On a literal level, this enigmatic verse discusses the battles between

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PARSHAS chukas 7 tammuz 5767 23 JUNE 2007 Parsha Perspectives OZER ALPORT אל כן יאמרו המשלים באו חשבון תבנה ותכונן עיר סיחון (21:27) Therefore, the rulers would say: Come to Cheshbon, let it be built

1 PARSHAS chukas 7 tammuz JUNE 2007 Parsha Perspectives OZER ALPORT אל כן יאמרו המשלים באו חשבון תבנה ותכונן עיר סיחון (21:27) Therefore, the rulers would say: Come to Cheshbon, let it be built and established as the city of Sichon. On a literal level, this enigmatic verse discusses the battles between two of the non-jewish peoples who lived at this time and commemorates the victory of one over the other. However, the Talmud (Bava Basra 78b) homiletically reinterprets our verse as coming to teach an important life lesson in values and priorities. The Talmud explains that the verse can be read as quoting not rulers over kingdoms, but rather rulers over their own base instincts and evil inclinations. The words which literally mean come to Cheshbon refer not to the name of a city but to the importance of making a reckoning. The Torah is thus quoting the advice of the masters of self-control to make a reckoning of the reward for performing a mitzvah versus the loss incurred by its performance, and the potential gain from sinning relative to its downside. The Talmud concludes that the individuals who make the appropriate calculation will be built in this world and well-established in the World to Come. While it is certainly understandable that a person who righteously makes such a reckoning will be well-compensated in the next world, in what way does a person tangibly benefit from doing so in this world? Rabbi Shalom Schwadron (d. 1998) was once giving a speech on this very topic when a man approached him at the end of the lecture and related a story which answers our question. The man was an old Russian Jew, and his story took place just before the rise to power of the Communists. At that time, the Jews in Russia felt secure, and the man had a lucrative job in the jewelry business. One day he was going to work a bit early when he heard somebody calling for a 10th man to complete a minyan so that somebody with yahrtzeit could say the Mourner s Kaddish. Because he had a few minutes to spare, he agreed to be the 10th man. Much to his chagrin, when he entered the room, he saw only five other men. When he turned to leave, the man with yahrtzeit begged him to stay a few more minutes until the minyan could be completed. After much time, the real 10th man was found, but this man was fuming at the thought of all of the money he was losing in missed business deals. Still, he assumed that there would be one quick Kaddish and then it would be all over. He was left speechless when the man with yahrtzeit proceeded to start from the very beginning of the morning prayer service. As they had only an exact minyan, he had no choice but to remain hostage, growing more livid by the moment. When the service was finally over, he angrily ran toward his office. When he got there, he was informed that that very morning the Bolsheviks had attacked and ransacked the offices, killing most of the Jews in the process. If he hadn t stayed to allow another Jew to say Kaddish, his kids would be saying Kaddish for him! Many times in life we are confronted with dilemmas between what we know deep down is the right thing to do and what we want to do to get ahead, or what appears to be more fun. When faced with such a choice, we should follow the advice of the rulers to make a calculation and to realize that by doing the right thing, we stand to gain not only in the next world but also in this one. Enjoying your weekly Parsha Partner? Forward this to your friends, or send their addresses to parsha@partnersintorah.org for a free subscription.

