B"H
Monday, Tammuz 2, 5784 / July 8, 2024
This Shabbat we will read Parshat Chukat. The Parsha begins with the words, "Zot ChukatHaTorah", "This is the statuteof the Torah."
The 613 mitzvot fall into one of three categories: Eidut, Mishpatim,Chukim. Those in the Eidut and Mishpatim category are logicalmitzvot. One can comprehend the reason behind these mitzvot.
The mitzvot in the category of Chukim(statutes) are those which have no logical reason. These are mitzvot which we humans cannot understand the reasons behind them. G-d commanded us to observe them, without giving us any reason for them. When we perform these mitzvot, we put aside our own logic and we observe them purely because it is G-d’s will.
This week's Torah portion begins with the mitzvah of Para Adumah- "Red Heifer." It is one of the mitzvot in the category of Chukim, as the name of the Parsha, Chukat, indicates.
The Torah tells us that when someone comes in contact with a dead body, they become "Tamei" - "spiritually impure". To become spiritually clean again, the Torah commands that Elazar HaKohen, son of Aaron the High Priest, sprinkle on the person water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer. The Torah details the entire process of preparing the red heifer and how the purification process is performed.
What is special about this mitzvah is that when performing the sprinkling process, the person who was unclean becomes clean, while the Kohen, who performed the purification process, becomes impure!
According to our sages, this is one reason why the mitzvah of "Para Adumah" is called "Chukah" - a mitzvah with no rational explanation to it.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, of blessed memory, whose 30th yartzeit is tomorrow, the third of Tammuz, explains that although we can't comprehend the logic of this mitzvah, as the Torah didn’t give us the reason for it, we canlearn a very important lesson from it.
The fact that the Torah commands the Kohen (priest) to personally help this individual, even at the cost of temporarily becoming impure himself and being unable to enter the Holy Temple, teaches us that we have to be ready to make personal sacrifices to help another Jew come closer to G-d. We cannot pass the responsibility unto others. Each of us usually comes in contact with people on a daily basis. If we can assist them in coming closer to G-d, in their spiritual purification, through Torah and mitzvot, it is ourduty to do so, even when it means sacrificingof our time, effort and even some of our spirituality.
Note:I will be visiting & praying at the Rebbe’s OHEL (gravesite) tomorrow on his Yartzeit. If you want me to pray for you and your family for good health, healing, success etc. please e-mail me the Hebrew names and mother’s Hebrew name and I will mention them. May ALL our prayers be fulfilled. Amen.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW.