This week’s Parashat* Chu'kat (“statute of…”), not unlike
many of the other Parashot, deals with several issues, some of which are
unrelated or appear to be so. Moreover, a number of these topics are clouded
over with an air of mystery, or at least with insufficient information, leaving
us wondering as to their full meaning. Nechama Leibowitz lists for us some of
the queries which are raised by our Parasha:
1) Chapter 19: “The chapter on the red heifer… is one
of the most mystifying in the Torah… [which] even the wisdom of the wisest of
men failed to fathom.”
2) Chapter 20:7-13: “What was Moses’ sin for which he
was so severely punished?”
3) Chapter 20:14-21: “What was the point of referring
to all their [
4) Chapter 21:1-3: “What made the King of Arad attack
the Israelites? Especially with a view to the assertion made in the Song of the
Red Sea that all the nations of the world were terror-struck by the Divine
miracles and dared not interfere with Israel (Ex. 15:14-15)?”
5) Chapter 21:4-9: “The serpents’ description as
“firey,” which in Hebrew is seraphim [s’rafim], is curious in itself, but more
so is this method given to Moses to heal the victims [which] is somewhat
strange” and “has puzzled many commentators…”
1
Although for the most part, we shall not attempt to solve these puzzles,
word investigations may help us to connect some of the ideas and discover a
possible internal logic within Parashat Chu’kat.
The red heifer, described as being "without blemish (“t’mee’ma”),
in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come”, is “para
– cow – aduma - red” (19:2). As far back as Parashat B’resheet (Genesis
1-6:8) we noted that “man” – “a’dam” – is ‘rooted’ in “adama”, “earth”, and
that “dam” is “blood”, hence the color “red” (“adom”). Thus, the animal used in
the purification process, whose blood was to be sprinkled (ref. 19:4) was
‘earthy’, but was also without blemish or defect, recalling the humanity of
Messiah (who “was in all points tempted as we are”, Heb. 4:15), as well as His
perfection (“a lamb without blemish and without spot”, 1Pet. 1:19). Messiah is
also the One who turns our scarlet sins, making them as white as snow
and wool. Though the sins are red [“ya’adimu”, again, root of “dam” – “blood”
and “adam” – “man”] like crimson (shani), they shall be [as pure and white] as
wool” (ref. Is. 1:18). The purification mixture, at hand, was made of the ashes
of the red heifer, cedar wood and the “scarlet [shani] of a [special] worm
(tolah)”, referring to the same scarlet (of the sins) mentioned
above (in both cases literal translation). It was this mixture that was made
available to the impure for “cleansing” or “purification” (specifically when
touching a corpse). Notably, the verb used is “yit’cha’teh” (“shall cleanse
himself”, 19:12ff). The root letters of this particular word for “purification”
is ch.t.a (chet, tet, alef) actually spells “sin” (as we have already seen a
number of times, e.g. Ex. 29:36; Lev. 14:49, etc.). Interestingly, those
involved in the preparation of this mixture intended for purification,
themselves became defiled in the process. Similarly, while being contaminated/defiled
by humanity's sin, the very blood of Messiah is given for humanity's
purification.
In the previous Parashot we also noted that the remedy, or cure for
"missing the mark" (i.e., sinning), is already taken into account in
sin’s very definition (as we just observed above). This principle takes us to
another topic of examination contained in the Parasha - the bronze serpent:
“And it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live"
(21:8). Once again, the very cause of the malady (the serpents) also becomes,
symbolically, its cure. Additionally, the rendering of the serpents as “srafim”
(meaning “fiery or burning,” of the root s.r.f – shin, resh, pey/fey)
employs the identical root for “burning” that is found several times in the
course of the red heifer passage.
