KORACH_NUMBERS XVI:1-XVIII:32

The greatest challenge to Moses’ leadership came with the rebellion of Korach and his followers. The argument was very precise: why did Moses and Aharon monopolize the most important positions of leadership? Korach thought he should have been considered to share command because he also belonged to the Leviyim family. He did not focus the argument on his person, but, using the principle of equity, argued that the whole people had been consecrated and, therefore, no person could exercise leadership over the rest of society. 

Moses’ answer was that God would decide this matter. The phrase he used was: Boker Veyoda HaShem, “when dawn comes, and God will make known…”. The obvious question is why Moses decided to wait until the next day, when he could have subjected Korach and Aharon to an immediate test to dispel any doubts about leadership. 

Different answers are given. First, Moses wanted to give Korach the opportunity to change his attitude. Perhaps his pillow’s advice would allow him to reflect on the possible consequences of challenging Moses’ leadership in the inhospitable environment of the desert, where people’s nervousness was a constant.

Boaz Spiegel quotes Ketav Sofer, who points out that Jewish women never participated in the rebellions. On the contrary, women played a very important role in Egypt, because they were the first to defy Pharaoh’s orders: they procreated without fear for the fate of their children, because they had absolute confidence in Divine Providence. Therefore, by postponing the test to the next day, Moses wanted to involve the wives of the dissidents, so that they could influence their husbands so that they desist from their rebellious attitudes. At the same time, Moses was giving a very important lesson to those who impart justice in society. Before any decision-making, the judge must carefully weigh the case, because any immediate ruling may be influenced by the emotions of the moment and will not allow for a correct evaluation of the event.

We conclude these lines by suggesting that the controversy that turns into disobedience and insubordination is often due to darkness, lack of knowledge and prejudice, to the substitution of the search for truth for personal ambitions. The light of dawn, Boker, is also a metaphor for clarity and transparency. The healthy controversy between intellectuals and scholars is not necessarily negative; on the contrary, according to the Mishnah, the confrontation of ideas is constructive, as long as it is LeShem Shamayim, that is, that it occurs with the purpose of shedding light on the facts, for clarification, when the argument is supported by logical reasoning. 

Ad hominem arguments are inadmissible because they divert the attention that should be focused on the search for justice and equity. In the case of our biblical text, Korach was fighting for his personal rights, a fact that may have validity for the individual, but the results can be harmful to the collective. 

Many cases can be cited in which personal interests are above the needs of society. They are the people who lose the historical opportunity to make a lasting contribution to the development of society and who become blind due to selfishness. That is why Boker is required, the light that always provides the new dawn.

MITSVAH: TORAH ORDINANCE IN THIS PARSHAH

CONTAINS 5 POSITIVE MITSVOT AND 4 BANS

1. Numbers 18:4 Caring for the Temple
2. Numbers 18:3 Kohanim should not do the service of Levites and vice versa
3. Numbers 18:4, 22 Whoever is not a Kohen cannot serve in the Temple
4. Numbers 18:5 Do Not Cease to Care for the Temple
5. Numbers 18:15 Redeem the firstborn child
6. Numbers 18:17 Do not redeem the firstborn of the domesticated animal
7. Numbers 18:23 The Service of the Levites in the Temple
8. Numbers 18:24 Set aside the first tithe for the Levites
9. Numbers 18:26, 28 The Levites must give the Kohen Terumah of the tithe they receive

While the first chapters of Bemidbar mention the number of those who left Egypt and describe the organization of the camp of the Hebrews during the long journey through the desert, this weekly text describes the grave error of the emissaries who went to investigate the characteristics of the Promised Land. One explorer per tribe was the instruction of Moses, so there were 12 in total. Two reports were given: the majority of 10 opined that conquest was not possible while a minority of 2, Kalev and Yehoshua, who would assume leadership after Moses’ death, without contradicting the description offered by the majority, tried to encourage the people to undertake the task of conquest immediately. 

