[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate start of a parsha p’tucha or s’tuma respectively. X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of the beginning of the parsha; (Z) is the number of p'sukim in the parsha.
Kohen - First Aliya - 17 p'sukim - 19:1-17 The mitzva involves taking a cow with reddish hair (even two black hairs invalidate it), that is blemish-free (i.e. fit for the Altar) and that has not worn a yoke or carried a burden for people. (If it carried upon its back something for its own benefit - e.g. a blanket to keep flies away - it is still acceptable.) Elazar b. Aharon was in charge of the preparation of this first Para Aduma. SDT "And G-d spoke to Moshe and Aharon saying... DABEIR (you
Moshe, not both of you, DABRU) to the children of Israel... Only Moshe could
tell the people about the PARA ADUMA, which is an atonement for the Sin of
the Golden Calf. Aharon was too involved in the Golden Calf episode. He
didn't tell this mitzva to the people and he didn't prepare the PARA ADUMA,
his son did. Yet the pasuk tells us that G-d spoke to both Moshe and Aharon.
Perhaps this contains a private rebuke by G-d to Aharon... And perhaps a bit
of the opposite as well, since Aharon IS included in the command to prepare
the Para Aduma. "Take a PARA ADUMA T'MIMA..." T'MIMA usually means blemish-free, fit for the Altar. However, here the word T'MIMA is followed by the phrase "that has no MUM (blemish)", making the adjective T'MIMA superfluous. There- fore, we are taught that T'MIMA in this context is describing ADUMA, indicating that COMPLETE reddish hair is required. Without T'MIMA, a cow that was a "jinji" would be acceptable even if it had some non-red hairs. Not so, because of the word T'MIMA. As opposed to all korbanot in the Mikdash which had to be brought "inside", the Red Cow is slaughtered and prepared "outside". It is not a korban, but it does have korban-like features (atonement, among others). After the cow is slaughtered, it is burnt whole (some of its blood having been sprinkled towards the Mikdash first). The complete process of the Para Aduma (including what is thrown into the fire, how the ashes are collected and how the potion is made) is a positive mitzva [397,A113 19:2] that has been fulfilled nine times, so far. The next (tenth) time will be in the time of the Moshiach. A person who comes in contact with a dead body is rendered ritually impure for a seven-day period [398,A107 19:4]. The "Para Aduma Potion" is to be sprinkled on the defiled person on the third and seventh day. Without this procedure, the state of ritual impurity remains forever. It is most important to avoid entering the Mikdash while one is defiled. Intentional violation is a (Divinely imposed) capital offense. MitzvaWatch [1] A kohen must still avoid contact with a dead body (except those of his close relatives for whom he sits shiva), even though he is already "tamei". This is both for "practice" as well as not to "add" to his state of TUM'A. (2) We are not permitted to go onto Har HaBayit in those areas that the Beit HaMikdash and its courtyard stood (or might have stood). (3) Some gifts of the Kohen (such as t'ruma, t'rumat maaser, challa) are not given to a kohen, but are "disposed of" according to alternate halachic procedures, because of TUM'A of both the Kohen, potential recipient, as well as the giver, and therefore, the gift itself. Note that there are gifts to the kohen that pose no TAMEI problems; these are given today (e.g. Pidyon HaBen). SDT The Chidushei HaRim made a mussar comment about T’MIMA that deserves our attention. For the Para Aduma, the standard of ADUMA T’MIMA is not met if there are two hairs of another color. For the Jew, who must strive to fulfill the mitzva of TAMIM T’H’YEH (im HaShem Elokecha), even a single “black hair” prevents a complete fulfillment.
Note that the cedar branch and hyssop are added to the potion as well as to the burning of the Para Aduma. Commentaries see special significance in the fact that the cedar is a lofty tree and the hyssop is a lowly shrub. The dual nature of the Para Aduma potion (that it purifies
the defiled and defiles the ritually pure) is counted as a mitzva of its own
[399,A108 19:19]. (The custom of emptying out water containers in the room in which someone has died, comes from the sequence: "...and Miriam died ...and there was no water...") Commentaries point out a connection between Para Aduma and the death of the righteous Miriam. Both are “instruments” of atonement.
[S> 20:12 (2)] G-d is "angry" at Moshe and Aharon for missing a chance to sanctify G-d's Name by having the People see water come from the rock by speaking to it. (The People had previously seen water come from a struck rock.) G-d decrees that neither Moshe nor Aharon shall lead the People into the Land of Israel. Because of the inclusion of Aharon in this decree, there is an implication that he was not punished for any involvement in the Golden Calf - a point that needed clarification. Rashi says that the Torah is telling us that Moshe and Aharon would have gone into Eretz Yisrael, except for this, and only this sin. Interesting that Moshe himself tells the people (in D'varim) that he carries some of the blame for the Sin of the Spies. With Aharon's involvement in the Calf incident and Moshe's in the Spies episode, there is an interesting balance. On the other hand, Aharon IS held accountable in this case, even though it was Moshe who "called the shots". G-d's decree seems excessively harsh on Moshe and Aharon. Commentators point to this as an example of how strictly G-d judges the greatest of our people. (See Lead Tidbit for more in this vein.) Observation... (1) It avoids a Chilul HaShem that would result if water did not come forth. (2) Moshe Rabeinu was on the high level that he was able to control and divert nature (with limits). He had previously stricken a rock to get water; this now is something he can do. (3) A twist on the Chilul HaShem possibility of (1) is that G-d wanted to avoid Moshe's losing face. G-d and Moshe are very much partners, so to speak, in the perception of the People. At the Sea, the people believed in "HaShem and in Moshe His servant, BASHEM UV-MOSHE AVDO. In contrast, their lack of faith is expressed as their talking against G-d and against Moshe, BEILOKIM UV-MOSHE. These are the only two times the word UV-MOSHE appears in all of Tanach. SDT Baal HaTurim points out that the word LACHEIN, (because you missed the opportunity for a special act of Kiddush HaShem), therefore, you won't take the people into the Land) equals 100 - same as MIDA B'MIDA, measure for measure.