Nechama Leibowitz points out that the verb “sent” - (va)y’sha’lach
- being in the “pi’el” conjugation and not in the more common “kal”
[“sha’lach”], connotes a “letting go” or “releasing” of
the serpents, whereas up until that time they (the serpents) were held back by
YHVH, who did not permit them to harm His people.2 The serpents’ title points
to their characteristic of “burning” or of being “firey” (“saraf”),
with the word for serpent being “nachash” and therefore the bronze object made
by Moshe was called “nachash” – serpent - ha’nchoshet”
(of the) brass. The play on words and alliteration continues in 21:9: “If a
serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived”. “A
serpent had bitten” is “nashach ha’nachash” (even though there is no
etymological connection between these two words). This unusual ‘formula’ of
looking at the brass serpent and being cured, is interpreted for us by Yeshua:
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
eternal life” (John 3: 14, 15). The healing is found in lifting up one’s eyes
to the Creator, while the object (which has no power in and of itself) may
serve as a reminder of one’s sin and disbelief on one hand, and of YHVH’s power
and grace on the other.
At the very onset of the narrative, which leads up to Moshe smiting the
rock, the congregation gathers around him and Aha’ron and strives with them
(ref. 20:2,3). “Strive” is “meriva” (y.r.b/v, yod, resh,
bet/vet), and as it says concerning the Waters of Meriva in Parashat B’shalach
(in Ex. 17:7), here too we read: “This is the water of Merivah, because the
children of
Moshe’s “rod” is called “ma’teh”, which aside from being
rooted in the verb to “stretch out”, also means to “incline,
turn or turn away”.
It was the rod, symbolic of Moshe and Aha’ron’s authority, which the
people followed, while the two leaders had the power to turn their
subordinates either toward YHVH or away from Him.
The next part of the chapter presents Moshe’s surprising approach to the
Edomites (20:14-21), whose compassion he appears to be seeking, with a promise
that the procession of Israelites will not trespass or trample down their land,
nor use anything of theirs along the road. Calling them Yisrael’s brothers,
Moshe’s messengers to the king of Edom said, among other things: “We will not
turn aside (“nita”, once again of the root n.t.h, connected to the “rod”
– mateh - that we just looked at) to the right hand or to the left” (v.
17). And when “
In the attempt to appease the Edomites (by approaching their king) Moshe
says: “Thus says your brother Israel…” (20:4 italics added) is a gesture
of creating peaceful coexistence between “Esav” and “Yaacov-Yisrael”, and
abolishing the enmity between the two. The
previous scene, of drawing water from the rock (20:2-11) in the wake of the
people’s complaint that ended with an unsuccessful encounter with ‘Esau’, parallels
another such scene, which took place shortly after Yisrael left
Following Aha’ron’s death on Mount Hor, the Canaanite King of Arad, upon
hearing of Yisrael’s approach, fights them and takes some of them captive
(21:1). As was already pointed out, the fact that he dared to do so is rather
curious. However, the citing, in that connection, of the “road to Atarim” led
Nahmanides to attach the sad spy episode to the present adversity, as “Atarim”
may share the root “tour” – to “survey” - which we looked at in Parashat
Sh’lach Lecha (Numbers 13-15). “What connection then was there between the
incident of the spies and this attack on the children of
In 21:17-18 we read the following: “Then Israel sang this song, ‘Spring up, O well. Sing to it.
The well which the rulers dug, which the nobles of the people dug with their
lawgivers’ staves and rods’”. Daat Mikra Commentary says: “The digging was
initiated by the ‘nobles of the people,’ being a reference to Moshe and Aha’ron
who dug it without using ordinary work tools, but with ‘m’chokek mish’a’notam’
(‘their lawgivers’ staves’).
The encounter with the Amorites, after bypassing
Moav, resulted in a military victory and the possession of their cities (which
the Amorites had actually taken from Moav). One of those cities was their capital,
Cheshbon (Heshbon). This conquest
engendered a statement by the “those who use proverbs … ‘Come to Cheshbon…’”
(21:27). “Those who make use of proverbs” is “moshlim” – also
meaning rulers - while “cheshbon” is rooted in ch.sh.v (chet, shin, b/vet),
which means “important, to think, ponder, calculate”. Thus, the combination of proverb and rule,
as well as ponder and calculate led the commentators of the past
to view the above quote as a statement relating to the rule (control)
one should have over one’s natural inclinations (“flesh”) by self-examination
(pondering and evaluating). In the past,
we have examined the connection between “proverb” and “rule” in Parashat
Cha’yey Sarah (in Genesis 24:2).
The Parasha ends with another spying episode. Before the Israelites
ventured out to conquer the Amorites, it says in 21:32: “Then Moses sent to spy
out Jazer…” The word there for “spy out” is different from the one we
encountered previously, this time it is “ra’gel,” of the root r.g.l,
meaning “foot or leg” (“regel”), a term also used for the spies
who were later sent by Yehoshua (Joshua) to explore Yericho (ref. Joshua 2:1).
It seems that these spies (“footmen”) were not to “tour” – survey – the land,
but rather walk to their designated destination, one step at a time (one foot in front
of the other :).
See article below
* “Parashat” = “Parasha of…”
1. Nechama Leibowitz, Studies in Bamidbar, Eliner
Library, Dept.
of Torah Education and
Culture in the Diaspora, Joint Authority
for Jewish Zionist
Education,
2. ibid
3. ibid
4. Da’at
Mikra, A’haron Mirski, Rav Kook Inst.,
The following article, which is now
a chapter in our book Creation Revisited, deals with some of the
Parasha’s themes. The book may be downloaded from our site www.israeliteretun.com
Chapter 4 of the Gospel of John commences with a
description of Yeshua traveling north, from Judea to
Yeshua proceeded to ask her for a drink. That a Jew would stoop to talk to a Samaritan, a female, and then even make His need known to her startled the woman. She, therefore, reminded Him that Jews did not have any dealings with the Samaritans (who were considered a mongrel race and hence inferior). But yet she continued, noting that the well was very deep.
The woman’s answer to this Jewish Man’s request for a drink was met by the following words: "If you knew the gift [in Hebrew – “mattanah”] of Elohim, and who it is who says to you, 'give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (John 4:10). Her reply, however, disclosed that she did not have a clue as to the meaning of what He was saying: “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep” (John 4:11a). The woman could only relate to what she knew and understood about wells and water, and continued to miss the point even after Yeshua promised: “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst” (John 4:14a). “Sir,” she retorted, “give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw” (John 4:15). According to her way of reasoning, Yeshua would somehow draw water for her from Jacob’s well or perhaps even generate it from some magical source, so that she would never thirst again, nor have the burden of drawing water every day. Still puzzled, the woman felt that Yeshua had not answered her former query (see John 4:11b).
The Samaritan woman’s
unawareness as to the “living water” and its spiritual source, may serve as an
illustration for those who have been habitually drawing water from the world’s
resources. For example, when the Israelites were traveling through the
wilderness, just east of the Land, circumventing the Moabites and Amorites,
Moses promised that YHVH would supply them with water. So when they arrived at
a place called Be’er (meaning “well”) they broke out in a song: “’…Spring
up, O well! All of you sing to it -- The well the leaders sank, dug by
the nation's nobles, by the lawgivers, with their staves.’ And then they [
Notice that after they left the well, which the leaders, nobles, and lawgivers [“me’cho’kekim,” literally meaning “those who engrave or dig in”] had dug with their staves, they went to Mattanah - “gift”. To the woman’s declarations that the well was deep and that it was dug by “her father Jacob” Yeshua responded: “If you knew the “gift” [mattanah] of Elohim, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water” (John 4:10).
Just like then, so today, many teachers, philosophers, scholars, and lawgivers are digging wells for us, some of which are very deep, from the world’s education system, making it necessary to use (the proverbial) ropes and buckets in order to draw up the ‘water’ (just the work itself makes one thirsty). However, we find that those wells of water often leave us ‘high and dry' and thus thirsting for more. And when the ‘wells’ start drying up we, like the Israelites in the desert, are told to sing to the “well”, so that the “diggers” can dig even deeper (until the ropes and the work used for drawing the water all fail). Then, after being exhausted and parched, we sometimes go looking for another such well. Or - do we let go and make our way to the ‘Mattanah’ that Elohim has provided, and drink of the living water of which Yeshua spoke?
Let us also ask: “From which source does Yeshua get living water?” We may find the answer in a statement that He made to His disciples "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world” (John 8:23). Is Yeshua referring here to Genesis 1:7? “Thus Elohim made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so” (emphases added).
Then, again, on the last day of the feast of Succot, Yeshua repeated what He had said to the Samaritan woman: “…If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37b-38). Obviously, He was not referring to natural waters, but to the “waters above” that is, the Spirit of Elohim. “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). Hence the Holy Spirit of Elohim is the living water.
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