The report had been exhaustive, an assessment was made of the conditions of the cities, an evaluation of the character of their inhabitants, and an estimate of whether nature was generous enough to feed the Hebrew people. But the real questions were different. Had Pharaoh’s slaves also broken the chains of spiritual and emotional bondage or only the yoke of physical bondage? Had they internalized the value of freedom and acquired enough self-esteem to start a new stage: an independent national life in a land of their own?

The majority report pointed to national immaturity, an unwillingness to embark on a new stage, which would transform the mentality of obedience to a foreman into an attitude of sovereignty and self-determination.

The Netsiv, Rabbi Naphthalali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, father of Rabbi Meir Bar Ilan, the great leader of the Zionist Mizrahi movement, whose name bears the Bar Ilan University of Israel, cites the correspondence established by the Midrash between the five mentions of the word “light” in Bereshit with the 5 Books of the Torah. According to this order, the mention of “light” in our book corresponds to the act of separation between light and darkness. While the early Books of the Torah refer to light, however, Bemidbar gives birth to the period of “darkness”; that is, those who will eventually conquer the Promised Land belong to the group of “darkness”. The Nets argue that the period of “light” refers to the Divine light that guided the Hebrews during the first stage of their history. God was present in the life of the patriarchs, “accompanied” them symbolically during their suffering in Egypt, and protected them in the desert. God sent 10 plagues to the Egyptians to allow the Hebrews to escape the yoke of slavery. He revealed to them the Ten Commandments, which would promote coexistence and lead to human solidarity. 

It was a long period of “light,” the source of which was the Creator. Our chapters begin in a different period. The “light” coming from God would no longer be apparent, as it was in the previous stage. They would have to learn that there is another “light,” the energy that comes from self-effort. They had received the instruction represented by the Mitsvah, the legacy of behavior attached to the Word of God contained in the Torah. With this Torah in hand, they would be able to generate an inner and proper “light” from that moment on.

The report of the explorers and the following rebellion led by Korach are episodes that reflect the anxiety, the uneasiness of having to make decisions of their own, without a celestial “cloud” that indicates each step to follow. The path that the Hebrew people will follow will be uncertain, but sobering. Each challenge will become a learning experience and each challenge will allow them to take a step forward towards national maturity, as represented in our days by Medinat Israel.

MITSVAH: TORAH ORDINANCE IN THIS PARSHAH

CONTAINS 2 POSITIVE MITZVOT AND 1 BAN

1. Numbers 15:20 Separate Challah from the dough and deliver it to the Kohen.
2. Numbers 15:38 Place Tsitsit (fringes) on a garment that is worn.
3. Numbers 15:39 Do not deviate by way of the thoughts of the heart or what the eyes see.

SHELAJ_NÚMEROS XIII:1-XV:41

Mientras los primeros capítulos de Bemidbar mencionan el conteo de los que salieron de Egipto y describen la organización del campamento de los hebreos durante la larga travesía por el desierto, el texto semanal describe el grave error cometido por los emisarios que fueron a investigar las características de la Tierra Prometida. Un explorador por tribu era la orden de Moshé, de tal manera que fueron 12 en total. Se dieron dos informes: la mayoría de 10 opinó que no era posible la conquista mientras que una minoría dedos, Calev y Yehoshúa, quien asumiría el liderazgo después de la muerte de Moshé, sin contradecir la descripción ofrecida por la mayoría, intentó animar al pueblo para emprender de inmediato la tarea de la conquista. 

El informe había sido exhaustivo, se hizo una apreciación de las condiciones de las ciudades, la evaluación del carácter de sus habitantes y una estimación de si acaso la naturaleza era suficientemente generosa para alimentar al pueblo hebreo. Pero las verdaderas interrogantes eran otras. ¿Acaso los esclavos del Faraón habían fracturado también las cadenas de la esclavitud espiritual y emocional o solamente las ataduras físicas? ¿Habían interiorizado el valor de la libertad y adquirido suficiente autoestima para iniciar una nueva etapa: una vida nacional independiente en una tierra propia?

El informe mayoritario apuntó a la inmadurez nacional, una falta de voluntad y decisión para emprender una nueva etapa, que transformaría la mentalidad de obediencia a un capataz en una actitud de soberanía y autodeterminación. 

