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Anshei Sphard - Beth El Emeth Congregation

120 East Yates Rd. North, Memphis, TN 38120

901-682-1611, Fax: 901-682-1641

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Parshat Chukas Q&A

 Why are the laws of the red heifer found at this juncture?

Last week it was the 2nd year in the desert. This week we are in the 40th year. What happened in the interim? People died. How does the Torah describe 38 years of dying? With the laws of death and the red heifer. Furthermore, the process of purification is emblematic of the process of cleansing which the Jews underwent as they prepared to enter Israel.

Why was Moses Not Allowed to Enter Israel?

"Moses said to them, listen here you rebels, if from this rock we can take out water for you. .. and he hit the rock twice." Every highlighted word is a possible source of the problem. Maybe the sin was that he called them rebels. Maybe the sin was that he said ‘if’ as though he was in doubt of G-d. Perhaps the sin was that he said he and Aharon, ‘we’ will take out the water when he should have referred to G-d. Most people think it was the hitting as opposed to speaking to the rock, while still others suggest it was the hitting ‘twice’ which was the problem. By hitting it twice he made it seem as if it was his strength that unleashed the waters.

What is sin of Moses in Parashat Hukat? 

  1. He hit the rock twice
  2. He said he would take out the water and not G-d
  3. He hit, and did not speak to or about the rock
  4. He didn’t sing a song in response to the miracle
  5. He didn’t personally provide the water to the people
  6. Rambam: he showed too much anger
  7. Ikarim: he and Aharon fell on their faces. They didn’t bring out the miracle themselves.
  8. Abravanel’s rejected postion: He did not sin, but died on the merit of this generation
  9. Abravanel: he died because of the other sins from before
  10. He asked "Will we take out water?=Hamin" (reminiscent of Haman) as if it were in doubt.
  11. He saw them as morim, rebels
  12. He hit the rock twice, as if G-d would not provide with one hit
  13. He gathered them as a "kahal" and he should have thought of them as an edah, which is the word we use for a minyan, ten Jews. No matter what, even a bad edah is a minyan. They are the Jewish people despite their attitude. He thought of them as a motley crew, kahal.