CHUKAT_NUMBERS XIX:1-XXII:1 and BALAK_NUMBERS XXII:2-XXV:9

The name of this Parsha points to the irrationality – from a human prism – of certain Mitzvot, such as the Para Aduma, the “red cow” that is used to purify the impure, while those who deal with the process acquire ritual impurity. The unknown focuses on the fact that the same substance purifies some while contaminating others. In reality, many events that seem “normal” at first glance result from miraculous interventions, such as the universe, whose continued existence depends on the Creator. The biblical text does not allow a pristine differentiation between the event that is the result of Yad Chazaka, the “strong hand” of God – as in the case of the exodus from Egypt – and the events in which man performs. 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 stumble upon anthropomorphic expressions which attribute human qualities to God. This is necessary so that all people understand the message of the biblical text. At the same time, the existence of different levels of understanding are contemplated, 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, in effect, 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 Moshe and Aharon, who squandered an opportunity to “sanctify” God’s Name in the case of water that flowed from a stone. This disobedience resulted in Moshe’s punishment and prevented him from leading the Hebrew people to the conquest of the Promised Land. 

Moshe’s disappointment can be felt when God instructs him to climb the mountain from which he can see the land he cannot tread. He will die and be buried in an unknown place so that, perhaps, his burial will not become a place of pilgrimage and veneration, so that the human being who reached the highest level of spirituality will not be confused with the Creator, the unique Being and different from everything that was created.

According to Rabenu Chananel, Moshe’s sin was to have used an expression that could create confusion. It seemed that Moshe made the water gush from the stone. Therefore God’s direct intervention had not been necessary. Other commentators suggest that Moshe’s sin was to have referred to the Hebrews as “rebels,” a label inconsistent with the role of the leader of the people’s destiny. When human behavior is placed under a magnifying glass, errors 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 of these chapters concerns the poisonous snakes that harassed the people. How was this pest eliminated? God instructed Moshe to make a copper serpent to be hung on a pole, and anyone who looked up at this effigy was healed. 

The Talmud questions the effectiveness of a “copper serpent” because this fact directly conflicts with Judaism’s firm stance against idolatry. The answer offered is that it was not the serpent itself that healed; it was the looking up that brought cure. In other words, by looking to heaven, the people recognized the sovereignty of God. The punishment of poisonous snakes was due to a fault in this regard.

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

MITZVAH: ORDINANCE OF THE TORAH IN THIS PARSHA

CONTAINS 3POSITIVE MITSVOT

1. Numbers 19:2 Laws governing Pará adumá, the “red cow”.
2. Numbers 19:14 Laws concerning ritual impurity because of a corpse.
3. Numbers 19:19 and 21 Laws about splashing water of atonement that purifies the one who is ritually unclean because of a corpse.

STRENGTH LIES IN UNION

Balak, king of Moav, gives his name to these chapters; however, the dominant character in the story is Bil’am, the Gentile prophet of spiritual stature comparable to Moshe Rabenu’s. The presence of this prophet precludes other peoples from justifying their errors and claiming that, had they had a spiritual leader comparable to that of the Hebrew people, they would have reached higher levels.

Our text tells that Bil’am was invited by Balak to curse the Hebrew people, concluding that the traditional way of facing an adversary could not be applied in the Hebrew case. In this sense, other peoples had failed in battle with weapons. Balak concluded that the energy of the Hebrews had a spiritual quality. Therefore, it was in this field that the confrontation should be conducted. Balak was disillusioned with Bil’am, who, instead of cursing, blessed the Hebrew people. Observing the people from the top of a mountain, Bil’am could not help his admiration for the Hebrew camp and be forced to exclaim: “Ma tovu ohalecha Yaacov, mishkenotecha Israel“, “How good are your tents, Yaakov, your habitations, Israel“, a phrase that is used to begin the daily morning prayers.

Bilham intended to curse the people, to use his powers to hurt the Hebrews. Why did he bless them? Perhaps, as a man inspired by God, he could not change what he saw and, therefore, applauded the peaceful and harmonious life that reigned in the Hebrew camp.

The Midrash, Ohalecha, and Mishkenotecha refer to synagogues and houses of study. Bil’am had to recognize that he was in the presence of a human group that had broken the patterns of idolatry and was climbing levels of spirituality hitherto unknown. Parents passed on to their children the values Moshe had instilled. 

The Rebbe of Slonim, author of Netivot Shalom, suggests that the nefarious power of Bil’am could only influence one individual but was ineffective against the collective. When Bil’am visualized the Hebrew community and observed the spirit of harmony and understanding among the people, his cursing powers were nullified. The obvious moral is that in the face of unity and coincidence in values, no enemy or adversity can destroy. 

Therefore, Bil’am advised the Mo’avites to send their maidens to seduce the people sexually, to lead them to adultery to idolatry. The idea was to divide the Hebrew people into those who succumbed to temptation and those who resisted it. The biblical text states that 24,000 Hebrews could not resist the advances of the Mo’avite women. 

Jewish history bears witness to this. The solidarity and unity among the people allowed them to survive all attacks against them. If one considers the diversity resulting from the dispersion of the Jewish people to the ends of the earth, it can be concluded that the coincidence and harmony reigning within the people have a philosophical or spiritual root. The biblical text, the Torah, is the cement that turned a diverse group into a unity.

Bialik expressed this in his famous poem Im yesh et nafshecha lada’at. According to Bialik, the House of Study is the “source” of the exceptional energy of the Jewish people. The mystic Arizal maintains that the souls of those trapped by the seduction of the Mo’avite women transmigrated to the 24,000 students who perished in the time of Rabbi Akiva and in whose memory the period of mourning of the Omer is observed. According to tradition, their death was due to a lack of respect for each other. Disunity was their sin. And when the union fractures, the Jewish people become vulnerable.