Rabbi Benjamin Yudin Discusses Parshas Chukas-Balak (5786)

Good morning. Welcome to the Shabbos everybody. >> [clears throat] >> Tomorrow we have the privilege of reading two parashios, that of Chukas and Balak. We finally catch up to Eretz Yisrael. Eretz Yisrael, they read parashas Chukas. Last week they're reading one parasha tomorrow, parashas Balak, and we are reading two. Okay, wonderful. Parashas Chukas brings us into the last year of our being in the desert. And so much happens that the Torah records in that year. Number one, we have the death of Miriam, which according to our rabbis took place on the 10th of Nissan. So we are at the beginning of the 40th year, and Torah tells us that when Miriam died, there was no water, and Rashi tells us, quoting from the Gemara in Taanis daf nine, that the water that the Jewish people had during their years in the desert came in the zchus, in the merit of Miriam. Okay. We have in this week's parasha, to this, we have in this week's parasha the passing of Aaron HaKohen, which we know took place on Rosh Chodesh Av. So getting even closer to our entry into the land of Israel. And we have in the parashah as well the fact that Am Israel asks Sihon and Og, Sihon Melech HaEmori, Og Melech HaBashan, to be able to pass through their land and they will even quote buy water from them, even though they had their own. And we know very clearly that both of these superpowers, Sihon and Og, did not only not allow the Jewish people to pass through their land, but they came and attacked the Jewish people in the desert. Wow. And this is how parashah's Chukat ends with the people getting quote a taste of how they are going to defeat the 31 kingdoms in Eretz Kenaan by their defeating the two superpowers of Sihon and Og. Parashah's Chukat, according to the Chinuch, contains three mitzvot. They all involve the Parah Adumah, which is how the parashah begins, the red heifer, which is the quintessential chok, a law [music] without a reason, and why is it so important that we have laws without a reason? Shatnez is a law without a reason that I can't have in my suit a mixture of woolen and linen threads. Basar b'chalav is a hook, a law without a reason, namely that I have kosher meat and I have kosher milk, but I can't mix the kosher and the kosher. And there are many other chukim in the Torah. And clearly I want everybody to realize that why do we need chukim? Aren't there enough mitzvot in the Torah that I can follow God's way without having laws that we can't understand? I can't understand how the ash of the parah adumah mixed with water is going to purify the individual who came in contact with a dead body or was under the same roof as a dead body. We can't understand how this works or the persons who prepared the parah adumah, they became tamei in the process of the preparation. The same ingredients that would provide purity provided impurity. And as is attributed to HaMelech in his seventh chapter of Kohelet, "Amarti ach chachma, I thought that with God's blessing, we knowledge will be able to understand the entire Torah of the he, but it, the parah adumah, is coming in many is even beyond my comprehension. Why do we need chukim? If we understood all of Torah, then basically who are we worshipping? Ourselves. What we understand, we do. What we don't understand, we don't do. Comes along the Torah with its chukim and tells us that there is a understanding that is beyond our understanding. Once again, putting Hashem at the center of our universe and not putting man and his understanding at the center of the universe. Parshas Balak, according to the chiyuv, does not contain any of the 613 mitzvahs of the Torah. However, wow, we do find that the Rambam, in his 11th chapter of Hilchos Melachim, where he talks about in chapters 11 and 12, the coming of Moshiach, the Rambam does quote the possuk from the end of Parshas Balak. And you can discuss at your Shabbos table. Is it not something most remarkable that the closest we have in the Torah about the coming of Moshiach comes through a non-Jewish prophet. P.S. And next, the idea whereby David the possuk teaches us Torah Kohav Miyaakov whereby the Bilam speaks about in the future. And he says Lo are'enu lo atah asherenu lo karov. Chapter 24, towards the end of Balak, verse 17. I shall see him, but not now. I shall look at him, but it's not near. A star has issued from Jacob, and a scepter bearer has risen from Israel. And he shall pierce the nobles of Moab and the children of Seth. There's no question about it. The Rambam says, here is where the Torah is very clearly alluding, promising that there will be a Moshiach. Interesting, the Rambam has 13 basic Jewish ideas that are crucial for a person to be aligned with philosophically. And the 12th one is an emunah shleima b'viat haMoshiach. That there will be the coming of Moshiach. And finally, the 13th is that there will be techiyas haMeisim. I like to focus this morning on a very difficult part of parshas Chukas where where we mentioned that as soon as Miriam died there was no water for the Jewish people. They complain and Hashem tells Moshe to take his