Readings For Saturday, July 5, 2025
Chukat
(Statute)
19:1-22:1 Bamidbar (Numbers)
Chukat is the sixth sedrah in Bamidbar. The sedrah takes its name from the second Hebrew word in the second verse of the weekly reading, “This is the statute (Chukat) of the law, which the Lord hath commanded.” For convenience, the sedrah can be divided into three major parts: Chukat - The Statute of the Red Heifer, The Changing Generations and The Conquests Begin.
Chukat or The Statute
of the Red Heifer (19:1-22)
Although people may not know the specifics of the statute concerning the Red Heifer, it remains one of the best known and least understood commandments in the Torah. Since the text is fairly straightforward in describing the ritual, there is no need to paraphrase it here. The ritual was intended to purify one who had come in contact with a corpse or household items found at the scene of the death. As strange as the ritual might sound, it becomes even stranger since the clean person who sprinkles the ashes on the unclean person then becomes unclean for a day. In other words, the ritual results in cleansing the defiled, and defiling the cleansed. Obeying the statute was obviously of great importance since the penalty for deliberate disobedience was “karet,” being cut-off. Use of this term has come to mean a form of Divine punishment, which further underscores the importance of the statute. As Rabbi Hertz points out, “The word ‘statute’ (or Chukat) is used in connection with all laws or ordinances whose reason is not disclosed to us. In Bereshit 26:5 we saw three terms used to describe laws and ordinances. Mitzvoth or commandments were laws dictated by a sense of morality such as prohibitions against robbery and bloodshed. Chukim or statutes were laws ordained by God, which we are to observe although reason cannot assign an explanation such as the prohibition against eating swine’s flesh. Toroth or laws are customs and traditional ordinances orally transmitted from generation to generation such as we find in Midrash.” In his commentary on Chukat, Rabbi Schneerson cites Rashi who contends that even among Chukim, there are two categories: “Those which could in principle be understood by human intelligence, but details of which are beyond comprehension” and “those which are entirely beyond the scope of human understanding. The Statute of the Red Heifer is alone in belonging to the second category.” More important than the legal term Chukat, is the spiritual concept of Chukat. As the book of Job freely admits, there are things that happen in life that are beyond human comprehension. We may make haphazard attempts to explain such events, but in the end the explanations are not very satisfying. While such a concept of Chukat may seem like a cop out it may very well serve as a safety valve. By admitting that there are things beyond our comprehension, we can then devote our energies to dealing with that which we do understand even if it is only a partial understanding. For example, our inability to understand where God was during the Holocaust does not give us the right stop being Jewish.
The Generations Begin
to Change (20:1-29)
According to some commentators, the events described in this chapter are out of sequence. Chronologically, they follow after the events of Bamidbar 14, the chapter in which the Israelites are condemned to wander the Wilderness until the generation of the spies dies out. This means that events described in this chapter occurred in the fortieth year of the wanderings. In other words, the Torah is silent about the events of the thirty-eight years during which one generation gave way to another. Be that as it may, the chapter begins without fanfare or comment announcing the death of Miriam, “…the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.” This is how we are told of the death Miriam - the sister of Moshe, the singer of songs of victory, and the prophetess. Fortunately, we have just read Chukat, so we know that those who tended to her corpse could be purified. The narrative does not even pause to tell us if her passing was even mourned by the people. It just picks up with the next event, another rebellion concerning a lack of water. In yet another famous biblical tale, God tells Moshe to speak to the rock so that it will give water. But Moshe in his anger strikes the rock twice, producing a gusher of water. God then tells Moshe and Aaron that they will not enter the Promised Land. Why such a harsh punishment? Were the brothers to be denied the supreme moment of accomplishment just because Moshe hit the rock instead of speaking to it? Isn’t God being a little extreme, especially when you consider all the great things Moshe had done? The notes are rife with all kinds of speculation. Maybe, by his statements and actions, Moshe had led the people to believe that he and not God was the source of the miracle. Or, maybe, by losing his temper, Moshe had forfeited his role of prophet and had become just another member of the generation of spies that had already been condemned to perish in the Wilderness. In the end, we really do not know and all of the explanations fall flat. Fortunately, we have the concept of Chukat, which means that there are things we must accept even if we do not understand them. Moshe and Aaron appear to have accepted the decree since neither of them offered any argument. Instead, the text picks up with the travelogue. Moshe attempts to pass through the land of Edom. The Edomites refuse. Moshe accepts the refusal and changes routes because God has already decreed that Edomites have their assigned piece of land and the Israelites are to take no action against them. After journeying from Kadesh, the Israelites stop at Mount Hor. God tells Moshe that Aaron is now to be “gathered unto his people.” And just in case Moshe has forgotten why he is to die in the Wilderness, He tells Moshe that it was “because you rebelled again My word at the waters of Meribah.” Apparently God was not confused about why the brothers were being punished. Aaron does not die a mean death. He gets to see his son Eleazar don the vestments of the Kohein Gadol. He dies peacefully knowing that his son has succeeded him.
