Parashat Chukat

The birth of the nation of Israel was a sequence of miraculous events, and one of the most striking was the mass prophetic experience, culminating in the revelation at Sinai. The precursor to that ultimately defining moment was the spontaneous expression of the awesome power of G-d, as expressed in the Shir HaYam, the Song of the Sea that begins, “Oz yashir Moshe u’vinai Yisrael.., then Moshe and the children of Israel began to sing….” (Ex. 14:30).

It was a moment of unparalleled national prophecy, in the form of a song, the nations creative response to their deliverance.

This creative environment, brimming with life, was in fact short lived, and after being overwhelmed by Sinai, conditions eventually deteriorated.

This week’s parasha signifies the end of an era, and the sunset of the Mosaic triumvirate.

The Torah transports us from the beginning of the second year in the wilderness thirty eight years hence, and we are now in the fortieth year of the desert wanderings.

We have no record of any stories during this period, just the twenty locations the Bnai Yisrael encamped during that time (Rashi on Num. 33:10).

According to the classic medieval commenter Ibn Ezra, the interim period was dark, without prophecy or divine contact, save for the miraculous nature of their shelter and sustenance.

Most commentators agree that the details of the parah adumah, the red heifer, which would purify one exposed to the spiritual residue of death, took place in the first year or two after leaving Egypt. This makes sense, as the decree that the generation of the Exodus would live out their lives in the desert, and death would be a fact of life in the wilderness.

Over the next thirty eight years the adults who left Egypt gradually died out, and now the Israelites, consisting of the next generation, were at the edge of civilization, ready to begin their conquest of the land.

Moshe’s sister Miriam and brother Aaron die, and Moshe himself is informed that he will not live to see the promised land.

“Then G-d said to Moses and Aaron, “Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly to the Land which I have given them.” (Num. 20:12)

In order to merit admission into the Holy Land, the people would need new leadership, and a more mature relationship with G-d and each other.

We know that Joshua would be the one to assume the role as leader of the congregation, and lead them into the land. How do we know the people themselves have demonstrated their worthiness for deliverance?

The stain on the collective psyche of the Israelites, after their parents were led through the split sea, and spontaneously erupted in prophetic songs of praise, only to be dancing around a golden calf a few weeks later, must have been substantial. The ensuing period was void of joyous outpourings, and triumphant melody was replaced with the dissonance of complaints and lamentations.

Aaron the high priest was loved by all and his passing a terrific loss:

“….the entire house of Israel wept for Aaron for thirty days.” (Num. 20:29)

The death of Aaron was transformative for the nation, because next the Torah records them reaching out to G-d for help in a military confrontation:

The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the south, heard that Israel had come by the route of the spies, and he waged war against Israel and took from them a captive. Israel made a vow to G-d, and said, “If You deliver this people into my hand, I shall consecrate their cities.” G-d heard Israel’s voice and delivered the Canaanite. He destroyed them and consecrated their cities, and he called the place Chormah. (Num. 21:2-3)

The nation temporarily relapses and express their frustration by falling back on a familiar refrain: The people spoke against G-d and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in this desert, for there is no bread and no water, and we are disgusted with this rotten food.” (Num. 21:5)

They are quickly punished with an attack by a bevy of poisonous snakes, but this time the people are remorseful, and take the first step in repentance:

The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against G-d, and against you. Prayto G-d that He remove the snakes from us.” (Num.21:7)

Moshe is told by G-d to make a sculpture of a snake, and the people could be healed by using artwork to reflect on their current state.

This would be the last recorded complaint by the Israelites.

A few verses later the Torah tells us of a book called

“The Wars of G-d” and an entry that makes a connection between Sufa (The Sea of Reeds that split miraculously 40 years earlier) and the streams of Arnon, which border the land of Israel.

Rabbi S.R Hirsch notes that the mention of this book in the Torah proves that there was literary activity among the Israelites.

The people are given the gift of water, and there is a striking similarity to the miraculous splitting of the Sea of Reeds just after Egypt; The entire nation, after remaining tacit an entire generation, once again erupts into spontaneous song: Oz Yashir YISRAEL…

Then Israel sang this song: “‘Ascend, O well,’ sing to it!

A well dug by princes, carved out by nobles of the people, through the lawgiver with their staffs, and from the desert, a gift.

From the gift, to the streams, and from the streams to the heights.

From the heights to the valley in the field of Moab, at the top of the peak, that overlooks the wastelands.” (Num. 21:17-20)

But this enthusiastic performance did not require the conducting skills of Moshe, for the nation had developed their spiritual skills to create on their own.

After the next documented military victory (they were on a roll!) we hear the Torah mention the words of hamoshlim, the poets! The creative spirit is back, and in full swing. The Torah quotes the poets saying:

…“Come to Cheshbon, may it be built and established as the city of Sichon…”(Num. 21:27).

The Talmud (Bava Batra 78B) teaches that the word hamoshlim, the poets, can also mean “the rulers”, those who have dominion over their urges.

Chesbon means an accounting. Those who are in control of their urges can make a chesbon, calculate the result of their actions ahead of time, and make informed decisions.

Art is the result of people engaging, taking the time to calculate, to reflect on their experiences, and have domain over sound, shape, color and thought.

Through the artistic outpouring of image, word and verse, the nation is revitalized and can joyously express their sense of life.

As to the role of emotions in art and the subconscious mechanism that serves as the integrating factor both in artistic creation and in man’s response to art, they involve a psychological phenomenon which we call a sense of life. A sense of life is a pre-conceptual equivalent of metaphysics, an emotional, subconsciously integrated appraisal of man and of existence. Ayn Rand: “The Psycho-Epistemology of Art,” The Romantic Manifesto

There will be challenges ahead, but a nation that can stop, reflect , make an accounting, a cheshbon, and grow, will not be held back from achieving their spiritual and material potential.

Here’s to all of us achieving all of ours, creatively.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Greg