PINCHAS_NUMBERS XXV:10-XXX:1

Moshe (Moses) did not achieve all his goals.  In addition to delivering the Jewish people from the chains of slavery, he intended to lead them triumphantly to the Promised Land. He had prepared the people spiritually at Mount Sinai, where they heard the “Ten Words” of God that gave a structure to human behavior indispensable for both personal bliss and the success of society.

God had fought battles for the Hebrew people, as the biblical text says: HaShem yilachem lachem veatem tacharishun: ”God will fight for us while we remain silent.” Surely, He would do so again when the people arrived on the borders of the Promised Land: Canaan. But it was not going to be like that. The divine design was different. The conquest of Canaan required different leadership. Moreover, the people would have to fight their own battles from that moment on. God’s “Ten Words” at Sinai revealed to them the secret of overcoming by trusting in their spiritual energy because of orderly life and respect for the rights of others. 

Our biblical text outlines the case of the daughters of Tselofchad, who wanted to inherit their father.  Moshe presents the question before God and receives the answer that in the absence of sons, the daughters inherit the father. However, they must marry a member of the same tribe so that the patrimony does not pass to another tribe. Moshe thought that the case of the daughters of Tselofchad was conducive in clarifying the succession in their case. Should not then his sons inherit the command from him? Why would Yehoshua be selected for the conquest of Canaan?

A very important lesson was being given. While material goods are passed down from generation to generation, this simple rule does not govern the world of spirituality and command. Each person must personally acquire knowledge through study and dedication. Command demands a personality with special characteristics: empathy for the fate of others and gaining the trust of the collective.

At the time of the command transmission, Moshe “placed his hands on the head” of Yehoshua, a ritual of Semicha that will be used to appoint rabbis. According to the Midrash, this Semicha can be compared to the lighting of a candle by using an already lit candle. Another version compares it to the spillage of a liquid into another receptacle.

An examination of the examples cited highlights a difference. While lighting a candle does not diminish the first flame, spilling a liquid reduces the contents of the first receptacle. The second example perhaps refers to social, economic, or political command: the leader cedes all of his power to the one who succeeds him. On the other hand, in the case of spiritual leadership, the transmission of command does not diminish the inherent quality of the teacher; it is like the flame that, when turning on another light, does not lose its energy or effectiveness. On the contrary, the teacher advances intellectually due to the disciple he instructs.

In the case of the priesthood, the Kohen inherits the clerical status of his father. Of course, the Kohen must prepare to assume spiritual leadership. Still, since it is not an indispensable condition, there were cases in the history of people who were not prepared to assume the position of Kohen Gadol. Indeed, in certain cases, the appointment responded to the political needs of the day.

Although Yehoshua eventually assumed the leadership position that Moshe had occupied, unlike Moshe, Yehoshua was not a Kohen nor a Leví. Although God had selected Aharon for the priesthood, his brother Moses had held that role on certain occasions. Moshe did not have to consult with Aharon because he also had the characteristics of a Kohen. However, Yehoshua had lesser leadership than Moshe because he had to consult with the Urim veTumim carried by Eleazar, Aharon’s successor as Kohen Gadol.

MITSVAH: TORAH ORDINANCE IN THIS PARASHAH

CONTAINS 6 POSITIVE MITSVOT

400.  Numbers 27:8 – Inheritance Laws

401.  Numbers 28:2 The Daily Cremated Offering

402.  Numbers 28:9 The Additional Shabbat Offering

403.  Numbers 28:11-15 The Additional Offering of Rosh Chodesh

404.  Numbers 28:26 The Additional Offering of Shavuot

405.  Numbers 29:1 Sounding the Shofar on Rosh HaShanah

CHUKAT_NUMBERS XIX:1-XXII:1 and BALAK_NUMBERS XXII:2-XXV:9

The name of this Parsha points to the irrationality – from a human prism – of certain Mitzvot, such as the Para Aduma, the “red cow” that is used to purify the impure, while those who deal with the process acquire ritual impurity. The unknown focuses on the fact that the same substance purifies some while contaminating others. In reality, many events that seem “normal” at first glance result from miraculous interventions, such as the universe, whose continued existence depends on the Creator. The biblical text does not allow a pristine differentiation between the event that is the result of Yad Chazaka, the “strong hand” of God – as in the case of the exodus from Egypt – and the events in which man performs. Ultimately, without Divine providence, there is no existence. 

The Chachamim pointed out that the Torah “speaks with human language”; that is, it uses a language that is accessible, and, therefore, on many occasions, we stumble upon anthropomorphic expressions which attribute human qualities to God. This is necessary so that all people understand the message of the biblical text. At the same time, the existence of different levels of understanding are contemplated, levels that arise from the same written text but that depend on the erudition and spirituality of the reader because the reading or study of a text is, in effect, an interaction between the author and the reader. 

Thus, even the Mitsvah, which responds directly to human logic, can be seen from a different prism that gives it a deeper scope and meaning. Among the episodes that stand out in these chapters is the disobedience of Moshe and Aharon, who squandered an opportunity to “sanctify” God’s Name in the case of water that flowed from a stone. This disobedience resulted in Moshe’s punishment and prevented him from leading the Hebrew people to the conquest of the Promised Land. 

Moshe’s disappointment can be felt when God instructs him to climb the mountain from which he can see the land he cannot tread. He will die and be buried in an unknown place so that, perhaps, his burial will not become a place of pilgrimage and veneration, so that the human being who reached the highest level of spirituality will not be confused with the Creator, the unique Being and different from everything that was created.

According to Rabenu Chananel, Moshe’s sin was to have used an expression that could create confusion. It seemed that Moshe made the water gush from the stone. Therefore God’s direct intervention had not been necessary. Other commentators suggest that Moshe’s sin was to have referred to the Hebrews as “rebels,” a label inconsistent with the role of the leader of the people’s destiny. When human behavior is placed under a magnifying glass, errors can be perceived, even in the case of a spiritual giant like Moshe. 

The biblical teaching that emerges is an alert to the care that the person must exercise, especially in the use of language, which can lead to serious and unforeseen consequences.

Another outstanding episode of these chapters concerns the poisonous snakes that harassed the people. How was this pest eliminated? God instructed Moshe to make a copper serpent to be hung on a pole, and anyone who looked up at this effigy was healed. 

The Talmud questions the effectiveness of a “copper serpent” because this fact directly conflicts with Judaism’s firm stance against idolatry. The answer offered is that it was not the serpent itself that healed; it was the looking up that brought cure. In other words, by looking to heaven, the people recognized the sovereignty of God. The punishment of poisonous snakes was due to a fault in this regard.

We see that the cure for the bite of a venomous snake involves the depiction of another snake. So, the antidote to the word aggressive, for example, is probably found in another word, affectionate and effective.

MITZVAH: ORDINANCE OF THE TORAH IN THIS PARSHA

CONTAINS 3POSITIVE MITSVOT

1. Numbers 19:2 Laws governing Pará adumá, the “red cow”.
2. Numbers 19:14 Laws concerning ritual impurity because of a corpse.
3. Numbers 19:19 and 21 Laws about splashing water of atonement that purifies the one who is ritually unclean because of a corpse.

STRENGTH LIES IN UNION

Balak, king of Moav, gives his name to these chapters; however, the dominant character in the story is Bil’am, the Gentile prophet of spiritual stature comparable to Moshe Rabenu’s. The presence of this prophet precludes other peoples from justifying their errors and claiming that, had they had a spiritual leader comparable to that of the Hebrew people, they would have reached higher levels.

Our text tells that Bil’am was invited by Balak to curse the Hebrew people, concluding that the traditional way of facing an adversary could not be applied in the Hebrew case. In this sense, other peoples had failed in battle with weapons. Balak concluded that the energy of the Hebrews had a spiritual quality. Therefore, it was in this field that the confrontation should be conducted. Balak was disillusioned with Bil’am, who, instead of cursing, blessed the Hebrew people. Observing the people from the top of a mountain, Bil’am could not help his admiration for the Hebrew camp and be forced to exclaim: “Ma tovu ohalecha Yaacov, mishkenotecha Israel“, “How good are your tents, Yaakov, your habitations, Israel“, a phrase that is used to begin the daily morning prayers.

Bilham intended to curse the people, to use his powers to hurt the Hebrews. Why did he bless them? Perhaps, as a man inspired by God, he could not change what he saw and, therefore, applauded the peaceful and harmonious life that reigned in the Hebrew camp.

The Midrash, Ohalecha, and Mishkenotecha refer to synagogues and houses of study. Bil’am had to recognize that he was in the presence of a human group that had broken the patterns of idolatry and was climbing levels of spirituality hitherto unknown. Parents passed on to their children the values Moshe had instilled. 

The Rebbe of Slonim, author of Netivot Shalom, suggests that the nefarious power of Bil’am could only influence one individual but was ineffective against the collective. When Bil’am visualized the Hebrew community and observed the spirit of harmony and understanding among the people, his cursing powers were nullified. The obvious moral is that in the face of unity and coincidence in values, no enemy or adversity can destroy. 

Therefore, Bil’am advised the Mo’avites to send their maidens to seduce the people sexually, to lead them to adultery to idolatry. The idea was to divide the Hebrew people into those who succumbed to temptation and those who resisted it. The biblical text states that 24,000 Hebrews could not resist the advances of the Mo’avite women. 

