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Tag Archive for: Chukat

Chukat – חֻקַּת (Numbers 19:1−22:1)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Chukat – חֻקַּת (Numbers 19:1−22:1)

“Moses made a copper serpent and mounted it on a standard; and when bitten by a serpent, anyone who looked at the copper serpent would recover” (Numbers 21:9).

Many years would pass, and King Josiah smashed all the gods and idols that the Israelites had been worshiping. Fighting against idol worshiping and idolatry, he also smashed the copper serpent made by Moses.

Sometimes what is sacred to us, becomes idol worshiping. This is one of the most difficult things to admit and accept – when the sacred becomes an idol, we need to smash it.

Parsha Chukat – חֻקַּת Torah Summary:

The laws of the red heifer to purify a person who has had contact with a corpse are given. (19:1-22) The people arrive at the wilderness of Zin. Miriam dies and is buried there. (20:1) The people complain that they have no water. Moses strikes the rock to get water for them. God tells Moses and Aaron they will not enter the Land of Israel. (20:2-13) The king of Edom refuses to let the Children of Israel pass through his land. After Aaron’s priestly garments are given to his son Eleazer, Aaron dies. (20:14-29) After they are punished for complaining about the lack of bread and water, the Israelites repent and are victorious in battle against the Amorites and the people of Bashan, whose lands they capture. (21:4-22:1) Chukat – חֻקַּת

Chukat (Numbers 19:1−22:1)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Chukat – חֻקַּת (Numbers 19:1−22:1)

“This is the law of the Torah that Adonai has commanded….” (Number 19:2)

We expect a true revelation to follow such an introduction, The Law of The Torah should be the highlight of the most sacred book of all, the Law coming from Adonai our God should be a moral uplifting moment of sacredness.

 And the Law of the Torah is about the red Heifer. Something that makes no sense, something that Rashi the great commentary to the Torah is afraid that will cause ridicule.

Not everything in the Torah actually makes sense, a big chunk of the Torah makes no sense, and there is no point in trying to find logic in it.

Parsha Chukat Torah Summary:

The laws of the red heifer to purify a person who has had contact with a corpse are given. (19:1-22) The people arrive at the wilderness of Zin. Miriam dies and is buried there. (20:1) The people complain that they have no water. Moses strikes the rock to get water for them. God tells Moses and Aaron they will not enter the Land of Israel. (20:2-13) The king of Edom refuses to let the Children of Israel pass through his land. After Aaron’s priestly garments are given to his son Eleazer, Aaron dies. (20:14-29) After they are punished for complaining about the lack of bread and water, the Israelites repent and are victorious in battle against the Amorites and the people of Bashan, whose lands they capture. (21:4-22:1) Chukat

Chukat (Numbers 19:1 -22:1)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Chukat (Numbers 19:1 -22:1)

This week’s Torah Portion marks the passing of Miriam, the first of that remarkable family of leaders who brought us forth out of Egypt. But consider this simple lesson in the numbers of Numbers: Moses is mentioned 766 times in the Torah, Aaron’s name is mentioned 347 times, and Miriam is mentioned by name 12 times. In sum, one generation of one family of Israelites is mentioned in the Torah 1125 times and Miriam represents only 12.

What does that teach us? Well, it teaches us that the words of women are undercounted in the Torah, and yet it also teaches us that Miriam mattered. Miriam is remembered as the first woman to be called a prophet in Israel. Miriam who protected Moses as a child, who led the women in Song as we crossed the Red Sea, who found water for our thirst during our wanderings through the desert, Miriam who is mentioned just 12 times in the Torah is remembered by millions still today. May we all be worthy of such a memory.

CHUKAT SUMMARY:

The laws of the red heifer to purify a person who has had contact with a corpse are given. (19:1-22)
The people arrive at the wilderness of Zin. Miriam dies and is buried there. (20:1)
The people complain that they have no water. Moses strikes the rock to get water for them. God tells Moses and Aaron they will not enter the Land of Israel. (20:2-13)
The king of Edom refuses to let the Children of Israel pass through his land. After Aaron’s priestly garments are given to his son Eleazer, Aaron dies. (20:14-29)
After they are punished for complaining about the lack of bread and water, the Israelites repent and are victorious in battle against the Amorites and the people of Bashan, whose lands they capture. (21:4-22:1)