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Volume 28 Issue 20
June 21-17, 2026 - 6-12 Tammuz, 5786
Torah Reading: Chukas/Balak
Candle Lighting: 8:14 PM
Shabbos Ends: 9:14 PM
Pirkei Avos: Chapter 5
Parsha Synopsis · A Word From the Rabbi
Essay · Thoughts That Count
Once Upon A Chassid · Tid Bits · Happenings · Notes From Israel
Parsha Synopsis
Chukas/Balak
Numbers 16:1–18:32
The name of the Parshah, “Chukat,” means “Statute [of the Torah]” and it is found in Numbers 19:2. The name of the Parshah, “Balak,” refers to Balak, king of Moab, and it is found in Numbers 22:2.
Moses is taught the laws of the Red Heifer, whose ashes purify a person who has been contaminated by contact with a dead body.
After 40 years of journeying through the desert, the people of Israel arrive in the wilderness of Zin. Miriam dies and the people thirst for water. G‑d tells Moses to speak to a rock and command it to give water. Moses gets angry at the rebellious Israelites and strikes the stone. Water issues forth, but Moses is told by G‑d that neither he nor Aaron will enter the Promised Land.
Aaron dies at Hor Hahar and is succeeded in the High Priesthood by his son Elazar. Venomous snakes attack the Israelite camp after yet another eruption of discontent in which the people "speak against G‑d and Moses"; G‑d tells Moses to place a brass serpent upon a high pole, and all who will gaze heavenward will be healed. The people sing a song in honor of the miraculous well that provided the water in the desert. Moses leads the people in battles against the Emorite kings Sichon and Og (who seek to prevent Israel's passage through their territory) and conquers their lands, which lie east of the Jordan.
Balak, the King of Moab, summons the prophet Balaam to curse the people of Israel. On the way, Balaam is berated by his donkey, who sees the angel that G‑d sends to block their way before Balaam does. Three times, from three different vantage points, Balaam attempts to pronounce his curses; each time, blessings issue instead. Balaam also prophesies on the end of days and the coming of Moshiach.
The people fall prey to the charms of the daughters of Moab and are enticed to worship the idol Peor. When a high-ranking Israelite official publicly takes a Midianite princess into a tent, Pinchas kills them both, stopping the plague raging among the people.
…The fact that you are graduating from Harvard suggests that you are not very well-acquainted with failure. You might be driven by a fear of failure quite as much as a desire for success.
I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. The fears that my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself, had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew.
Now, I am not going to stand here and tell you that failure is fun. That period of my life was a dark one, and I had no idea that there was going to be what the press has since represented as a kind of fairy tale resolution. I had no idea then how far the tunnel extended, and for a long time, any light at the end of it was a hope rather than a reality.
So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life…
(Excerpts from Commencement Address by J.K. ROWLING, author of the best-selling Harry Potter book series, “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination,” at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association)
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According to Kabbala the essence of life is based on Rutzo and Shuv, which translates into “To and fro” (literally, “Running and returning”). The latter refers to a rhythmic motion that permeates man’s entire being; physically, emotionally and spiritually, i.e., one’s service of the Almighty.
The Rutzo and Shuv phenomenon is not confined to the human experience alone. It is actually far broader in scope, it is in fact ubiquitous; an essential law of physics that applies to every facet of creation – whether it be electricity, which is current; a flow of electric charge, or sound, which is basically vibration – all energy, somehow on some scale, involves rhythmic motion. To use thermal energy (heat) as an example, it involves the motion of individual atoms and molecules.
Nuclear energy, likewise, involves the motion of subatomic particles, as does chemical energy the motion of bound electrons between atoms, and electromagnetic energy (including light) the motion of photons. Electrical energy, by its very definition, involves the motion of free electrons, as does acoustic energy (sound) the periodic motion of air molecules as waves pass through them.
Nor is it just energy that is rhythmic rather than static, fluctuation is at the root of actual matter, since matter consists of molecules which are always moving; they bounce off of each other like the ball in a pinball machine. This, I’m told, (not that I really understand it) is because they consist of two or more atoms with all kinds of internal, dynamical “Vibrations,” thermally induced or otherwise inherently present. This arrangement causes a constant, quasi-cyclic natural shifting of molecular position with respect to the immediate environment. Accordingly matter is the very product of rhythmic motion.
