Chukas

The first words of our parsha: זאת חקת התורה, are normally translated as “This is the statute of the Torah." However, the Targum translates דא גזירת אוריתא, “This is the decree against the Torah." Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss said that it's no coincidence that this week, when the Targum hints to a tragedy against the Torah, is the week we lost Rabbi Zlotowitz, who opened the Torah to so many. In the history of our people, few have paralleled his contribution to Torah. From the people who have a new clarity in learning that they couldn't have had before, to those that never would have opened a sefer if not for Artscroll, losing him is a decree against the Torah. 

Further in the parsha, we read ותמת שם מרים, Miriam died there. Rashi explains that the reason the Torah told us about the death of Miriam right after the laws of the red cow, is to teach us that just as the red cow brings atonement, so does the death of the righteous. Artscroll’s Otzer Hatorah poses this question, “Why does the Torah teach this to us specifically with the red cow and not any other korban?" Answers Reb Itzele of Ponevezh, while all other sacrifices grant atonement, the role of the one who brings it is passive. The kohanim eat the meat and the owners are granted atonement. Not so with the red cow; one must be sprinkled with its ashes to achieve purity. Likewise, the death of the righteous calls upon us not to accept it passively but to adapt to their refined character traits. What character trait can we improve on?

The Torah proceeds to tell us that there was no water for the people, so Moshe was told to go to the rock, talk to it and it would give water. Moshe went to the rock, but instead of talking to it, he hit it and was punished, seemingly for hitting the rock. The פנים יפות explains a little differently. Chazal tell us that Hashem would literally speak through Moshe; he would open his mouth and Hashem would talk. When the Torah states that Hashem told Moshe “talk to the rock," it meant that Hashem would really be talking and the rock would listen to the word of Hashem. However, upon the Jews’ complaint, Moshe got angry and yelled at the Jews. We are told that when a person gets angry, the Shechina leaves him. Moshe realized that the Shechina had left him, so he was afraid that if he spoke to the rock, it wouldn't listen because Hashem wasn't talking.  In order not to cause a chillul Hashem, he chose not to talk to the rock, but hit it instead.

We need to realize that, even if we have a good rationale when doing something wrong, if it's something that's against what Hashem wants us to do, rationalization will only backfire. It ends up so much worse. We also see how destructive anger can be, for Moshe’s anger caused him to lose his right to enter the land.  A story is told about a Rebbi who was always very careful to come to his class on time. One day, because his wife was sick and he was taking care of her, he couldn't leave on time. 

When he finally left, he was rushing as quickly as he could to try to make up the time. He finally arrived at the yeshiva out of breath, sweaty from rushing to make up some time, and was only about fifteen minutes late. He ran in and sat at his desk when one of the boys stuck out his arm and pointed to his watch with his other hand. The Rebbi was flabbergasted; “What a chutzpa this child has showing him that he's late. Does he know what I just went through to get here?” He was about to blow up at the student, but, he had a policy that, if he got angry, before he would do anything, he would wait an hour. 

Therefore, he waited. When recess time came, this boy came up to him again pointing at his watch saying, “Rebbi, look at my new watch. I just got it and wanted to show it to you.” Proudly, the boy continued, “You’re the first one I showed it to!” Imagine, had the Rebbi acted upon his anger, he could have destroyed that boy. Because he waited and saw what the boy really meant, catastrophe was avoided. Perhaps this is the lesson we must take in emulating the righteous, stop before we get angry and always give the benefit of the doubt!