El Netsiv, Rabí Naftalí Zvi Yehudá Berlin, padre de Rabí Meir Bar Ilan, gran líder del movimiento sionista Mizrahi, cuyo nombre ostenta la Universidad Bar Ilan de Israel, cita la correspondencia establecida por el Midrash entre las cinco menciones de la palabra “luz” en Bereshit con los 5 Libros de la Torá. Según este ordenamiento, la mención de “luz” para nuestro libro corresponde al acto de la separación entre la luz y la oscuridad. Mientras que los primeros Libros de la Torá se refieren a la luz, empezando con Bemidbar se inicia el período de la “oscuridad”; o sea que, los que eventualmente conquistarán la Tierra Prometida pertenecen al grupo de la “oscuridad”. El Netsiv argumenta que el período de “luz” se refiere ala luz Divina que guió a los hebreos durante la primera etapa de su historia. Dios se hizo presente en la vida de los patriarcas, “los acompañó” simbólicamente durante el sufrimiento en Egipto, los protegió en el desierto. Lanzó 10 plagas contra los egipcios para permitir que los hebreos escaparan del yugo de la esclavitud. Les reveló los Diez Mandamientos, que posibilitarían la convivencia y conducirían a la solidaridad humana. 

Fue un largo período de “luz”, cuya fuente era el Creador. Nuestros capítulos inician un período diferente. La “luz” proveniente de Dios ya no sería aparente, tal como lo fue en la etapa anterior. Tendrían que aprender que hay otra “luz”, la energía que proviene del esfuerzo propio. Habían recibido el instructivo representado por la Mitsvá, el legado de un comportamiento apegado a la Palabra de Dios contenida en la Torá. Con esta Torá en la mano, ¿serían acaso capaces de generar una “luz” interna y propia en adelante? 

El informe de los exploradores y la siguiente rebelión liderada por Kóraj, son episodios que reflejan la ansiedad, la intranquilidad de tener que tomar decisiones propias, sin una “nube” celestial que indique cada paso a seguir. El sendero que seguirá el pueblo hebreo será incierto, pero aleccionador. Cada reto será aleccionador y cada desafío permitirá dar un paso adelante hacia la madurez nacional, dignamente representada en nuestros días por Medinat Israel.

MITSVÁ: ORDENANZA DE LA TORÁ EN ESTA PARASHÁ

CONTIENE 2 MITSVOT POSITIVAS Y 1 PROHIBICIÓN

1. Números 15:20 Separar jalá de toda masa y entregarla al Kohén
2. Números 15:38 Colocar tsitsit (flecos) en una vestimenta que se viste
3. Números 15:39 No desviarse hacia los pensamientos del corazón o lo que los ojos ven

It is very difficult to penetrate the spirit of Mosheh, Moses, and understand his reaction to the constant difficulties he had to face while leading the Jewish nation. Although the people had emerged practically unscathed from the Egyptian persecution, there is no doubt that their travels in the desert that would last 40 years in that inhospitable and hostile environment, became fertile for complaint and depression, conducive to insurrection. For Moses it was an unprecedented adventure, even more so when from the beginning – as will be expressed in the episode of Sneh, the burning bush – he had at first declined the invitation to lead the people.

Moses listened to the counsel of his father-in-law Yitro and appointed 70 sages to accompany him in the task of teaching, settling differences between litigants, and passing judgment when necessary. Although he exercised leadership in conjunction with this body, which eventually led to the establishment of the Sanhedrin, the people knew that authentic leadership rested upon Moses’ shoulders. Hence Moses’ personal desperation in the case of the people’s discouragement while eating Man, the manna that rained daily from heaven, and their insatiable appetite for meat consumption, which is clearly in short supply in the wilderness.

Because of the discontent of the people and their lack of appreciation for all that had been done, God expressed anger with our ancestors and Moses reacted in the same way. But in Moses’ case, the disgust was probably twofold: although he was enraged at the people, perhaps he was also angry with himself. That is why Moses desired death, but preferably at the hands of God and not at the hands of an ungrateful people.

