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“And the Jewish people, the entire congregation, came to Midbar Zin in the first month, and they dwelled in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there” (20:1). Parshat Chukat is the parsha of death. It begins with the mystifying…
Judaism has always understood that miracles have very little long-term impact on one's behaviour. During our nation's infancy in Egypt miracles were necessary in order to awaken us to the fact that there is a G-d who runs the world. Yet it is quite…
People have a natural tendency to avoid talking about death. People "pass away" or are "no longer with us". In Parshat Chukat death and its attendant defilement are a central theme. Not only do we learn about the strange ritual of the "red heifer"…
"Take Aaron, and Elazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; and strip Aaron of his vestments, and dress Elazar his son in them; Aaron shall be gathered in and die there" (Bamidbar 20:25-26). It was only after Adam and Eve sinned in…
Judaism is a religion that celebrates life. "Better one hour of repentance and good deeds in this world than the entire life of the world to come" (Pirkei Avot 5:22). It is only while we are alive that we can elevate ourselves through the…
Parshat Chukat marks the transition from the generation that left Egypt to the one that would enter the Land of Israel. This was a transition marked by death and thus, the Torah’s description of the laws of purity and impurity stemming from contact…