* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
1) Welcome to summer! Even during the summer break—the months of July and August—we still keep up with our weekly parasha. This week we will read Parashat Chukat, the sixth parasha in Sefer Bamidbar.
2) Parashat Chukat opens with the mitzvah of Parah Adumah (the red heifer) which has become the paradigm for mitzvot that have no apparent or logical reason. Thousands of years ago, our sages already emphasized the significance of this topic: Parashat Chukat reminds us that although we are encouraged to try to understand the reasons for the mitzvot, ultimately the holy Torah is far beyond our limited human comprehension. We still must perform mitzvot that we don’t understand.
3) Our parasha records the passing of two of our righteous leaders: Miriam the Prophetess and Aharon the Kohen. Aharon was especially beloved by the nation and they mourn his death for 30 days. He had always cared for the people and was known as a peacemaker between quarreling friends and couples.
4) Another critical incident that takes place in our parasha is the “Mei Meriva”—the Waters of Strife.The nation is thirsty and demands water. God instructs Moshe Rabbeinu to speak to a rock so that water would flow from it to satisfy their thirst. Instead, he strikes the rock with his staff and immediately following this incident, Moshe is told by God that he will not be allowed to enter the Land of Israel. Consequently, the nation will be forced to part from their old generation of leaders and enter the Land of Israel under the leadership of Yehoshua.
5) Other topics mentioned in our parasha include wars and disputes with several nations, and the “Song of the Well” that the nation sings in gratitude for the miraculous well that had provided them with water in the desert. At the end of our parasha, the nation stands on the verge of their final destination: the Land of Israel.
Shabbat Shalom!