Although Moses intervened on behalf of the people so that God would not exchange them for another, at the same time he could not hide his disappointment at the lack of chivalry of the masses. Ultimately, the cause of the protest was not the tasteless taste of the Man which, according to the Midrash, reflected the taste of each individual. The protest was a manifestation of discontent with a life of routine while in the desert, the absence of change, and the consequent boredom.

Actually, it was a rebellion against Divine Providence, because after receiving a set of laws at Sinai that had put a brake on their carnal appetites and demanded general ethical behavior, the uniformity of the desert landscape produced no spiritual satisfaction.

They are even nostalgic for slavery on the banks of the Nile River, with its changing nature, a melting pot in the midst of the most important cultural environment of the time. But an authentic leader does not let himself be carried away by disappointment and ingratitude, he reflects and feels empathy for human weaknesses and, above all, highlights the virtues that emerge from the people because of the challenge and rigor of the desert.

Notwithstanding setbacks and personal reservations, Moses becomes the great defender of the Hebrew people and argues with God so that He does not choose another people, even assuming responsibility for the mistakes of others. The leader has an ambivalent role: he must keep his distance from those he leads and, on the other hand, must identify totally with their destiny. The leader must feel in his own flesh the pain and anguish that surround his people. 

Moses prepared for eighty years to assume the leadership that ended after 40 years on the borders of the Promised Land. He didn’t set foot in the Promised Land, but he visualized it. He climbed Mount Nevo, and got a panoramic view of the nature of Israel, but perhaps something more forceful: he reviewed the events of the last 40 years and formulated a perspective on what the tomorrow would be for that rebellious but heroic person, complex but willing to spread to the ends of the earth the idea of the existence of the one Creator, the God of Humanity.

MITSVAH: TORAH ORDINANCE IN THIS PARASHAH

CONTAINS 3 POSITIVE MITZVOT AND 2 BANS

1. Numbers 9:11 Offering Pesach Sheni on the 14th of Iyar
2. Numbers 9:11 Eating the Pesach Sheni offering on the 14th of Iyar
3. Numbers 9:12 Leave nothing of the Pesach Sheni offering for the next day
4. Numbers 9:12 Do not break any bones of the offering Pesach Sheni
5. Numbers 10:9-10 During battles and each offering, the Trumpets sound in the Temple

Es muy difícil penetrar en el espíritu de Moshé y entender su reacción frente a las constantes dificultades que tuvo que enfrentar durante el desempeño de su liderazgo. Aunque el pueblo había salido prácticamente ileso de la persecución egipcia, no hay duda que el desierto que luego transitarían durante 40 años presentaba un ambiente inhóspito y hostil, fértil para la queja y la depresión, propicio para la insurrección. Para Moshé era una aventura inédita, más aún cuando desde un principio –tal como se expresara en el episodio del sné, la zarza ardiente– había declinado la invitación de conducir al pueblo.

Moshé escuchó el consejo de su suegro Yitró y designó 70 sabios para que lo acompañarán en la tarea de la enseñanza, a fin de dirimir las diferencias entre litigantes y poder emitir un juicio cuando fuese necesario. Aunque ejerció el liderazgo juntamente con este cuerpo, que eventualmente condujo al establecimiento del Sanhedrín, el pueblo sabía que el liderazgo auténtico reposaba sobre la persona de Moshé. Por ello la desesperación personal de Moshé en el caso del desaliento del pueblo por el consumo del man, el maná que llovía a diario del cielo, y su insaciable apetito por el consumo de carne, que claramente escasea en el desierto.

Debido al descontento del pueblo y su falta de aprecio por todo lo que se había hecho, Dios se enojó con nuestros antepasados y Moshé reaccionó de igual manera. Pero en el caso de Moshé, el disgusto era probablemente doble: aunque estaba enfurecido con el pueblo, tal vez lo estaba más consigo mismo. Por eso Moshé deseó la muerte, pero preferiblemente a manos de Dios y no por un pueblo ingrato.

Aunque Moshé intervino a favor del pueblo, para que Dios no los canjeará por otro, al mismo tiempo no pudo esconder su desengaño por la falta de caballerosidad de las masas. En última instancia, la causa de la protesta no era el sabor insípido del man que, de acuerdo con el Midrash, sabía según el gusto de cada individuo. La protesta era una manifestación del descontento por la vida rutinaria del desierto, por la ausencia de cambios y el consecuente aburrimiento.