In the human arena, the idea of Rutzo and Shuv begins on the biological level, with the rhythm of the physical heart and lungs. The heart muscle pumps blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated rhythmic contractions, the lungs must continuously inhale and exhale. The heart’s beats and lung’s fluctuations are what keep us alive.
As stated above, the human pulsation phenomenon is not limited to our physical state. It is rather present within our emotional state as well.
To use the attribute of love as an example, the emotion of love consists of a continuous rhythmic interplay between the selfless desire to give and unite with the other and the selfish satisfaction that one derives from doing so, which is the primary motivation of giving in the first place.
It is, parenthetically, for the very same reason that Rutzo and Shuv exist on the cosmic level, why every element and fiber of creation – constantly being brought into existence by G‑d – is permeated with an inner pulsating energy.
It is so the case because, metaphorically speaking, the very motivation and impetus for His creation of the universe is a desire to bestow kindness upon His creations, which are (at least from their perspective) outside and independent of Himself. Given the above, it is no wonder that this quality is imbued in every facet of the product – creation. This pulsating Divine energy, when properly analyzed, can explain a lot of life’s mysteries.
Getting back to the human side of things, it is needless to say that the aforestated inherent rhythmic fluctuations are a prominent reality within our spiritual dimension. It is why when yearning to escape our corporeal existence we are inevitably driven back by the sobering fact of our material dimension. Our “Run” towards spirituality, is met with a “Return” to the lower reality.
Not unlike a flickering flame striving to pull itself away from its base, only to be drawn back down by its material wick and oil, our drive to rise above the material trappings; our yearning to transcend and become unified with our source, is met with a draw of return to earth – a rhythmic flash of inevitable self awareness and self benefit. To use the Chassidic vernacular, we feel the “Self” that “Wants.”
The point is rather clear: life, on all levels, consists of a constant tug-and-pull, between emanation and withdrawal, surge and resistance, positive and negative, kindness and restriction, pleasure and pain, harmony and adversity, etc. This to-and-fro is not just a byproduct of life it is the source and cause of life, much as there can be no electrical energy without the motion of free electrons.
In the above light, we can have a glimpse into the elusive Chok (statue) which is the theme of the first of the double Parshios, Chukas: the purifying formula made from the ashes of a red heifer mixed with water.
Our Parsha begins by declaring “Zos Chukas Ha-Torah”– these are the statutes of the Torah. Instead of delving straight into the laws of the red heifer, the Torah pauses to apprise us of the fact that the following laws are the statutes of (all) the Torah. Only then does the Torah actually enumerate the laws of the Parah Adumah (red heifer). This brief introduction establishes the general notion of Chok as an important dimension of Torah observance and study. Depicting the Torah as a repository of Chukim – statutes, dramatically expands the theme.
Rashi cites the remarks of the Talmud (Yoma) and Midrash that one is not permitted to ponder the validity of Chukim. The commentaries note that Parah Adumah is the quintessential Chok since the very process that purges the ritual impurity also triggers another's impurity. Accepting this mystery with equanimity constitutes an impressive act of faith and commitment.
Leading Rabbis and codifiers debate whether or not one should seek to understand any part of a Chok that may lend itself to explanation. R. Yehudah Ha-Levi (Sefer ha-Kuzari) argues that one should ideally accept the Chok on faith, without even attempting to fathom its purpose. This approach again accentuates the importance of submission in the service of the Almighty.
On the other hand, the Rambam (laws of Meilah) and Ramban (Chukas and the laws of Kan Tzippor, Devarim 22:6) strongly advocate that one should try to penetrate the mystery of the Chok. Even the most irrational decree has its rational elements that can be analyzed by the human mind and derive a lesson in life, as Maimonides states: “Although all the Chukim of the Torah are supra-rational decrees... it is fitting to contemplate them, and whatever can be explained, should be explained. However, this effort should be rooted in the principle of faith and surrender as well.
This is to say that the obligation to strive to comprehend the Chok does not primarily reflect man's intellectual sovereignty; it is instead a testament to man's awareness that even his intellect has to be shaped and refined by Torah. The pursuit of fathoming the Chok should be perceived as the ultimate act of intellectual-spiritual surrender and submission.
