Page 480 - 24107

24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 15 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Cyan
24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 15 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Black
#24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 15 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Yellow
24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 15 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Magenta
#
chukat ת ַּ קֻח
£Laws That Transcend Laws That Transcend Laws That Transcend
££
Human Reason
Human Reason
Human Reason
The root of the Hebrew word “chukat,” the name of this portion, is
chok, a law that seems to ignore or defy human reason. In fact, as the
Rabbis note, the opening phrase, “This is the decree (chok) of the
Torah” (Numbers 19:2), implies that the laws of the red heifer and
the enigmatic and paradoxical ritual through which its ashes purify 15
one from the impurity of death are the quintessential examples of all
the commandments that go beyond normative reason. Paradoxically,
the laws pertaining to this ritual render impure those who are pure
and purify those who are impure, as those who prepare the ashes of
the red heifer and the other components needed for purifying the
impure become impure in the process. How does the same set of
elements purify and defile simultaneously? According to tradition,
even Solomon, the wisest of men, was unable to resolve this paradox.
Another surprising element in this mitzvah was that it was actually
performed outside the Tabernacle or Temple.
Some commentators have reasoned that since a chok by definition
defies human reason, there is no need to delve into its rational. Human
beings must simply “listen and obey.” Other commentators felt that
although the true and ultimate reasons for a chok may evade our
comprehension, many lessons and insights can and should be gleaned
from what we can understand. Thus, it is well worth our efforts to
probe such matters more deeply.
This mitzvah can be approached from many angles, each one
yielding valuable insights. In this section, we will focus on only one
of these: the lesson this ritual’s paradoxical nature can teach us about
480
#24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 15 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Yellow 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 15 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Magenta 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 15 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Cyan 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 15 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Black
Naso
One ladle weighing ten shekels full of incense: the one ladle
represents the totality of Torah given by the one God. The weight
of ten represents the Ten Commandments, the Torah’s fundamental
teachings. The Hebrew word for “incense” has the numerical value
of 613, the number of commandments in the Torah, when one of its
Hebrew letters – a kuf – is interchanged with a dalet, in accord with
the little known Kabbalistic technique, atbash.
One bull: this alludes to Abraham who slaughtered a bull to feed
the three angels who visited him (one of them came to announce
Isaac’s impending birth).
One ram: this alludes to the ram that Abraham sacrificed in place
of Isaac, his son.
One sheep: this alludes to Laban’s flock of sheep which Jacob
ingeniously bred so that their offspring would become his own under
an agreement he had made with Laban.
One goat: to atone for the brothers’ sale of Joseph. The brothers
dipped his special cloak into goat blood in order to trick Jacob into
thinking that Joseph had been devoured by a wild beast.
Two cattle for peace offerings: these correspond to Moses and
Aaron who made peace between God and Israel.
Five rams, five male goats, and five sheep: these three sets of
animals correspond to the nation of Israel, which is divided into three
divisions, cohanim, levi’im and yisraelim (the remainder of the people
who are neither cohanim nor levi’im). The three sets also correspond
to the three divisions of the Tanach – Torah, Prophets, and Writings.
The number five corresponds to the five books of Moses and the five
commandments that were written on each of the two tablets which
Moses received on Mount Sinai.
Rashi’s commentary reveals that in offering these gifts the
princes’ intent was to reflect the spirit of the day, which was that
of rectification and revelation. The dedication of the Tabernacle
represented the culmination of the Jews repentance for the Golden
Calf, God’s acceptance of their heartfelt remorse and His granting
them atonement. In addition, the dedication represented the
449
#