En realidad, era una rebelión contra la Providencia Divina, porque después de recibir un conjunto de leyes en el Sinaí que habían impuesto un freno a sus apetitos carnales y exigía un comportamiento ético general, la uniformidad del panorama desértico no producía ninguna satisfacción espiritual.

Incluso sintieron nostalgia por la esclavitud a las orillas del río Nilo, con su naturaleza cambiante, crisol del entorno cultural más importante de la época. Pero un líder auténtico no se deja llevar por el desengaño y la ingratitud de la gente, reflexiona y siente empatía por las debilidades humanas y, sobre todo, destaca las virtudes que afloran entre la gente como fruto del desafío del rigor del desierto. 

No obstante los contratiempos y las reservas personales, Moshé se convierte en el gran defensor del pueblo hebreo y discute con Dios para que no elija otro pueblo, incluso asume la culpabilidad por los yerros de los otros. El líder tiene un rol ambivalente: debe mantener distancia de aquellos a quienes dirige y, por otro lado, tiene que identificarse totalmente con su destino, sentir en carne propia el dolor y las angustias que envuelven a su pueblo. 

Moshé se preparó durante ochenta años para asumir el liderazgo que finalizó después de 40 años en las fronteras de la Tierra Prometida. No pisó la Tierra Prometida, pero la visualizó. Subió al monte Nevó, obtuvo una vista panorámica de la naturaleza de Israel, pero tal vez algo más contundente: un repaso de los sucesos de los últimos 40 años y una perspectiva acerca de cuál sería el mañana de ese pueblo rebelde pero heroico, complejo pero dispuesto a diseminar por los confines de la tierra la idea de la existencia del Creador único, el Dios de la Humanidad.

MITSVÁ: ORDENANZA DE LA TORÁ EN ESTA PARASHÁ

CONTIENE 3 MITSVOT POSITIVAS Y 2 PROHIBICIONES

1. Números 9:11 Ofrendar el Pésaj Shení el 14 de Iyar
2. Números 9:11 Comer la ofrenda Pésaj Shení el 14 de Iyar
3. Números 9:12 No dejar nada de la ofrenda Pésaj Shení para el día siguiente
4. Números 9:12 No romper ningún hueso de ofrenda Pésaj Shení
5. Números 10:9-10 Durante batallas y cada ofrenda, sonar las Trompetas en el Templo

According to the Midrash, the commandment prohibiting the murder of another human being includes the instruction not to cause one’s own death: suicide.  Moreover, the prohibition of taking unnecessary risks that may result in death is included under this heading. Israel Gilat makes the excellent observation that, by committing murder, the person double-offends. On the one hand, he violates the “thou shalt not kill” and, on the other hand, because of his disobedience he will receive the death penalty; that is, for the serious fault he has committed caused the death of the victim and his own death: punishment for the crime.

We start from the premise that the body does not belong to the individual, that is, the person cannot exercise his free will with reference to his survival. It is limited. He or she has the obligation to go to a doctor when sick and should not inflict any laceration or injury as a demonstration of independence and total freedom. However, the Bible testifies to several personalities who opted for suicide when facing pressing situations. King Saul threw himself on a sword stuck in the ground, so as not to fall alive into the hands of the enemy.

The subject of suicide is pertinent because it is related to the most famous judge Shimshon, Samson, the most famous nazir (person who promises to abstain from wine and any grape derivative, not to cut his hair, and not to have contact with a corpse) of the Tanakh. And the state of Nezirut is one of the central themes of these chapters. In the final stage of his life, having lost his sight during a celebration of the Philistines, Shimshon requested to be placed between the two columns that sustained the pagan temple. With supreme effort, he displaced the columns and thus caused the death of the Philistines in the vicinity and, sadly, his own death.