2 Talking Points parshas chukas r a b b i el a z a r me i s e l s 1. When You Just Don t Get It This is the decree of the Torah, which Hashem commanded, saying; Speak to the Children of Israel, and they shall take to you a completely red heifer, which is without a blemish, and upon which a yoke has not been placed 19: This is the Decree of the Torah - The Torah referred to it as a decree. I have decreed it, and you are not permitted to question it Rashi This is the Decree Who can cause something pure to emerge from an impure source? Only Hashem! Avraham the patriarch was born to Terach the idolater, King Chizkiyahu from Achaz we ve learned that a small outbreak of Tzaraas causes one to be pronounced impure, yet if it spreads over his entire body he is declared pure? Who could have decreed that this be so? Only the One Above Those engaged in the preparation of the Red Heifer are rendered impure, while those upon whom its blood is sprinkled are pure? The Holy One Blessed is His Name says, This is my decree and you may not question it. Medrash Rabbah, Bamidbar 19:1 In the course of the study of Torah, we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to make sense of the commandments with varying degrees of success. Some commandments resonate favorably with modern man, while others leave us struggling to comprehend their rationale. The law of the Red Heifer teaches us that this inability to comprehend is no accident and must never pose a hindrance to our level of observance. For at no point in our long history did every commandment make perfect sense to us. Nevertheless, recognizing that they all stem from an impeccable source, we agreed to perform them at all times regardless of our level of comprehension. Failure to comprehend is no excuse for failure to observe. 2. Water, Water We Need Water There was no water for the community, and they assembled against Moshe and Aharon. The people quarreled with Moshe and said, If only we had died by our brothers death before Hashem. Why did you bring the congregation of Hashem to this wilderness for us, and our livestock to die there? For neglecting to mourn Miriam in a manner befitting her stature, the well that they had merited in her behalf and which supplied them until this point, was withdrawn after her passing. Assorted Commentaries Would that we had died - We wish that we had died. - By our brothers death - By our brothers death from the plague, as death from thirst is even more dreadful. Rashi The word water also refers to Torah Talmud, Tractate Avodah Zarrah 5b It is worth noting that although the people protested the lack of water perhaps a little too vehemently, they were not punished for their insolence, because as Rashi notes, death by thirst is a very frightening prospect. That a lack of water should be considered such a fearsome prospect is noteworthy for another reason as well. Water is a metaphor for Torah, and just as a person cannot accept it s absence, one must be equally dissatisfied when it comes to a lack of Torah, without which the soul experiences similarly intense pangs of thirst. 3. The Power of Love When the entire assembly saw that Aharon had perished, they wept for Aharon thirty days, the entire House of Israel. 20:29 The Entire House of Israel The men and the women alike, bitterly mourned his passing because he devoted himself to increasing the love between them. He often went out of his way to ensure that peace reigned in a tumultuous home. - Rashi The Entire House of Israel The Torah s insistence that the entire assembly cried over the death of Aharon, teaches us that not once in the forty years that the Jewish people spent in the desert, did a man accidentally kill his fellow. For had that occurred, the offender would have been sent to a City of Refuge and returned only upon the death of Aharon, and actually rejoiced over his passing. Since they all cried, this must not have been the case. Meshech Chochmah It seems almost impossible to believe that Aharon could have had such a remarkable impact on the nation. Yet, the Torah testifies that his boundless love for every Jew had such a powerful ripple effect upon the people that even accidental deaths were assiduously avoided during his lifetime. Aharon s sterling example of how to love a fellow Jew is one that stands for all generations. This page is dedicated to and written for the 6,000 Partners in Torah mentors. We welcome you to join their ranks by calling 800-STUDY-4-2. Please send your comments, questions, and suggestions to info@partnersintorah.org Contact info for Partners in Torah mentor advisors*: Rabbi Reuven Drucker ~ (Sunday - Friday 9:00 am - 12 Noon) rabbidrucker@partnersintorah.org Rabbi Elazar Meisels ~ (Sunday & Tuesday 8:00-11:00 pm) rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org Rabbi Pinchos Jung ~ (leave message) *Kindly reserve use of our advisors for mentor contact.