Chassidic philosophy actually maintains that every Mitzvah is in essence a supra-rational Chok, and at the same time, every Mitzvah is also a comprehensible Mishpat (logical law or Judgment). The Rambam writes that the Mitzvah to blow Shofar is a Chok. It is a rule without an apparent reason. We blow the Shofar because G‑d told us to. Still, the Rambam writes that there is an important message in the Shofar: It is a wakeup call, telling us to repent.
The Rambam seems to be saying that there are two levels to every Mitzvah: There is the Chok – the fact that we do it just because G‑d said so and then there is the reason that we can relate to, that talks to us, and that we can comprehend.
Listening to ones parents is another example. It is also called a Chok and a Mishpat: Usually listening to our parents makes logical sense: we owe them and they are older and wiser than us. Other times, we just shrug our shoulders in bewilderment and listen anyway. In this way, honoring parents is both a Chok and a Mishpat: logical, but not totally within our comprehension.
G‑d created the human mind and the logic by which it operates. Obviously, then, it would be nothing less than ridiculous to assume that G‑d desires something because it is logical. Rather, the reverse is true: something is logical because G‑d desires it. In other words, the reason the commandment “Do not kill” is logical to us is that G‑d desired a world in which life is sacred, and molded our minds in accordance with His vision of reality.
The Chok then challenges us to penetrate the inner logic of Torah as we set aside popular and pragmatic modes of conventional thinking. Thus, Torah study is the most powerful method of Divine service.
The above having been said, let us return to the lesson that we can take away from the Para Adumah; the ultimate Chok, which is fundamental to life and in some way represents the entire Torah.
The laws of the Parah Aduma dictate that if a person becomes impure by coming in contact with a corpse, the most serious level of impurity, the only way for him to become pure again is to find a pure red heifer, slaughter it and burn it, mix its ashes with water and sprinkle them over a period of seven days. After seven days, the person who is sprinkled becomes pure.
The red heifer formula exhibits the combination of Rutzo and Shuv. First the cow is completely burned, representing the passionate ascendency of Rutzo, but then its ashes are used to make sprinkling-water, resembling Shuv since water flows downwards until it settles in a flat place.
The lesson that is couched herein is that the remedy for a person who has come in contact with death – whose life smacks with a lack of living energy, because of a broken spirit, due to life’s challenges and burdens; due to what seems like overwhelming Shuv, an inexplicable descent – is the cleansing formula of the Parah Aduma, the fact that life consists of both fire and water.
The person who has comes in contact with spiritual or emotional death must understand the dynamic tension between Rutzo and Shuv. He must understand that Shuv-descent is a must, but only because of the rhythmic pulsation inherent in life; the rhythmic pulsation that is the root of life. He must know that every Shuv is a preparation for the next Rutzo and that the greater the Shuv, the greater is the ensuing Rutzo. Most importantly he must take to heart that just like the Shuv is inevitable so too is the Rutzo because they are both part of the DNA with which the world is imbued.
Let us take the lessons of the Parsha to heart, especially those of the Parah Adumah which is referred to as the statutes of the (whole) Torah, by doing so we will become purified and reenergized with new life and hasten thereby the coming of the righteous Moshiach BBA.
Rabbi Kahanov is the founder/director of Chabad in Northeast FL, consisting of 6 Chabad Centers
He is also the author of "What Chabad Really Believes"
If you like this, you might be interested in purchasing his book click here for more information
Fake it or Break it
Following are the reactions of two leaders who faced a similar enemy: Fear.
One was gripped and stripped by it.
This was the reaction of Balak, King of Moab, upon learning of the (purported) advance of the Israelite army—the same army that had just recently defeated Sihon and Og, mighty monarchs just to his north.
Worse than his reaction is what he chose to do with it. He doled out large portions of terror to his unlucky citizens.
Cries of "The Jews are coming!" overtook the Moabite kingdom. Rumors about the size and strength of the Israelites spread faster than the speed of gossip, leaving fear-marks in their wake.
They were clearly scared stiff
"Moab was very frightened of the [Jewish] people…" So frightened that they "were disgusted 'with their own lives'!"
