The name of this Parshah points to the irrationality–from a human prism–of certain Mitzvot, such as the Parah Adumah, the “red heifer” that is used to purify the unclean, while those who deal with this process acquire ritual impurity. The unknown centers on the fact that the same substance purifies some while contaminating others. Many events that look “normal” at first glance are the result of miraculous intervention, such as the universe, whose continued existence depends on the Creator. Apparently, the biblical text does not allow a clear differentiation between the event that is the result of Yad Chazakah, the “strong hand” of God – as in the case of the exodus from Egypt – and events where man is the protagonist. Ultimately, without Divine providence, there is no existence.
The Chachamim pointed out that the Torah “speaks in human language”, that is, it uses language that is accessible, and, therefore, on many occasions, we stumble upon anthropomorphic expressions which attribute human qualities to God. This is necessary so that everyone can understand the message of the biblical text. At the same time, there are different levels of understanding, levels that arise from the same written text but that depend on the erudition and spirituality of the reader. Because the reading or study of a text is an interaction between the author and the reader.
Thus, even the Mitsvah which responds directly to human logic can be seen from a different prism that gives it a deeper scope and meaning. Among the episodes that stand out in these chapters is the disobedience of Moses and Aharon, who squandered an opportunity to “sanctify” the Name of God in the case of the water that gushed from a stone. This disobedience brought about Moses’ punishment and prevented him from leading the Hebrew people to complete the conquest of the Promised Land.
Moses‘ disappointment can be felt when God instructs him to climb the mountain from which he can see the land he will not be able to tread. He will die and be buried in an unknown place so that, perhaps, his burial does not become a place of pilgrimage and veneration. That means that the human being who reached the highest level of spirituality is not to be confused with the Creator, the unique and totally different Being of everything that was created.
According to Rabbenu Chananel, Moses’ sin consisted in having used an expression that could create some degree of confusion. It gave the impression that it was Moses who brought forth the water from the stone, and, therefore. no direct intervention from God had been necessary. Other commentators suggest that Moses’ sin consisted in referring to the Hebrews as “rebels,” a qualifier inconsistent with his role as the leader of the people’s destiny. Apparently, when human behavior is placed under a magnifying glass, mistakes can be perceived, even in the case of a spiritual giant like Moses.
The biblical teaching that emerges is an alert to the care that a person must exercise, especially in the use of language, which can lead to serious and unforeseen consequences.
Another episode of these chapters concerns the poisonous snakes that harassed the people. How was this pest eliminated? God instructed Moses to make a copper serpent to be hung on a pole: everyone who raised his gaze to this effigy was healed. The Talmud questions the effectiveness of a “copper serpent,” because this conflicts directly with Judaism’s firm attitude against idolatry. The answer offered is that it was not the serpent that healed, it was the fact that the individual looked up. By raising their sight heavenward, the people recognized God’s sovereignty. The punishment of poisonous snakes was due to a fault in this regard, their lack of faith in God’s rule of the universe.
We see that the cure for the bite of a poisonous snake involves the representation of another snake. In fact, the antidote to the word aggressive, for example, is probably found in another word, the word affectionate and effective.
MITSVAH: TORAH ORDINANCE IN THIS PARSHAH
CONTAINS 3 POSITIVE MITSVOT
- Numbers 19:2 Laws governing the Parah Adumah, “red heifer”
- Numbers 19:14 Laws on ritual impurity because of a corpse
- Numbers 19:19, 21 Laws about splashing water of atonement that purifies the one who is ritually impure because of a corpse