3 becoming a talisman rabbi elazar meisels Dear Rabbi: I do not study with your program but my husband does, and I was thinking of getting him a nice gift for his sixtieth birthday. What I had in mind was a Talit [prayer shawl] as the one he wears now is from his Bar Mitzvah and it was rather skimpy on him then! What do I need to know in order to do this right? I don t mind if you respond to me via your Parsha Partner weekly column but please change my name, as my husband would be mortified if everyone found out how old he is. Dana B. Dana, Thank you for your question and rest assured that your secret is secure with me. Your husband is fortunate to have such a caring and supportive wife and may the two of you continue to purchase birthday gifts for one another until 120! For the benefit of our readers I m going to start from the beginning and discuss the source of the mitzvah of tzitzis as well as some of the pertinent details. The obligation to affix tzitzis to a four-cornered garment is mentioned twice in the Torah: Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them that they shall make themselves tzitzis (tassels) on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations, and they shall place upon the tzitzis of each corner a thread of blue wool. Bamidbar 15:38 You shall make for yourselves twisted threads on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself. Devarim 22:12 The obligation is commonly understood to refer to any garment that has at least four corners and is worn by a male. Women are exempt from the mitzvah as it is considered a time-bound obligation, since it is only mandatory during the daytime. In ancient times, four-cornered garments were commonly worn and each garment required tzitzis to be affixed to them. Nowadays, it is not as common to wear fourcornered garments, and therefore you will not often see tzitzis on garments, other than those that are designed specifically to be worn in fulfillment of the mitzvah. There are two kinds of garments that are worn with tzitzis: Talis gadol This is the large talis (prayer shawl) worn during Shacharis [morning prayers.] This talis should be large enough to cover most of the wearer s body or it may not meet the requirements for the fulfillment of the mitzvah. A talis that is more like a scarf fails to meet this criterion. In Ashkenazic communities, the general custom is that men don a talis gadol only once they marry. Talis katan This is the small talis (often just referred to as tzitzis) that is worn by men and boys above the age of three, throughout the day. It is usually worn under the clothing, however Chassidic Jews often wear it over the shirt. The garment should measure at least 16 x 16 inches in the front and back halves. Although the obligation only extends to four-cornered garments that we would anyhow wear, nevertheless, we go out of our way to wear the talis katan at all times to take advantage of the opportunity to do a mitzvah. For reasons far too numerous to recount here, ideally a talis should be made from wool, but a cotton garment is also acceptable. Practically speaking, the talis gadol is almost always made of wool, whereas the talis katan is often made from cotton, which causes the wearer to perspire less, and is therefore more comfortable. Synthetic materials pose many issues regarding tzitzis and should not be used to fulfill the mitzvah. The tzitzis strings themselves, are made of wool and must be manufactured specifically for use in fulfilling the mitzvah of tzitzis. That is why it is essential to purchase them from a reliable vendor who sells only tzitzis certified as having been manufactured properly. Unfortunately, this is a lesser-known aspect of the mitzvah and many people assume that since they re purchasing the talis from a Jew, it must be acceptable. While you are at the Judaica store, you may be asked whether you d like to purchase a talis bag to go along with the talis. These bags are made of velvet or leather and are not an integral part of the mitzvah. Rather, they serve a useful purpose for those who intend to wear the talis on a regular basis, as they protect it quite nicely and are a means of beautifying the mitzvah. Additionally, some have a custom to embroider the name or initials of the wearer on the exterior of the talis bag. Neither of these options should be considered mandatory, of course. The quality and fit of the talis along with the reliable certification are what really matter. Regards, Rabbi Elazar Meisels

4 parshas chukas Chukas contains the Laws of the Parah Adumah (the red heifer) and ritual purification. Miriam dies and is buried at Kadesh, in the desert of Tzin. The people complain about the lack of water, and Aaron and Moshe pray and intercede on their behalf. G-d commands them to gather the Israelites at Meribah, and to speak to a designated rock so that water will flow forth. Angered at the people s lack of faith, Moshe becomes impatient, and instead of speaking to the rock, he strikes it. Because Aaron and Moshe did not follow G-d s instructions implicitly, G-d tells them that they will not be permitted to enter the Promised Land. The people resume their travels but cannot go the direct route because the King of Edom refuses permission to pass through his country. When they reach Mt. Hor, Aaron dies and his son Eliezer is invested with his priestly garments and responsibilities. Aaron was beloved by all the people and they observe a national mourning period of thirty days. The Canaanites from the south attack the people and are defeated. The route around Edom is arduous and long, and there is some complaint. Hashem sends snakes to plague the people. Repentant, they beg Moshe to pray for them, and Hashem instructs Moshe to fashion a snake and elevated it on a serpent. Miraculous victories against the local nations are alluded, and the grateful Bnai Yisroel sing a song of victory. Messages are sent to Og, King of Bashan, and Sichon, King of the Emori, requesting permission to pass through their land. Instead, these two kings attack and are vanquished. Bnai Yisroel inherit their lands. Loo k wh o ma d e pa r t n e r... r e c e n t s a m p l i n g o f p e o p l e w h o v e j o i n e d in a s pa r t n e r s : michelle castell, san fransisco ca pearl stein, marlton nj reize rothstein, brooklyn ny bobby covitz, columbus oh linda bram-millers, engelwood co jefferey alkazian, westlake village ca Making partner has never been this easy!

The Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah (29a) cites our verse:,עשה לך שרף ושים אתו על הנשוך נס והיה כל וראה אתו וחי Make yourself a fiery serpent and place it on a pole and it will be that anyone who is bitten

5 The Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah (29a) cites our verse:,עשה לך שרף ושים אתו על הנשוך נס והיה כל וראה אתו וחי Make yourself a fiery serpent and place it on a pole and it will be that anyone who is bitten will look at it and live (Bamidbar 21:8), and asks incredulously: ``But does a serpent kill or restore life? Rather, when Israel gazed upward and subjugated their heart to their Father in Heaven, they were healed, but if not they perished. It is thus clear that viewing the copper snake was not a medical antidote, but a spiritual one that effected repentance and ``subjugation of the heart. Nevertheless, there are many views as to how this was accomplished. Maharal (Gur Aryeh) states that this was a twofold process. First, the copper serpent was placed on a,נס a high pole, so that a person would be forced to look heavenward, ensuring that he becomes aware of his duty to Hashem. Second, by seeing a replica of that which had harmed him, his prayers for a cure would be much more intense and focused. Maharal thus highlights a useful tool for prayer in general: to actually visualize the problem or circumstance for which one is seeking assistance and deliverance, thereby improving his concentration. R Shamshon Raphael Hirsch points out that it does not say in the verse that one should look upward, only that one should look at the snake. He therefore suggests that by looking at the snake, one realized that the Wilderness was an environment of snakes, as stated in the verse:,המוליכך במדבר הגדל והנורא נחש שרף ועקרב Who leads you through the great and awesome Wilderness of snake, fiery serpent, and scorpion (Devarim 8:15). Thereby, one took cognizance of all the dangers that constantly surrounded him, and realized that his protection was based solely on Hashem s Divine benevolence. As the primary sin of the nation was that they were טוב,כפויי ungrateful, by complaining about the food and water, looking at the serpent revived their understanding that ``the dangers are still in existence, dangers that the special care of Hashem lets us escape quite unconsciously, daily and hourly, so that every breath we take in our lives is made into a fresh gift from Hashem s might and goodness. In this sense, the verse is saying, ``View the cure (and protection) from the snake as a,נס miracle. Along similar lines, Ohr HaChaim remarks that included in the complaint of the people was the argument that one should not rely on miracles, for they are rare and cannot be depended upon, as opposed to natural law, which is continuous. He notes, pointedly, that this argument has in fact blossomed under the non-believers in their assessment of the wonders brought by Hashem, and they have sought to ``naturalize all such events with claims that they were really physical (though strange) occurrences. At best, they say, they were aberrations that cannot be repeated. It is perhaps to rectify this misunderstanding of the nature of the miraculous vs. the natural that Hashem established a permanent symbol of His hashgachah, Divine protection, as the Midrash states: Moshe threw the snake skyward and it hovered in the air, and he put a pole under it that was not held up by anything. By observing this miraculous sight, they would realize that Hashem could produce miracles at any time, and that sheltering and providing for the Jews in the Wilderness was no more difficult for Hashem than it would be in any civilized habitat. Another observation made by Ohr HaChaim (who enumerates seven concepts that were learned from the people looking at the copper serpent on high) is that by observing the,נחש serpent, they came to understand the underlying reason for their afflictions namely, the sin of lashon hara, gossip, introduced into the world by the serpent of Creation, who seduced Adam into eating from the ``Tree of Knowledge with his clever tongue. Only when one recognizes the particular sin that he has committed is he able to reject that conduct and truly repent.