Several explanations are offered. Perhaps suicide is allowed when death is inevitable. It can be argued that these episodes refer to exceptional situations of a historical moment and, therefore, should not serve as a guideline for the future. In both situations, the consequences could include the death of many because, especially in the first case, the Hebrews would have tried to rescue King Saul after he fell into the hands of his enemies. As for Shimshon, he managed to eliminate a large number of enemies of the Jewish people who might otherwise have caused many deaths.

A shameful and tragic event for humanity from the time of the Holocaust testifies to the mass suicide of a group of young Jewish women who opted for death rather than undergo the rape of their bodies and their subsequent murder at the hands of the Nazis. The decision of these young women was a demonstration of courage sustained by their unwavering faith.

It is pertinent to mention the case of the inhabitants of Masada, who opted for suicide when they were besieged by the enemy who began to climb towards the summit, announcing the inescapable end of the defense of the fortress and the death of its inhabitants. In this sense, one can cite the famous opinion of the Chief Rabbi of Israel Shlomoh Goren, who considered this suicide not only permissible but perhaps obligatory, due to the probability that, when imprisoned by the enemy, the inhabitants of Masada would have been forced to violate the ordinances (commit incest, publicly deny the existence of God), and to avoid this transgression, the person must choose death. Many scholars challenged Goren’sopinion.

MITSVAH: TORAH ORDINANCE IN THIS PARASHAH

CONTAINS 7 POSITIVE MITZVOT AND 11 BANS

1. Numbers 5:2 Send the ritually impure individual out of the field of Divine Presence
2. Numbers 5:3 The ritually impure individual is not to enter the Temple
3. Numbers 5:6 Confess sin
4. Numbers 5:15 Abide by the laws of Sotah (wife suspected of committing infidelity)
5. Numbers 5:15 Do not include oil in the offering of the Sotah
6. Numbers 5:15 Do not include species in the offering of the Sotah
7. Numbers 6:3 The Nazir should not drink wine or other strong drink derived from grapes.
8. Numbers 6:3 The Nazir should not consume fresh grapes
9. Numbers 6:3 The Nazir should not consume raisins
10. Numbers 6:4 The Nazir must not consume the seed of the grape
11. Numbers 6:4 The Nazir should not consume the bark of the grape
12. Numbers 6:5 The Nazir should not shave his hair
13. Numbers 6:5 Allow the Nazir’s hair to grow long
14. Numbers 6:6 The Nazir must not enter the enclosure where a corpse lies
15. Numbers 6:7 The Nazir must not acquire ritual impurity through a corpse or any other source of ritual impurity.
16. Numbers 6:13 Shave the Nazir’s hair and bring his offering (at the end of the period of his promise as a Nazir, or if it acquires ritual impurity.
17. Numbers 6:23 Recite the blessing of the Kohanim
18. Numbers 7:9 The tribe of Levi must carry the Aron HaKodesh, Sacred Ark on their shoulders

NASÓ_NÚMEROS VI:21-VII:89

Según el Midrash, el mandamiento que prohíbe el asesinato de otro ser humano incluye la instrucción de no causar la muerte propia: el suicidio. Más aún, se incluye bajo este rubro la proscripción de tomar riesgos innecesarios cuyo resultado pueda ser la muerte. Israel Gilat hace la excelente observación de que, por cometer un asesinato, la persona incumple doblemente. Por un lado, viola el “no matarás” y, por otro lado, debido a su desobediencia recibirá la pena de muerte; o sea, por la grave falta que ha cometido causó la muerte de la víctima y su propia muerte: el castigo que recibirá por el crimen.

Partimos de la premisa de que el cuerpo no le pertenece al individuo, o sea, la persona no puede ejercer su libre albedrío con referencia a su supervivencia. Está limitada. Tiene la obligación de acudir a un médico cuando está enferma y no debe lacerarse, herirse como una demostración de independencia y libertad total. Sin embargo, la historia da testimonio de varias personalidades que optaron por el suicidio cuando tuvieron que enfrentar situaciones apremiantes. El rey Saúl se arrojó sobre una espada clavada en el suelo, a fin de no caer con vida en las manos del enemigo. 