Jewish history bears witness to this. The solidarity and unity among the people allowed them to survive all attacks against them. If one considers the diversity resulting from the dispersion of the Jewish people to the ends of the earth, it can be concluded that the coincidence and harmony reigning within the people have a philosophical or spiritual root. The biblical text, the Torah, is the cement that turned a diverse group into a unity.

Bialik expressed this in his famous poem Im yesh et nafshecha lada’at. According to Bialik, the House of Study is the “source” of the exceptional energy of the Jewish people. The mystic Arizal maintains that the souls of those trapped by the seduction of the Mo’avite women transmigrated to the 24,000 students who perished in the time of Rabbi Akiva and in whose memory the period of mourning of the Omer is observed. According to tradition, their death was due to a lack of respect for each other. Disunity was their sin. And when the union fractures, the Jewish people become vulnerable.

JUKAT_NÚMEROS XIX:1-XXII:1 y BALAK_NÚMEROS XXII:2-XXV:9

El nombre de esta Parshá apunta hacia la irracionalidad–desde el prisma humano– de ciertas Mitsvot, tal como la Pará Adumá, la “vaca bermeja” que se utiliza para purificar a los impuros, mientras que quienes se ocupan del proceso adquieren impureza ritual. La incógnita se centra en el hecho de que la misma sustancia purifica a unos mientras contamina a otros. En realidad, muchos eventos que lucen “normales” a primera vista son resultado de una intervención milagrosa, como el universo, cuya continua existencia depende del Creador. Aparentemente, el texto bíblico no permite una diferenciación prístina entre el suceso que es resultado de Yad Jazaká, la “mano fuerte” de Dios –como en el caso del éxodo de Egipto–, y los eventos que el hombre protagoniza. En última instancia, sin la providencia Divina no hay existencia. 

Los Jajamim señalaron que la Torá “habla con el lenguaje humano”, o sea que utiliza un idioma que es accesible y, por ello, en muchas oportunidades, tropezamos con expresiones antropomórficas, que atribuyen cualidades humanas a Dios. Esto es necesario para que todas las personas puedan comprender el mensaje del texto bíblico. Al mismo tiempo, se plantea la existencia de diferentes niveles de comprensión, niveles que surgen del mismo texto escrito pero que dependen de la erudición y espiritualidad del lector. Porque la lectura o el estudio de un texto es, en realidad, una interacción entre el autor y el lector. 

Así, incluso la Mitsvá que responde directamente a la lógica humana, puede ser vista desde un prisma diferente que le da un alcance y sentido más profundos. Entre los episodios que sobresalen en estos capítulos está la desobediencia de Moshé y Aharón, quienes desperdiciaron una oportunidad para “santificar” el Nombre de Dios en el caso del agua que brotó de una piedra. Esta desobediencia produjo el castigo de Moshé, y le impidió que condujera al pueblo hebreo hasta el final de la conquista de la Tierra Prometida. 

Se puede palpar la desilusión de Moshé cuando Dios le instruye que suba al monte desde el cual podrá ver la tierra que no podrá pisar. Morirá y será enterrado en un lugar desconocido para que, tal vez, su sepultura no se convierta en un lugar de peregrinaje y veneración, para que no se confunda al ser humano que alcanzó el mayor nivel de espiritualidad con el Creador, el Ser único y totalmente diferente de todo lo que fue creado.

De acuerdo con Rabenu Jananel, el pecado de Moshé consistió en haber utilizado una expresión que podía crear cierto grado de confusión. Daba la impresión de que quien hizo brotar el agua de la piedra fue Moshé y, por lo tanto, no había sido necesaria la intervención directa de Dios. Otros comentaristas sugieren que el pecado de Moshé consistió en haberse referido a los hebreos como “rebeldes”, calificativo inconsistente con el rol del conductor del destino del pueblo. Aparentemente cuando se coloca el comportamiento humano bajo una lupa, se pueden percibir errores, incluso en el caso de un gigante espiritual como Moshé. 

La enseñanza bíblica que se desprende es una alerta al cuidado que debe ejercer la persona, sobre todo en el uso del lenguaje, que puede conducir a consecuencias serias e imprevistas. 

Otro episodio resaltante de estos capítulos se refiere a las serpientes venenosas que acosaron al pueblo. ¿Cómo se eliminó esta plaga? Dios le instruyó a Moshé que elaborara una serpiente de cobre que debía ser colgada en un poste: todo aquel que elevaba su mirada hacia esta efigie quedaba curado. 

El Talmud cuestiona la efectividad de una “serpiente de cobre”, porque este hecho entra en conflicto directo con la firme actitud del judaísmo contra la idolatría. La respuesta que se ofrece es que no era la serpiente, en sí misma, la que curaba, sino el mirar hacia arriba. O sea que, al elevarla vista hacia lo celestial, el pueblo reconocía la soberanía de Dios. El castigo de las serpientes venenosas se debió a una falta en este sentido.

