B"H
Tuesday, Tammuz 8, 5786 / June 23, 2026
This Shabbat in the Diaspora we will read the two Parshiot of Chukat & Balak. In Israel, which is one Parsha ahead of the Diaspora, they will read only Parshat Balak. Thus, from this Shabbat on, Israel and the Diaspora will be reading the same Torah Portions.
The 613 mitzvot of the Torah fall into one of three categories: Eidut, Mishpatim,Chukim. Those in the Eidut and Mishpatim category are logicalmitzvot. One can comprehend the reasons behind these mitzvot.
The mitzvot in the category of Chukim(statutes) are those which have no logical reason. G-d commanded us to observe them, without giving us any logical reason for them. When we perform these mitzvot, we put aside our own logic, and we observe them purelybecause 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 to sprinkle on the person water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer. The Torah describes in detail 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 purified, while the Kohen, who purified him 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 32nd yartzeit was Thursday, explains that although we can't comprehend the logic of this mitzvah, as the Torah didn’t give us the reason for it, we can learn 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 on the responsibility onto others.
This lesson applies to everyone. 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 sacrificingsome of our time, effort and even our spirituality.
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HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY, BLESSED & SUCCESSFUL DAY