El tema del suicidio es pertinente porque está relacionado con el juez Sansón, el nazir (persona que promete abstenerse del vino y de cualquier derivado de la uva, no cortarse el pelo y no tener contacto con un cadáver) más famoso del Tanaj, y el estado de nezirut es uno de los temas centrales de estos capítulos. En la etapa final de su vida, habiendo perdido la vista durante una celebración de los filisteos, Sansón solicitó que lo colocaran entre las dos columnas que sostenían el templo pagano. Con un esfuerzo supremo, desplazó las columnas y así causó la muerte de los filisteos que se encontraban en los alrededores y, lamentablemente, su propia muerte.

Se ofrecen varias explicaciones. Tal vez el suicidio es permitido cuando la muerte es inevitable. Se puede argumentar que los episodios aludidos hacen referencia a situaciones excepcionales de un momento histórico y, por lo tanto, no deben servir como pauta para el futuro. En ambas situaciones, las consecuencias podían incluir la muerte de muchos porque, especialmente en el primer caso, los hebreos habrían intentado rescatar al rey Saúl después de que éste cayera en manos de sus enemigos. En cuanto a Sansón, éste logró eliminar un gran número de enemigos del pueblo judío que, de otra manera, podrían luego haber causado muchas muertes.

Un vergonzoso y trágico evento para la Humanidad de la época del Holocausto testimonia el suicidio, en masa, de un grupo de jóvenes judías que optaron por la muerte en lugar de someterse a la violación de sus cuerpos y a su posterior asesinato a manos de los nazis. La decisión de estas jóvenes fue una demostración de valentía sustentada por su inquebrantable fe.

Es pertinente mencionar el caso de los habitantes de Masada, que optaron por el suicidio cuando fueron sitiados por el enemigo que empezó a escalar hacia la cumbre, anunciando el ineludible fin de la defensa de la fortaleza y la muerte de sus habitantes. En este sentido se puede citar el célebre dictamen del Gran Rabino de Israel Shlomo Goren, quien consideró este suicidio no sólo permisible sino tal vez obligatorio, debido a la probabilidad de que, al ser apresados por el enemigo, los moradores de Masada fueran luego forzados a violar las ordenanzas (cometer incesto, negar públicamente la existencia de Dios, asesinar), y para evitar esta transgresión, la persona debe optar por la muerte. Muchos eruditos retaron la opinión de Goren; sin embargo, su sentir apunta hacia la posibilidad de considerar el suicidio como una opción válida bajo ciertas circunstancias.

MITSVÁ: ORDENANZA DE LA TORÁ EN ESTA PARASHÁ

CONTIENE 7 MITSVOT POSITIVAS Y 11 PROHIBICIONES

1. Números 5:2 Enviar al individuo ritualmente impuro fuera del campo de la Presencia Divina
2. Números 5:3 El individuo ritualmente impuro no debe entrar al Templo
3. Números 5:6 Confesar el pecado
4. Números 5:15 Cumplir las leyes de sotá (esposa sospechada de cometer infidelidad)
5. Números 5:15 No incluir aceite en la ofrenda de la sotá
6. Números 5:15 No incluir especies en la ofrenda de la sotá
7. Números 6:3 El nazir no debe beber vino u otra bebida fuerte derivada de uvas
8. Números 6:3 El nazir no debe consumir uvas frescas
9. Números 6:3 El nazir no debe consumir pasas
10. Números 6:4 El nazir no debe consumir la semilla de la uva
11. Números 6:4 El nazir no debe consumir la corteza de la uva
12. Números 6:5 El nazir no debe afeitar su cabello
13. Números 6:5 Permitir que el cabello del nazir crezca largo
14. Números 6:6 El nazir no debe entrar en el recinto donde yace un cadáver
15. Números 6:7 El nazir no debe adquirir impureza ritual a través de un cadáver o de cualquier otra fuente de impureza ritual
16. Números 6:13 Afeitar el pelo del nazir y traer su ofrenda (en la terminación del período de su promesa de nazir, o si adquiere impureza ritual)
17. Números 6:23 Recitar la bendición de los Kohanim
18. Números 7:9 La tribu de Leví debe cargar el Arón HaKódesh, Arca Sagrado sobre los hombros