TORAH PORTION

“God spoke to Moses and Aaron saying…tell the Children of Israel to bring a red heifer…”

Numbers 19:1-2

This week’s parshah, Chukat, begins with what many great Jewish minds have considered to be
the most mysterious of all mitzvot (commandments)—the sacrifice of the famous red heifer. We
are told that even King Solomon, the wisest of all people, failed to make heads or tails of it
(Bamidbar Rabbah 19:3).
The key conundrum is that the red heifer’s sacrificial ashes had the power to purify those who
had become impure. Yet, the kohanim (priests)—who were in a state of purity—became impure
by preparing this purifying concoction! Thus, it makes no sense that the very exact same
substance “purifies the impure while defiling the pure.”
Even if there is no logical explanation for this contradiction, perhaps it has something to teach us
both as distinct individuals, and as members of a larger community.
Although Jewish values are universal values, Judaism is not “one size fits all” religion. Thus,
your Judaism might not look like my Judaism, and vice versa. You might connect to our tradition
best through prayer, while someone else gets a greater sense of belonging by shmoozing during
the kiddush. Perhaps you support your community by volunteering your time, and someone else
you know prefers to donate tzedakah (charity). And while your natural reaction might be to
perceive your way of connecting as deeper or more authentic, the red heifer paradox teaches us
that the very same religious act can have a very different spiritual impact on different people.
The main thing is that you connect to your community—deeply. It is not necessarily the how,
rather, it is the depth.
Though the red heifer might be the most confusing of all mitzvot (commandments), this lesson is
applicable to all 613 of them. According to the founder of Hasidism, the Baal Shem Tov (c.
1698-1760), there is an etymological connection between the Hebrew word mitzvah and Aramaic
word for “connection” (tzvata), which reveals that the core function of every commandment is to
craft a personal connection with the Divine and with others.
As you go through your week, I encourage you to look for ways to connect, Jewishly, in a way
that is meaningful to you, personally. If that entails joining us for Shabbat, wonderful! If it means
you make room on your calendar for the next Sisterhood or Men’s Club event, amazing! And of
course, if you’d like to connect with me about more ways to connect, my door is always open!
So, how will you connect this week?
Sonia and I wish you a week of deep, personal connectivity,
Rabbi Cody R. Bahir, Ph.D.