Parashat Chukat June 26, 2004

[debi b]

Bamidbar (Numbers) 19:1 - 22:1

Haftarah Judges 11:1 - 11:33

I didn't see this one. I hope I didn't miss it somewhere.

[debi b]

The waters of Meribah (strife) Bamidbar 20

Recorded in this parashah is the incident at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh. The people complain and are thirsty. Moshe and Aaron go to the Tent of Meeting and the kavod (glory) of Adonai appeared to them. He tells Moshe to speak to the rock and bring forth water for the people. He strikes the rock twice and they (Moshe and Aaron) will not enter the land as a result.

I often rolled this over and wondered about this. Such an enormous consequence for this. Commentators grapple with the question of defining the nature of the sin. Rashi says the problem was because he was supposed to speak to the rock, not strike it. Rambam says the problem was because he spoke angrily. Psalm 106:32-33 records it this way – “And they angered him at the waters of Meribah, so that it went ill with Moshe for their sakes, because they angered his spirit, so that he spoke rashly with his lips”.

Adonai does make very clear His point of view. Bamidbar (Numbers) 20:12 And the YHWH spoke to Moshe and Aaron, Because you did not believe me to sanctify me in the eyes of the people of Israel…
Deut 32: 51 Because you trespassed against me among the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because you sanctified me not in the midst of the people of Israel.

The root word for sanctified is kof – dalet – resh. The same root for “holy”. We do have the idea that to sanctify is to treat as holy. There is a word kof – lamed – lamed which means light, to esteem lightly, to curse, to revile, to bring into contempt. So there is a connection between taking something lightly and cursing or contempt.

Adonai desires to be sanctified, to be treated as holy before people. Moshe was one of the greatest men that ever lived. We have so much to learn from him. Moshe is referred to as the servant of YHWH, and the man of Elohim. Deut 34:10 “And there has not arisen since in Israel a prophet like Moshe, whom the Adonai knew face to face”. The enormity of his character was not enough to shield him from consequences. He didn’t enter the land at that time, but he did later. Mark 9:4 And there appeared unto them Eliyahu with Moshe: and they were talking with Yeshua.

Because President Reagan died recently there have been a lot of news stories about him. I recently saw an interview with him where he was talking about his view of the office of the president. Being an actor he related to his term as president as a role he was playing. He talked about how he wanted to bring honor to the office so he was careful to think about the way he behaved and how he would be portrayed. He did not want people to think about Regan the man, but only that he was a representative of the office of the president. He wasn’t interested in anyone getting to know him as an individual, but that they see the office of the president.

It got me thinking about how as believers we should have respect for our role as representatives. To not treat that lightly. May we sanctify Adonai through our words and deeds.

[debi b]

There are two things in this parashah; the ashes of the red heifer and the bronze snake.

This is the ordinance (chukat) of the Torah...that they bring you a red heifer without spot, which has no blemish, and upon which never came yoke...

The ashes of the heifer are used for cleansing for whoever touches one who was slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave or if one dies in his tent.

And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it...upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at evening.

Why do we find this chukat in Bamidbar? Wouldn't you expect it to be with the chukat in Vayikra? Could the answer be that Vayikra deal mainly with the chukat performed by cohen and this is done by "a clean person" and the person being cleansed?

I think there are only two things that specify hyssop. Cleansing for tzaarat and with the ashes of the heifer. So I was reading Psalm 51. David says purge me with hyssop. We don't see in the text any evidence of tzaarat, but in the death of Urriah it is as if he touched a dead body. So is he asking to be cleansed from that? There is one Torah for the gere and the ezrach, but what was Urriah? Was he nokri? If so then life for life doesn't apply? What would have happened to David if there was a goel? When he says you do not desire a sacrifice, is it because if he identifying his "problem" is to be cleansed from touching something dead in which case no sacrifice is called for (the ashes are the sacrifice)? He identifies the correct order - repentance then sacrifice - not no sacrifice. He doesn't appear to be addressing the issue of adultry at all here.

Any thoughts out there?