We can detect the naked and feverish fear in their voices. "Moab said to the elders of Midian: "Now the [Jewish] congregation will chew up our entire surroundings, as an ox chews up the greenery of the field!"
They were clearly scared stiff. And all because of one man – their king, no less! – who couldn't keep his fear to himself.
Balak wasn't a leader but a follower, who meekly took commands from his uncontrollable heart.
Second Reaction
Back at the Israelite camp, a different mood prevailed.
Not long before, a similar emotion came knocking on Moses' door, begging to be let in. It happened like this.
"Og, king of Bashan, went out against [the Jews], him and his entire people, to do battle…"
Og was then the superpower of the world, king of that ancient jungle.
See if Moses cared.
What potentially threatened Moses' cool was Og's merit, not his might.
"Moses was afraid to wage war lest the merit of Abraham stand on Og's behalf."
Og had been the one to inform Abraham that his nephew Lot had been captured, which allowed him to launch a successful rescue operation. Perhaps, Moses feared, this merit would stand Og in good stead, and bring him victory…
Yet instead of pouring his fear out and onto his people, Moses bottled it tightly, and froze it away. He then strapped on a face of calm and fortitude, and went around tranquilly planting seeds of serenity in the Israelite camp.
Moses bred and spread confidence, sowing the composure that helped his people
Moses bred and spread confidence, sowing the composure that helped his people win the war.
That's the story of Moses: king of his heart and king of Israel.
What's in It for Me?
Leaders have the great but daunting responsibility of putting the people they lead before themselves, whatever the circumstance.
For better or worse, the look in the eyes of a nation reflects the look in the eyes of its leader. His or her tone is their tone. Healthy confidence is his or hers for the giving.
The same holds true for parents, teachers, mentors, and friends, who shape the futures and features of those in their care, who like sparkling-clean mirrors reflect the sight, light, and might that is shown and shone into them.
On a similar note:
We live in difficult economic times.
That doesn't mean our children have to.
It didn't dawn on a particular friend of mine that his blissful childhood was set in abject poverty until he was a grown man.
How many others are unfortunately too aware? (Some of whom, incidentally, come from financially better-off homes than my friend…)
The ramifications and sometimes long-term effects can be huge. Take this story for example:
A young girl from a very poor family was having terrifying dreams. Her parents consulted a rabbi about this problem. He said: "The Sages say that we dream at night what we think about during the day. Ask your daughter what she is afraid of."
"Of everything, I am most afraid of your fear…"
When they asked her, she replied: "I often see how you both sit and worry over the poverty we live in. Of everything, I am most afraid of your fear…"
So fake it, in order for your child (or spouse or friend) to make it.
Rabbi Mendel Kalmenson is the rabbi of Beit Baruch and executive director of Chabad of Belgravia, London, where he lives with his wife, Chana, and children. Mendel was an editor at the Judaism Website—Chabad.org, and is also the author of the popular books Seeds of Wisdom, A Time to Heal, Positivity Bias, and On Purpose.
Speak to the Children of Israel, that they bring to you a completely red cow on which there is no blemish, that has never borne a yoke (Num. 19:14)
Comments Rashi: "It should be perfect in redness; if there were two black hairs upon it, it would be disqualified." In the same way a red heifer is prevented from being "perfect" by the appearance of two black hairs, so too is a Jew's perfection disqualified by even the slightest "hairsbreadth" of dishonesty or deception, as it states, "You shall be perfect [whole] with the L-rd your G‑d."( Chidushei HaRim)
And [Moses] said to them, "Hear now, you rebels, must we bring you forth water out of this rock?" (Num. 20:10)
Calling the Jewish people "rebels" was considered a very grave sin for a person on Moses' spiritual level. For when Jews are in trouble, the proper thing to do is help rather than chastise them. (Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev)
Therefore it is said in the book of the wars of the L-rd (Num. 21:14)
The "book of the wars of the L-rd" refers to a specific volume recording all G‑d's battles on behalf of those who fear Him. It is quite possible that the book dates back to our forefather Abraham, as many ancient manuscripts have been lost over the millennia: The Words and Testimony of Nathan; The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel; and King Solomon's Songs and Parables. (Ibn Ezra)
Lo, it is a people that shall live alone, and among the nations shall not be reckoned (Num. 23:9)
When the Jewish people are "alone," separate and distinguished from the gentiles, their existence is secure and they are respected by the nations. If, however, they begin to assimilate and copy their non-Jewish neighbors, they "shall not be reckoned" - they lose their importance and high esteem. (Divrei Eliezer)
Of Wagons and Souls
And G‑d happened upon Bil'am… (23:4)
The hallmark of evil and unholiness is an attitude of 'it just happened.' Nothing is coincidental to the Jew; every event is purposeful and significant.
