CHUKAT
The Parsha opens with an explanation of the purification process if someone becomes impure from being in the same house as a dead body (or from touching a dead body). A pure Parah Adumah (Red Heifer) was slaughtered and burned outside the camp and its ashes were mixed with water from a running stream. Then, its ashes were sprinkled over the impure person on the 3rd and 7th days of his impurity. At the end of the seventh day, he had to go to immerse himself in a Mikvah, and only then was he considered spiritually pure again. As part of the punishment for the sin of the Meraglim (spies), Bnei Yisrael were to wander the desert for an additional 40 years. Thirty-eight years had now passed and everyone from the generation of the Meraglim had since died. Once the 40th year began, they headed back toward Kadesh once again. It is at this time that Miriam died. When Miriam died, the well of water that had been Bnei Yisrael’s water supply disappeared. In their thirst, Bnei Yisrael complained harshly to Moshe and spoke negatively against him. Hashem told Moshe and Aharon that a miracle would happen: All they would have to do was speak to a specific rock, and then water would flow from it. But Moshe got so frustrated with the people’s disrespect that he hit the rock instead of talking to it. Hashem was angry at Moshe because he went against His order and did so in front of all of the Bnei Yisrael. Moshe’s punishment was that both he and Aharon would not be allowed to enter the Holy Land.
Parsha summary from ou.org Next, Bnei Yisrael had to pass through Edom. Moshe sent a message ahead to the king of Edom to ask if they could travel through his land. Moshe said that they would be willing to pay for everything they might use (e.g. water). The king refused with force, setting up an army barricade to make sure Bnei Yisrael would not enter. Bnei Yisrael were forced to go the long way around Edom’s borders. When they reached Hor HaHar, Aharon died. Moshe and his sons buried him, and Moshe named Aharon’s son Elazar the next Kohein Gadol. Along their travels Bnei Yisrael were attacked by the people of Arad. After this attack, they were very tired and sad. They once again complained about their lack of food and water. Hashem was angry and sent a plague of fiery serpents with deadly bites. Once the people did Teshuvah Moshe made a brass serpent on a pole and whoever looked at it was healed. They continued traveling and stopped at Amon, which is between Moav and Emor. Sichon, the king of Emor, would not allow them to travel through his land and sent his army out against Bnei Yisrael. With Hashem’s help, Bnei Yisrael defeated the army of Emor. Bnei Yisrael then continued traveling till they got to Bashan, where the king, Og, also resisted but Bnei Yisrael conquered his land as well. This Parsha ends with Bnei Yisrael conquering the land on the east side of the Jordan. They finally camped on the border of Moav.
Hor HaHar * BALAK
In this parsha we are introduced to Balak, the king of Moav. He has just heard that Bnei Yisrael conquered Emor. Since Bnei Yisrael were camped on his borders, Balak was scared they might attack his land. He knew Bilam, a Navi who could curse Bnei Yisrael and sent him a message. Bilam asked Hashem if he should follow through on the king’s request. Hashem answered back in a dream, that he should not go back with the messengers and he is not allowed to curse the Jews. Bilam listened to Hashem. Although Bilam would not help, Balak did not give up. He sent back more messengers with presents to bribe Bilam. This sounded good to Bilam and once again, he asked Hashem. Hashem gave Bilam permission to go with them to the king but to only say what Hashem tells him to. Bilam, for greedy reasons, was very happy with this response. On the journey to the king, Bilam’s donkey saw a vision of an angel. When the donkey swerved out of its way, Bilam got angry and hit it. Then, Bilam himself saw the angel. Bilam was told that this was his fault because deep inside, before he even asked Hashem, he wanted to accept Balak’s offer out of greed. Bilam answered that he would return back home if it was what Hashem wanted. He was told to continue towards the King’s palace but to do as Hashem says.
When Bilam met Balak at the border of Arnon, there was a huge feast waiting for Bilam. The next day, the action was to begin. Bilam’s intention was to curse Bnei Yisrael. Hashem, out of love for His Nation, caused a great miracle. When Bilam began his first speech, he said, “How can I curse the ones that Hashem has not cursed?... Look, there is a people that lives apart and are not included among other nations...” Hashem put these words into his mouth. Balak was furious at this unexpected praise for the Jews. Next, Balak took Bilam to another mountain, Mount Pisgah. There, Balak hoped the message would be different but the message was still the same: Bilam could not curse the Jews. He praised Bnei Yisrael by saying that Hashem would not let anyone curse His holy nation. Then Hashem caused Bilam to explain how Bnei Yisrael conquered Moav, Edom, Amalek, and others. The parsha continues with Bnei Yisrael moving and camping at Shittim with Bilam causing major trouble. He urged Moavite women to tempt men from Bnei Yisrael to join them in the worship of Ba’al Peor (their idol) and to commit idolatry and immoral acts. Through Moshe, Hashem put a plague on Bnei Yisrael to kill these sinners. Pinchas, the son of Elazar, saw an immoral act done by a Midianite woman and a member of Bnei Yisrael. He took it upon himself to kill them. Twenty four thousand people died from the plague before Hashem stopped it. Next week’s parsha continues with a reward for Pinchas because he defended Hashem.
Parasha Questions
1) What animal was used to spiritually purify someone who was in contact with a dead body? (The Parah Adumah)
2) Which punishment from Hashem came true in Parashat Chukat? (That everyone from the generation of the meraglim except Calev and Yehoshua would die before they continued traveling towards the Promised Land)
3) Why did Balak fear Bnei Yisrael since they were not a large nation? (Because he knew that Hashem was with them and that Hashem helped them conquer the other nations.)
4) Why did Hashem send the angel? (Hashem saw that Bilam was going on the trip with evil intentions. Hashem wanted Bilam to know that nothing can be done without Hashem’s input. The angel was a sign that he should redirect his thoughts to positive instead of negative)
D’var Torah
By Keren Gitler
In this week’s parshah Moshe’s sister Miriam dies. After she dies the well disappears, and the Jewish people complain to Moshe because they have no water. Hashem tells Moshe to take his staff and talk to the rock to get water. Sadly Moshe screams at the Jewish people and hits the rock. Because of this, Hashem decrees that Moshe will die in the desert. This teaches me that even the greatest people can get angry and act poorly, but we have to try to control our anger in order to reach our promised land.
Shabbat Shalom
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