NUMBERS XIX:1-XXII:1

LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE TORAH

The name of this Parsha points to the irrationality – from the human prism – of certain Mitsvot, such as the Para Adumah, the “red heifer” that is used to purify the impure, while those who engage in the process acquire ritual impurity. The unknown centers on the fact that the same substance purifies some, while contaminating others. In reality, many events that seem “normal” at first glance are the result of a miraculous intervention, such as the universe, whose continued existence depends on the Creator. Apparently, the biblical text does not allow for a pristine 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 the events that man is involved in. Ultimately, without Divine providence there is no existence. 

The Chachamim pointed out that the Torah “speaks with human language,” that is, it uses a language that is accessible, and therefore, on many occasions, we come across anthropomorphic expressions, which attribute human qualities to God. This is necessary so that all people can understand the message of the biblical text. At the same time, the existence of different levels of understanding is suggested, levels that arise from the written text itself but that depend on the reader’s erudition and spirituality. Because the reading or study of a text is actually, an interaction between the author and the reader. 

Thus, even the Mitsvah that 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 Moshe (Moses) and Aharon (Aaron), who squandered an opportunity to “sanctify” God’s Name in the case of water that gushed out of a stone. This disobedience brought Moshe to punishment and prevented him from leading the Hebrew people to the end of the conquest of the Promised Land. 

You can feel Moshe’s disappointment 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 grave will not become a place of pilgrimage and veneration, so that the human being who has attained the highest level of spirituality will not be confused with the Creator, the One Being and totally different from all that was created.

According to Rabbenu Chananel, Moshe’s sinconsisted in having used an expression that could create a certain degree of confusion. It seemed that it was Moshe who made the water flow from the stone  and, therefore, God’s direct intervention had not been necessary. Other commentators suggest that Moshe’s sin  consisted in referring to the Hebrews as “rebellious,” a label inconsistent with the role of 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 Moshe. 

The biblical teaching that emerges is an alert to the care that the person must exercise, especially in the use of language, which can lead to serious and unforeseen consequences.

Another outstanding episode in these chapters refers to the poisonous snakes that harassed the people. How was this plague eliminated? God instructed Moshe to  make a copper serpent that was to be hung on a pole: anyone who raised their gaze to this effigy was healed. The Talmud questions the effectiveness of a “copper serpent,” because this fact is in direct conflict with Judaism’s firm attitude against idolatry. The answer offered is that it was not the serpent, in itself, that healed, but the looking up. In other words, by raising their eyes heavenly, the people recognized the sovereignty of God. The punishment of venomous snakes was due to a fault in this regard.

We see that the cure for the bite of a venomous snake involves the representation of another snake. So, the antidote to the word aggressive, for example, is probably found in another word, the word affectionate and affective.

MITZVAH: ORDINANCE OF THE TORAH IN THIS PARSHA

CONTAINS 3 POSITIVE MITSVOT

397. Numbers 19:2 Laws governing the Para-Adumah,“Red Heifer”

398. Numbers 19:14 Laws on ritual uncleanness on account of a corpse

399. Numbers 19:19, 21 Laws about sprinkling water of atonement that purifies one who is ritually unclean because of a dead body