In the words of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov: "From everything that a Jew sees or hears, he is to derive a lesson in his service of G‑d."- Chassidic saying
Rabbi Leib, the 'Zeideh' of Shpoli, was blessed with a brilliant mind, a burning desire to serve his Creator, and a heart suffused with love for his fellow Jew. Yet he shunned the role of leader and chassidic master, preferring to conceal these qualities and find his place as one among the many disciples of Rabbi DovBer of Mezeritch.
Once when Rabbi Leib was making his way on foot to Mezeritch, he came upon a heavily laden wagon that had become stuck in the mud. The wagon driver called out to him for assistance, but Rabbi Leib said: "I'm sorry, I wish I could help you. But I am not capable of lifting such a heavy load."
"You are capable, you are capable" responded the wagon driver. "You just don't want to!"
Indeed, the task proved far more doable than Rabbi Leib had assumed. No sooner did he apply his hand to the wagon driver's efforts than the wagon rolled out of the mudhole and on to the road.
For the rest of his journey to Mezeritch Rabbi Leib knew no rest. He felt that the wagon driver's words must be a message from above, and that they came to address his inner reluctance to assume the role which had been ordained for him. When he arrived in Mezeritch, Rabbi DovBer said to him: "My master, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, once said to me concerning you, that 'he can drag a burdened soul out of its spiritual mud.' You can and you must be a Rebbe."
Tid Bits
(back to top)
Does Forgiving My Father's Enemy Betray His Memory?
Dear Rabbi, My father, may he rest in peace, had a falling out with his brother many decades ago. From the little I know, it was not a matter of abuse, theft, or anything dramatic. It was simply a disagreement that hardened over time until they stopped speaking altogether. My father has since passed away, and my uncle is still alive. I want to reach out to him, but I feel I would be betraying my father, as though picking up the phone would dishonor his memory. Am I right to keep the distance he kept? Is that not a form of honoring my father, one of the 10 Commandments? Dan Dear Dan, We inherit a great deal from our parents. The shape of our nose. An awkward laugh. A house, if we are lucky. And sometimes, we inherit their fights, although we had no part in creating them. What you feel is real, and it comes from love and honor. So let us give it its due. There is a story that I read recently that deeply impacted me. A respected chassidic Jew, Rabbi Yitzchak Dovber Ushpol, lost his wife after thirty years of marriage. Barely a month later, in a private meeting, the Rebbe gently suggested that he be open to the idea of remarrying. He was floored. When a soul leaves this world, the Rebbe explained, it leaves behind anything that pertains to its bodily needs. It remains fully aware of what is happening to the friends and relatives it has left behind, yet it feels no anger or jealousy. The only thing it desires is happiness for others. If you remain alone and forlorn, the Rebbe told Rabbi Ushpol, you will be causing your wife anguish. The soul of the departed is distressed when those close to them experience undue grief or depression. Conversely, the soul rejoices when their loved ones move beyond their initial pain and continue to build their lives and inspire others. If you remarry and become happy once more, you will make your wife the happiest. Now, let’s consider your question with that in mind. The part of your father that fought this battle belonged to this world. What remains is the purest essence of him, and that essence sees with a clarity we do not possess. He no longer experiences the anger, hurt, and stubbornness that so often accompany human conflict. He sees what mattered and what did not. He sees the people involved more clearly than they ever saw one another. I can think of no greater way to honor your late father than to manifest that clarity in the physical world. You are not betraying your father by ending a grudge he no longer carries; you are honoring his true wishes. I warmly encourage you to call your uncle. Today. Rabbi Levi Avtzon lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with his wife Chaya and their children. He is senior rabbi at the Linksfield Senderwood Hebrew Congregation. |
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