificing your children to those schools!"
(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 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
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