The Conquests Begin
(21:1-22:1)
A new generation has grown up, a generation that is capable of fighting for the Promised Land. The chapter begins with a victory over the King of Arad, a Canaananite Kingdom located in the Negev. This new generation has learned its lesson. Before going into battle, the warriors seek God’s support. In this case, they promise to forgo the spoils of war if God will reward them with victory. The Torah then describes the march of the Israelites through the region of the Transjordan i.e., the land across or east of the Jordan River. The Israelites defeat Sichon, King of the Amorites and Og, King of Bashan. According to the sedrah, some of our information about this comes from a text called “the Book of the Wars of the Lord.” This may have been an actual text, written at the time of the Torah, which has been lost to us. It should also be noted that verses 27 through 30 are a Song of Victory, similar in style to the Song at the Sea. It is as if the Israelites began and ended their journey through the Wilderness with song. One difference is that here, Moshe does not lead the Song. The great leader’s voice is soon to become silent. The sedrah ends with the Israelites making camp across the Jordan from Jericho. In the midst of all of this fighting and traveling, we do find one last rebellion over water. When the first rebellion over water occurred in this sedrah, God did not punish the Israelites. However, this time He sends serpents to attack the people. Once again the people admit their sin and beg Moshe to intercede. Once again Moshe intercedes and God relents. As a result of this episode, Moshe fashions a copper serpent, which is placed on a pole and is kept as an item of veneration by the Israelites. King Hezekiah will later destroy it because it became an object of idol worship. For many of us, this copper serpent is more of a mystery than the Statute of the Red Heifer. But then maybe the sedrah was meant to begin and end in the spirit of “Chukat.”
Themes
Commandments
The requirement that a ritually clean person shall sprinkle water and ashes of the Red Heifer to purify one who has become ritually unclean (19:19).
Biblical Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
As if to emphasize the uniqueness of this commandment, it is the only one listed in this sedrah. Furthermore, the companion sedrah of Balak (during no-leap years) does not contain any commandments. Therefore, regardless of the cycle, the Statute of the Red Heifer stands alone.
The Death
of Miriam
According to some, the failure of the Israelites to properly mourn the death of Miriam led to the lack of water at Meribah. Legend has it that Miriam’s virtue was the source of the magical Well that accompanied the Israelites. By failing to properly mark her death, the water stopped. This led to her brothers’ sin, which denied them entrance to the Promised Land.
The Death
of Aaron
When the people saw that Aaron was dead, the whole House of Israel wept for thirty days (20:29). This thirty day mourning period for Aaron is the source of the thirty day mourning period known by the Hebrew word for thirty - sh’loshim. It follows the seven days known as Shiva. During the Sh’loshim, the mourners avoid public displays of joy and happiness. In the Synagogue, mourners may lead services but do not accept honors such as chanting the haftarah.
Hand
Washing
When leaving the cemetery or entering the Shiva house, it is customary to wash ones’ hands. There are those who will claim that this custom has to do with a superstitious attempt to wash demons from our hands. Jewish tradition sees this custom is a reminder of the washing that took place according to Chukat.
The
Punishment of Moshe and Aaron
There are numerous commentaries on this most of which revolve around explaining what the brothers did that was so bad that they were excluded from entering the Promised Land. However a sage known as Ramav has a different spin on the statement “…you will not bring the congregation of Israel to the Holy Land.” (20:12). He said that the Israelites were being punished for their lack of faith. God was depriving them of their two greatest leaders. Only once they had to face life without these brothers would the Israelites recognize their greatness of these men.
The Color
Red
Red is the color of sin. Hence the heifer must be red. It can never have worn a yoke because it symbolizes “the sinner who casts off God’s Yoke.”
The
Mystery of Chukat: the sedrah not the
ritual
This reading is filled with mystery in the truest sense of that term. There is the mystery of the ritual of the Red Heifer. There is the mystery of the lack of water following the death of Miriam. There is the mystery of why Moses was really denied entry into the Promised Land. And then there is the ultimate mystery itself - death; in this case the death of Miriam and the death of Aaron. But the sedrah also provides us with the clue to understanding these mysteries as well as all the other issues that confront human beings. In the opening section of the sedrah we find these stark “Zoht HaTorah,” “This is the Torah” (19:14). Even if we do not understand why we are to do something, we know what we are to do. At the same time we are encouraged to delve into the Torah so that we can at least begin to understand the “why” of life as well as the “what” of it. You can question, you can challenge, but you cannot ignore that stark reality of the life of the Jew - This is the Torah.
