Parshat Chukat-peshat in the pasuk

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July 09 2019
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Parshat Chukat-’Peshat in the pasuk’


(Based on a shiur by Rabbi I.Bernstein zal in London in 1993)




In chapter 20 of sefer Bamidbar we read of the death of Miriam and the repercussions thereafter.




וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵל כָּל־הָ֨עֵדָ֤ה מִדְבַּר־צִן֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב הָעָ֖ם בְּקָדֵ֑שׁ וַתָּ֤מָת שָׁם֙ מִרְיָ֔ם וַתִּקָּבֵ֖ר שָֽׁם׃


The Israelites arrived in a body at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon,and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.


וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה מַ֖יִם לָעֵדָ֑ה וַיִּקָּ֣הֲל֔וּ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹֽן׃


The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron.


וַיָּ֥רֶב הָעָ֖ם עִם־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֵאמֹ֔ר וְל֥וּ גָוַ֛עְנוּ בִּגְוַ֥ע אַחֵ֖ינוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃


The people quarreled with Moses, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished at the instance of the LORD!


וְלָמָ֤ה הֲבֵאתֶם֙ אֶת־קְהַ֣ל יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה לָמ֣וּת שָׁ֔ם אֲנַ֖חְנוּ וּבְעִירֵֽנוּ׃


Why have you brought the LORD’s congregation into this wilderness for us and our beasts to die there?


וְלָמָ֤ה הֶֽעֱלִיתֻ֙נוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם לְהָבִ֣יא אֹתָ֔נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֥וֹם הָרָ֖ע הַזֶּ֑ה לֹ֣א ׀ מְק֣וֹם זֶ֗רַע וּתְאֵנָ֤ה וְגֶ֙פֶן֙ וְרִמּ֔וֹן וּמַ֥יִם אַ֖יִן לִשְׁתּֽוֹת׃


Why did you make us leave Egypt to bring us to this wretched place, a place with no grain or figs or vines or pomegranates? There is not even water to drink!”


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In the sefer Ohr Yashar, the author raises a number of questions on these seemingly ‘simple’ pesukim.Firstly we see that the people gathered together against Moshe and Aharon and yet, in the next verse,  the complaint was directed at Moshe alone without Aharon being mentioned.Why?


A second question exists regarding the description of where they were.In the first verse it calls it a ‘wilderness’ and then it is referred to as an ‘evil place’. Why the change? If this meant to be a repetition,this is unlikely,as the Torah rarely repeats anything for the sake of adding words.


Also the second complaint mentions the lack of food, explaining all the types of edibles which they are missing in this place.If they were afraid that they will die of starvation this should have been mentioned in the first complaint and not left to the verse of the second complaint?


Also, the most amazing observation is that they are complaining at the lack of food, when they were still receiving the manna, which tasted whatever they wished it to be, so why are they saying that there is no food in their current place? The issue here is the lack of water due to the death of Miriam and the removal of the well, and yet, the issue of water is only mentioned as an afterthought, when seemingly it was the main cause of their complaint at this time?


The Ohr Yashar answers all the questions in a most comprehensive way.He quotes Chazal who explain that the 3 phenomena which followed the Jews in the desert, the manna, the clouds of glory and the well, were there in the merit of Miriam, Aharon and Moshe respectively. Now that Miriam had died, Chazal further tell us that the well came back later in the merit of Aharon and Moshe and when Aharon died,the clouds of glory came back in the merit of Moshe alone.Now the 3 items on which they depended were in the merit of the 3 leaders. When Miriam died and the well disappeared they immediately concluded that when Aharon dies, the clouds will go away and not come back.This would expose them to all the dangers in the desert which the clouds protected them from, such as wild animals.Furthermore they realised that when Moshe dies, their current supply of food will dry up and they would likely perish in the desert.


Now we can understand the progression of the pesukim.Their panic is not for the water but that all the items will disappear when each one of the leaders dies.Their ‘gathering’ towards Moshe and Aharon was not against Moshe and Aharon, but to express their concern as to what will happen when Aharon and Moshe are no longer with them.The next verse refers to Moshe alone as this discussion was directed at Moshe, to explain to him their fear of what will happen when the current leaders are no longer with them.They are arguing with Moshe and claiming that had he not brought them out of Egypt, they would not be in the current predicament, but their concerns reflected the merit of Aharon as well as that of Moshe himself. 


Now the Torah points out that the manna was needed wherever they would be, as any place could become an ‘evil place’ if there is no food for the people.This is why the food discussion refers to the desert as an ‘evil place’.However the clouds were specifically needed, as they were in the desert where protection was required and this is why the previous verse refers to the ‘wilderness’ and not the more generic term of an ‘evil place’.Their fear is 2 pronged here , being afraid both for the loss of Aharon and then of Moshe, as explained above.They mention Aharon first, as this is the ‘normal way of the world’ that the older sibling will die first (as in fact happened later on in this parsha).They mention the water at the end of their complaint ,to emphasize their panic here, in that Miriam’s death immediately led to the water stopping, and the same may happen when the other siblings die.The whole context is much bigger than it seems and the Ohr Yashar has presented a wonderful background for a deeper understanding of what is really going on. This is a true ‘peshat’ in the pesukim and this should be the way we study Torah on a regular basis.


With the explanation of the Ohr Yashar, we have discovered the real context of this parsha and truly understand the people’s fears and concerns.Now we understand the next event in the parsha, concerning water,  to show the people that the merit of Miriam was only partially the reason for getting the well.In reality it depended on the allegiance of the people to God, and this is a lesson which Moshe teaches them in a most dramatic way.It is also a lesson that we must never forget and realise, that all our life we are sustained by chasdei Hashem, and our connection to God is what brings us success in all we do.This lesson never goes away and is important for the Jewish people to remember, both as a nation and as individuals at all times.


Rabbi Ian Shaffer Cherry Hill NJ July 2019

Venue: Stern College Stern College

Parsha:
Chukat 

Description

Based on a wonderful explanation from Rabbi Isaac Bernstein zal.

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