6 TABLE TALK For discussion around Hey, I Never Knew That! Amazing Insights About the Weekly Parsha Ozer Alport writes (20:1) that this chapter describes a Rashi (א new era in the national history, as 38 years had passed since the events described up until now and all of those who were to die in the wilderness had already passed away, leaving an entire nation of righteous Jews who were to merit entering the land of Israel. If those remaining alive were righteous, why do we find that almost immediately (20:2-5) they began protesting over the lack of water in a manner reminiscent of that used by the wicked who had already perished? (Keser Shlomo, Ohr Ha- Chaim HaKadosh) writes (20:1) that the death of Miriam is juxtaposed to the section con- Rashi (ב taining the laws of the red heifer in order to teach that the death of the righteous effects atonement similar to the bringing of sacrifices. Why would this lesson be taught specifically through the death of Miriam, and why would it be compared to the red heifer and not to one of the more classical sacrifices? QRashi explains (20:2) that upon the death of Miriam, there was no longer any water for the people to drink as the well which had sustained them with water had only existed in the merit of Miriam. How can this be reconciled with the Gemora in Bava Metzia (86b) which states that the well was provided in the merit of Abraham s kindness in welcoming guests and providing them with water to drink? AThe Maharsha (Taanis 9a) answers that the well initially appeared in the merit of Abraham s actions. However, if only for Abraham s kind deeds, the well would have remained for a short period of time and then departed. In the merit of Miriam, the well which had come due to Abraham remained with the Jews throughout their journeys in the wilderness until her death. The Torah Temimah challenges this explanation, questioning how the merit of Miriam, who sustained the well for 40 years, could be greater than that of Abraham, who was only able to make it last a short while. One possible answer is that the first opinion maintains that initially bringing about a miracle takes infinitely more merits than sustaining it once it has already begun, and in this sense Abraham s merits were indeed greater than those of Miriam s. QThe mitzvah of the purification process of the parah adumah (red heifer) is considered the quintessential chok a mitzvah which seems to defy human logic and which we perform only because Hashem commanded us to do so. The apparently counterintuitive nature of this mitzvah is often explained based on the fact that the impure person upon whom the ashes of the red heifer are sprinkled becomes pure, yet the pure person who sprinkles them becomes impure in the process. Is this indeed the case? AThe Gemora in Niddah (9a) explicitly rules that both the person upon whom the ashes are sprinkled as well as the person who does the sprinkling emerge from the process completely pure. If so, what is indeed the apparently contradictory aspect of this mitzvah? The Gemora concludes that although both of these individuals are pure, a person who carries the container with the ashes of the heifer (who may also be the person who does the sprinkling) becomes impure by doing so. Ozer Alport can be reached at ozer@partnersintorah.org Parsha Partner tm is a publication of p a r t n e r s in t o r a h - a division of t o r a h u m e s o r a h t h e n a t i o n a l s o c i e t y f o r hebrew d a y s c h o o l s. Pa r t n e r s in to r a h is a unique Jewish identity-building initiative committed to fostering unity among jews of all backgrounds. Partners in torah matches jews who want to know more about their heritage with a friendly, knowledgeable mentor for an hour a week of jewish study and discussion, either in person or over the phone. For more information call 800-s t u d y -4-2 or visit w w w.pa r t n e r s i n t o r a h.or g ~ Rabbi eli gewirtz, national director honor or remember a loved one by dedicating an issue of parsha partner which reaches over 15,000 people each week. dedications (up to 15 words) for yahrtzeits, refuah sheleyma, etc. are $180 and issue. for dedication and free subscriptions information or to have a parsha partner sent to your shul, call ext. 223, or via p a r s h a@p a r t n e r s i n t o r a h.o r g

Hukkat. חקת Regulation. Torah Together. Parashah 39. Numbers 19:1 22:1

Hukkat. חקת Regulation. Torah Together. Parashah 39. Numbers 19:1 22:1 Parashah 39 Numbers 19:1 22:1 Hukkat חקת Regulation 2017 Torah Together Study Series Torah Together This Torah portion tells of the sin that would keep Aaron and Moses out of the Promised Land, the death