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Chukat This week's Parasha begins with the Mitzvah of "Parah Adumah" (the "red heifer"), a commandment whose reasons, Chazal tell us, even King Shlomo ("the wisest of all men") could not fathom completely. The Parasha continues with the death of Miriam, and then, the episode in which Moshe hit the rock to provide water to Bnei Yisroel. The need for water arose at this particular time because G-d had previously provided water to Bnei Yisroel in Miriam's merit. What difference did it make if Moshe hit the stone or spoke to it? R' Moshe Feinstein suggests that speaking to the stone would have provided an appropriate lesson for the often stubborn Bnei Yisroel, as well as for Moshe and any future educator who is faced with a difficult group of students: Even a stone can open up if one tries hard enough. (Darash Moshe) Many explanations have been given as to exactly what sin Moshe and Aharon committed in this Parasha (in the incident of hitting the rock). This leads Rav Yitzchak Meir of Gur (the first Gerrer Rebbe) zatz'l to ask: Who are we to presume to interpret the deeds of Moshe and Aharon? He explains: Since Hashem gave us the Torah and left some details unclear, He implicitly gave us permission to study and interpret them [according to the rules of interpretation which were taught at Sinai]. In each generation, Hashem reveals such interpretations as are needed for that generation. This is why Rabbi Akiva discerned things that had not been revealed to Moshe; with the destruction of the Temple in Rabbi Akiva's generation, such additional revelation was needed. (Chiddushei haRim al haTorah) This parashah relates that the King of Arad heard that Yisroel was coming, and he fought Yisroel. Chazal ask, "What did he hear?" and answer that he heard that Aharon had died. Rav Chaim David Halevi shlita (Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv) writes: How can Chazal ask what the King of Arad heard? Doesn't the Torah state explicitly that he heard that Yisroel was coming? The answer, says Rav Halevi, is that Chazal wondered where the King of Arad found the courage to attack Bnei Yisroel. All the other nations (we read in Shmos 15:14-16) were terrified of Bnei Yisroel! What gave the King of Arad that courage? He heard that Aharon had died. Aharon had devoted himself to making peace between Jews, whether two friends or a husband and wife. As long as Aharon lived, the Jewish people remained united; when Aharon died, the Jews became divided. Then the King of Arad knew that he could fight the Jews. (Aseh Lecha Rav IV p.31) "This is the Torah-a man who will die in the tent. . ." (19:14) Making a play on these words, Chazal say that the Torah will remain only with one who "kills himself" studying it. Rav Avraham Yishayahu Karelitz zatz'l (the "Chazon Ish") explains: This "death" means looking below the surface of life at life's innermost details. This means conquering one's character, because a person's traits are the superficial covering of his life. Killing one's impulses leads to life on the Torah path. There are many degenerate traits, writes the Chazon Ish, but breaking even one of them gives a person life and enables Torah to remain with him. Prominent among those traits is laziness. Laziness is so pervasive that it can affect both thoughts and deeds. Sometimes, laziness can even encourage a person to act, as when, for example, a person knows that what he plans to do is wrong, but he is too lazy to control himself and to declare war on his impulses. Laziness, the trait that brings a person to fall into trouble, is the root cause for abandonment of the Torah. (from Igrot Chazon Ish I, No.3) |