What Was
Moses
Moses is variously referred to as Moses, our teacher, or as the first of the prophets. This week we see another appellation applied to him. In recounting the history of the Israelites to the King of Edom (20:14) the text said “We cried out to the Lord and He heard our voice; He sent a Malach (translated as emissary or messenger) and He took us out of Egypt” (20:16). The Malach is Moses. Malach can be translated as “angel” because, according to Rashi, the prophets are referred to as angels which Ibn Ezra construes to mean that an angel, Moses, accompanied the Israelites out of Egypt. Considering the fact that this week’s portion includes the display of temper that kept Moses from entering the Promised Land, one must wonder how angelic he really was. Or is this a reminder that we are all capable of a variety of behavior, some angelic and some, well let’s just say a little less than angelic.
No One
Left Behind
The IDF prides itself on not leaving behind any of its men on the battlefield and of going to great lengths to rescue anybody who fails into enemy hands. Similarly Jews in the Middle Ages went to great lengths to ransom any of their co-religionists who fell into the hands of marauders, thieves and pirates. Communities actually had special funds for this purpose. This week’s reading shows that this practice is deeply rooted in our people’s history. When the King of Arad attacked the Israelites “he took some of them captive.” (21:1). The Israelites then turned to God and asked Him to aid them in their fight. They plainly stated that they would forgo the booty and loot that most armies fought for. The implied deal is give us victory so that we might free the captive or captives taken by the Canaanite king. While some commentators opine that there was really only one captive and it was a non-Jewish slave, others say that this does not matter - that one captive, one person denied their freedom, is one person too many.
Haftarah
11:1-33 Judges
The Man: The Book of Judges covers the period between the death of Joshua and the birth of Samuel. As we have seen from previous readings from the Book of Judges this was a period of semi-anarchy where “each man did what was good in his own eyes.” It was a period where the Israelites failed to display a high level of spiritual and moral purity. This week’s haftarah describes events in the life of Jephthah, the ninth of the thirteen (or fourteen) leaders who are active in the Book of Judges. He was active for six years before his death. Most of his life was spent on the east bank of the Jordan River in the land settled by the two and one half-tribes before the Israelites invaded Canaan. After World War I, this land was part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Today this is the Kingdom of Jordan. Jephthah is connected with one of the greatest acts of folly and sin in the TaNaCh. The haftarah only covers the first part of Jephthah’s life. The rest of the story is covered in 11:34-12:7.
The Message: Part of this haftarah reads like one of those romance novels complete with the illegitimate son who is forced to leave home and then returns to claim his patrimony. According to the haftarah Jephthah of Gilead was born out of wedlock. His father’s legitimate sons drove their half-brother away because they were afraid he would claim part of their father’s estate. Jephthah joined a group of brigands and gained a reputation as a fighting man. When the Ammonites threatened the people of Gilead the elders asked Jephthah to become their leader. Jephthah agreed only if he would be the “commander and chief” once victory had been won and peace returned to the land. The elders agreed and Jephthah set out to meet the enemy. However, before the fighting began, Jephthah attempted to negotiate with the Ammonites. He pointed out to them that they had no real claim to the land and that they had accepted this fact for an extended period of time. But Ammonites refused to yield and in the end Jephthah defeated them in a series of battles in area around modern-day Amman, the capital of the Kingdom of Jordan. Unfortunately, just before the battle, “Jephthah made this vow to the Eternal: If you hand the people of Ammon over to me, Then I will offer to the Eternal as a burnt-offering whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I come home safe from the Ammonites.” (11:30-31). The text, but not the haftarah continues, “And Jephthah came to…his house, and, behold, his daughter came to meet him…And when he saw her…he rent his clothes, and said: ‘Alas, my daughter! Thou hast brought me very low, and thou are become my troubler; for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.’” (11:34-35). When he made the vow, he thought he would see an animal and would sacrifice it. But he saw his daughter and two months later “she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow…” (11:39). Various commentators have condemned him for this act of folly. What makes it so bad is that he did not have to carry out the vow. There were ways around it. But because he was ignorant of Torah, he committed this vile act. Unlike those popular romantic novels, Jewish heroes need to know Torah as well as martial skills. In driving Jephthah away, his half-brothers might have helped to create a military leader but they denied him the teachings of Torah, which would have made a true leader. Jephthah would add one more infamous deed to his record. Before his death, angry members of the tribe of Ephraim confronted him. Rather than try and find a peaceful solution to their claims, Jephthah fought them, killing 42,000 of his co-religionists.
Theme-Link: There are at least two. First, in negotiating with the Ammonites,
Jephthah referred to events described in the sedrah. In fact, “verses 19-22 in the haftarah are a
recitation of verses 21-25 in the sedrah.”
Secondly, both readings contain vows related to victory. In the sedrah, the Israelites promised to
forgo any booty from the towns they were about to attack. We already know about the vow contained in
the haftarah.
Copyright;
July, 2025; Mitchell A. Levin