SDT In asking for passage through Edom territory, Moshe's messengers state that the people "will not drink water of a well". Rashi says that we would have expected the Torah to say "the water of cisterns". Rashi explains that Edom had the cisterns; we had a miraculous well (as well as Manna for food). What we were offering Edom was the profits from selling us food and water. We had no need for their food and drink, but it was a proper offer to make. Rashi says that when staying at an inn, one should partake of the inn's meals rather than "brown bag it". This increases the benefit to the innkeeper and is a proper thing for a patron to do. SDT Moshe sends a message to Edom saying, "...you know all the trouble we had in Egypt." Imrei Shefer asks, how was Edom expected to know what happened to us in Egypt? The answer, he says, comes from Parshat To'l'dot, when Rivka sought out G-d to explain what was happening inside her. She was told that the twins in her would grow to head great nations, and when one fell, the other would rise proportionally. Edom's life must have made a significant turn upward during the dark years we spent in Egyptian servitude. That is how Edom would know what was happening to his brother Israel.
The Midrash says that the Heavenly Clouds that protected the People, left upon Aharon's death. We can see now that the miracles of the Midbar were each
associated with one of our leaders: Moshe, the Manna; Aharon, the Clouds;
Miriam, the Well. [P> 21:4 (13)] The People then tired of their extended travels and complained once again to G-d and Moshe. Their tirade included gross disrespect to G-d's miracle of the Manna. For this they were punished by an attack of "fiery" (poisonous) snakes that bit many people, causing many deaths. The People repented and pleaded with Moshe to pray to G-d to spare them. G-d told Moshe to fashion a copper (the choice of copper was Moshe's and it was a play on words) snake and mount it atop a staff, so that anyone who would see it (i.e. turn their eyes and hearts towards G-d) would live. The Mishna in Rosh HaShana (3:8) asks, “What? (The copper image of) a snake can kill or restore life?” Not so, says the Mishna. “Rather, when the People of Israel look towards the Heavens and subjugate their hearts to G-d, then they were cured; and if not, they would decay.” The Mishna in P'sachim (4:9) records different things that Chizkiyahu HaMelech did, and was either praised for them, or not. He destroyed the Copper Serpent and the Sages approved of his actions. People were misusing it, and misunderstanding it (despite the concept presented in the Mishna cited above). This same kind of problem exists with the use of Korbanot in the time of the Beit HaMikdash, amulets, Tashlich on Rosh HaShana, Kaparot before Yom Kippur, visiting holy places, notes in the cracks of the Kotel, red threads around one's wrist, and even saying T’hilim - meaning that there are people who do certain things in lieu of heartfelt prayer and sincere kavanot, somehow expecting miraculous salvation. All of the above, to some extent or another, are meant to be incentive and inspiration to sincere repentance and prayer, not substitutes for them. This is why Chizkiyahu HaMelech got rid of the N’CHASH NECHOSHET. This is why some rabbis banned Kaparot in their communities, etc.
[S> 21:17 (4)] This was another significant event related to water. From a physical point of view, water is by far the most valuable "commodity" of the wandering Nation. On a spiritual level, water represents Torah and Life itself. The "Song of the Well", a short but beautiful song is recorded, highlighting the preciousness of water. The words are filled with symbolisms and allusions. The next piece of travelog is either part of the song at the well... or not. From the desert, the people went to Matana, from Matana to Nachliel, and from Nachliel to Bamot. From Bamot to Hagai in the field of Moav, on a clifftop that overlooks the Wastelands.
SDT It is important to note that Israel's military might is not absolute, nor are their military options equal. Israel fights against whom G-d tells us to, and we do not engage in battle anyone that G-d forbids us to. It is irrelevant whether Edom was stronger or weaker than Emori. We didn't fight the latter and avoid the former for military reasons. G-d is the One in charge. We have to always keep this in mind; and it would help if our enemies knew this as well. Ironically, it is our enemies who sometimes seem to believe in G-d's role in these kind of matters, whereas we sometimes seem to stubbornly deny His role. SDT Rashi explains why G-d had to tell Moshe not to fear
fighting Og. Og was the sole survivor of the Flood (except for Noach and
company), and he was the one who told Avraham that nephew Lot had been taken
into captivity. Perhaps he had earned enough merit to resist the Israelites.
G-d told Moshe not to worry. Moshe sends Meraglim to Ya'zer. Rashi says that the spies that were sent said, "we will not do as our predecessors did; we have complete confidence in the power of Moshe's prayer.” In a way, the sending of these Meraglim is a TIKUN (repair) of the Sin of the Spies. Spies were always sent to facilitate the nation's next step. They were not meant to decide on what G-d already had decreed. The final pasuk tells us that Israel traveled and arrived at Arvot Moav - this is their final stop before entry into Eretz Yisrael. Note the significance of the above statement. The four
remaining sedras of Bamidbar and all 11 of D'varim are still in front of us,
and we are already at Arvot Moav. Mas'ei will give a summary of the
wandering, but with the conclusion of Chukat, we have arrived at the
threshold of Eretz Yisrael. Remember that back in Mikeitz we left the Land
and went down into Egypt. Now we are readying ourselves to return.
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