staff and Aaron, take the staff, gather all the people in front of the rock. And what's going to happen is Moshe and Aaron are to speak to the rock instead of speaking, they hit the rock. Moshe is punished and Aaron and they will not be the ones to lead the Jewish people into Eretz Canaan. I'd like to ask one simple question which is asked by the Medrish. The Akedah Shemoneh brings it and explained beautifully by the Netziv in his commentary on parshas Chukas where Hashem says to Moshe and Aaron "V'diburtem el hasela, speak to the rock." Now, what should Moshe and Aaron say to the rock? The Torah doesn't tell us, but the Medrish does. Wow. And the Netziv explains it as this is Hashem teaching through Moshe and Aaron that what's going to be in the future when Moshe and Aaron are going to die in the desert. You're going to come into Eretz Yisrael and there will be from time to time at sea shaming there will be from time to time a lack of rain. So, what are we supposed to do at such a time? So, says the Let's see. Take a look everybody at the beginning of the second chapter of the Gamorah Tannis page 15 A in the Gamorah Tannis that when they many fast days which are declared and become intensified because of the lack of rain. So, the Mishnah tells us what did they do? They would take the Torah the holy ark from the synagogue and bring it into the village square and they would take ash and put it on top of the ark and on top of the Nasi and on top of the Av Bet Din and each person put ash on their own head. And then a Zaken She Ba Hen the elder among them Omer Lifneihem Divrei Kivushin doesn't mean the oldest person necessarily, but it means a wise person. A Chacham stands before them and he speaks to them Divrei Kivushin which means words that will affect them and bring them towards Teshuvah. Clearly what's happening is that Mosha and Aaron were not to say "abracadabra". They weren't even to say "please" or pretty please give water. But rather what were they to say? The measure it says either Torah Halacha Achas or Perek Echad. Teach Torah. Teach Torah to the people. And by teaching Torah to the people, this will elevate the people and put them in the proper frame of mind to pray and rain will come. This is what Moshe is teaching them. This is what's going to work for you in the land of Israel. And sure enough, it does. But beyond sure enough, it does. What are we being taught from Parshas Chukas? A very very important way of life which helps us understand that which we can't understand every single day. And that is the Torah is teaching us that the Briah nature is Meshubad, subservient to Torah. In other words, Bereishis Bara Elokim, we believe not only does that verse communicate to us that God is the creator, but beyond that, for what reason did God create a world? Wow, what a simple question. Why am I wasting your time? So the very first Rashi on the Torah begins and tells you Bishvil Torah. That God created the world in order that the world would be governed by Torah. And Bishvil Yisrael, for the Jewish people who are to study Torah, who are to live Torah, and our studying and living of Torah is what ultimately controls nature. Unbelievable. I know it's parshios. Go back and go back and go back to the end of Vayechi. Go back to the very beginning of Bechukosai. And what is the Torah saying very clearly at the very beginning of Bechukosai. Clearly, in Bechukosai it says, "Im Bichukosai telechu, if you follow my decrees, you keep Shabbos, you keep kosher, you lend money without interest, and what are you going to do?" Says Hashem, "Venosati gishmeichem beito. I will provide your grains in their time. And the land will give its produce. And the trees of the field will give its fruit." I ask you, as the Ramban asks, does this make sense? Not necessarily. But you and I know that so much more doesn't make sense. But this is, yes, truth of Torah. Truth of Torah. The Orach Chaim Hakadosh says, "What's so special about Krias Yam Suf? Krias Yam Suf was God split the sea for over 2 million people. Don't be find in the Gemara Chulin that God splits the Kino River for Pinchas ben Yair. And says the Orach Chaim something so powerful. Sure, Pinchas ben Yair happened after Kabbalas haTorah. The splitting of the Red Sea happened before. Whoa. That nature was subservient to Israel was a special gift which action gave us which we didn't deserve yet because we had not yet received the Torah. Nature is subservient to Torah. And that's why it is such a great miracle Kriat Yam Suf even before we received the Torah. But once we received the Torah, quote, this is it. So, I am telling everyone now that the school year is over and our children have had all kinds of lessons not only in Torah but earth science, etc. All kinds of teaching as to what's going on. The teaching comes from our Torah. The Torah is reason why God created the world and the world revolves and revolves around the Torah. What a privilege for us to realize that we have succeeded and survived as a people all these years because of the Torah and please God is going to take us to the finish line. Shabbat Shalom to all. >> Mhm.