Vemos que la cura para la mordida de una serpiente venenosa involucra la representación de otra serpiente. De manera que, el antídoto para la palabra agresiva, por ejemplo, se encuentra probablemente en otra palabra, la palabra cariñosa y afectiva.

MITSVÁ: ORDENANZA DE LA TORÁ EN ESTA PARSHÁ

CONTIENE 3 MITSVOT POSITIVAS

1. Números 19:2 Leyes que rigen la Pará adumá, “vaca bermeja”.
2. Números 19:14 Leyes sobre impureza ritual por causa de un cadáver.
3. Números 19:19, 21 Leyes acerca de salpicar agua de expiación que purifica al que está ritualmente impuro por causa de un cadáver.

LA FUERZA RESIDE EN LA UNION

Balak, rey de Moav, da nombre a estos capítulos; sin embargo, el personaje dominante del relato es Bil’am, el profeta gentil de estatura espiritual comparable a la de Moshé Rabenu. La presencia de este profeta impide que otros pueblos justifiquen sus errores y aleguen que, de haber tenido un líder espiritual comparable al del pueblo hebreo, hubieran alcanzado niveles más elevados.

Nuestro texto cuenta que Bil’am fue invitado por Balak para maldecir al pueblo hebreo, después de haber concluido que la manera tradicional de enfrentar un adversario no podía ser aplicada en el caso hebreo. En este sentido, otros pueblos habían fracasado al batallar con armas. Balak concluyó que la energía de los hebreos tenía una calidad espiritual, por lo tanto, era en este campo que se debía conducir el enfrentamiento. Balak quedó desengañado de Bil’am, quien, en lugar de maldecir, bendijo al pueblo hebreo. Al observar al pueblo desde la cima de un monte, Bil’am no pudo evitar su admiración por el campamento hebreo y se vio obligado a exclamar: “Ma tovú ohaleja Yaacov, mishkenoteja Israel”, “Cuán buenas son tus tiendas, Yaacov, tus habitaciones, Israel”, frase que se utiliza para comenzar las plegarias diarias matutinas.

Está claro que la intención de Bil’am era maldecir al pueblo, utilizar sus poderes para herir a los hebreos. ¿Por qué los bendijo? Tal vez, porque como hombre inspirado por Dios, no pudo cambiar lo que veía y debió aplaudir la vida pacífica y armoniosa que reinaba en el campamento hebreo.

De acuerdo con el Midrash, Ohaleja y mishkenoteja se refiere a las sinagogas y casas de estudio. Bil’am tuvo que reconocer que estaba en presencia de un grupo humano que había roto los esquemas de la idolatría y que estaba escalando niveles de espiritualidad hasta entonces desconocidos. Los padres transmitían a sus hijos los valores que Moshé había inculcado. 

El Rebe de Slonim, autor de Netivot Shalom, sugiere que el poder nefasto de Bil’am sólo podía tener efecto sobre un individuo, pero era ineficaz frente al colectivo. Cuando Bil’am visualizó a la comunidad hebrea en su totalidad y observó el espíritu de armonía y entendimiento entre la gente, sus poderes para maldecir quedaron anulados. La obvia moraleja es que frente a la unidad y la coincidencia en los valores no existe enemigo o adversidad que sean invencibles. 

Por lo antedicho, Bil’am aconsejó a los Moavitas que enviaran a sus doncellas para seducir sexualmente al pueblo, para conducirlos a través del adulterio a la idolatría. La idea era dividir al pueblo hebreo entre quienes sucumbieran a la tentación y quienes la resistieran. El texto bíblico afirma que 24,000 hebreos no pudieron resistir los avances de las mujeres Moavitas. Con este comportamiento se separaron del pueblo y lo debilitaron.

La historia judía da testimonio de lo antedicho. La solidaridad y la unión que reinó en el seno del pueblo permitieron que éste sobreviviera a todos los atentados en su contra. Si se toma en cuenta la diversidad, resultado de la dispersión del pueblo judío por los confines de la tierra, se puede concluir que la coincidencia y la armonía reinante en el seno del pueblo tienen una raíz filosófica o espiritual. El texto bíblico es probablemente el cemento que convierte a un grupo disperso en una unidad. 

Así lo expresó Bialik en su célebre poema Im yesh et nafshejá ladáat. De acuerdo con Bialik, la casa de estudio es la “fuente” de la energía excepcional del pueblo judío. El místico Arizal sostiene que las almas de quienes fueron atrapados por la seducción de las mujeres Moavitas transmigraron a los 24,000 estudiantes que perecieron en la época de Rabí Akivá y en cuya memoria se observa el período de luto del Ómer. De acuerdo con la tradición, su muerte se debió a la inexistencia del respeto por el prójimo. La desunión fue su pecado. Y cuando la unión se fractura, el pueblo judío se torna vulnerable.