The Rational and the Unknowable

Chukat

Numbers 19:1 - 22:1

Précis: The parasha begins with a discussion of the Red Heifer, used for ritual purification after one comes into contact with a dead body. The story then shifts to the death of Miriam, and the mourning by the entire people for her. With her death, the well of water which had accompanied their travels disappears, and Moses strikes a rock to provide water to the People. Soon thereafter, Aaron also dies, and the Israelites engage in warfare with the Canaanites in a series of battles which conclude the parasha.

Numbers 19:2 “This is the statute of law which Adonai commanded….”

This week’s Torah portion delineates a ritual practice for which there seems no rationale whatsoever: that of the “parah adumah” (the “red heifer”). A special animal is ritually killed and burned. The ashes are mixed with water and used to “ritually cleanse” an individual who has come into contact with a corpse.

The rabbis made a distinction among the commandments between “mishpatim”for which there appears to be a rational explanation and “chukot” which were ordinances with no clear rational underpinning or explanation. Other “irrational” chukotinclude the prohibition against mixing linen and wool, and the laws of kashrut. While this distinction has long been accepted by tradition, great Jewish thinkers have nevertheless tried to find a justification for each and every commandment. Maimonides felt that a careful examination of the commandment could lead to an answer which was rational in human terms. Others disagree with him.

 

We are left with a potential troubling question about mitzvot: why do we observe them? For the traditional halachic Jew, the answer is easy: we “do mitzvot” because we are commanded to do so by God. Others may add a gloss which Maimonides himself suggests: when we observe mitzvot, we add to the perfection of the world, and enhance our spiritual lives. Those of a more “modern” approach may observe mitzvot because it honors our ancestors, or simply out of a feeling of “it’s what Jews do.”This last attitude seems common among many Jews who are not routinely observant, but feel on occasion that they must “do it the right Jewish way,”particularly when it involves rituals surrounding death.

 

There may actually be a link between the Red Heifer we read about in this parasha and why usually non-religious Jews observe traditional death rituals. Death is mysterious, and death unsettles us. We instinctively seek the comfort of ritual, hoping to “do it right” to ease us through a difficult time. One who follows the school of Maimonides might suggest that the ritual of the Red Heifer has the same rational purpose as Jewish death rituals: it helps a human being through a difficult time. In broader terms, we can see that ritual, whether “rational” or“irrational” serves to connect us to others. It is up to each of us, however, to find the meaning in observance of any particular ritual. Shabbat Shalom.

Rebels: Then and Now

Korah

Numbers 16:1 - 18:32

Précis: Korah foments a rebellion, claiming that Moses and Aaron have taken too much power for themselves. Dothan and Abiram also attack Moses’ leadership, claiming that Moses has brought them from a land of milk and honey (Egypt!) only to let them die in the wilderness. A test of fire offerings is arranged, and Korah and his followers are destroyed as the earth opens and swallows them. The People continue to complain, God threatens to destroy them once again, but Moses and Aaron intercede. A plague takes the lives of 14,000 people. A final test – that of staffs – is performed, and when Aaron’s staff miraculously blossoms on the following morning, it is clear that his status as High Priest is secure.

Numbers 16:1-3 “Now Korah…with Datan and Abiram…took themselves up against Moses and against Aaron and said, ‘You take too much upon yourselves, seeing that all in the congregation are holy….’”

This year’s reading of the rebellion of Korah takes place at a time of rebellion against authority around the world. Much of the Arab world is in turmoil, an outgrowth of what has been dubbed the “Arab Spring” of 2011. Just this week, elections in Egypt are being bitterly contested, as each side claims victory, and the generals seem intent on retaining their own power.

               

In China, the rising middle class takes to the streets to complain about the corruption of the ruling Communist hierarchy. In Greece, demonstrations for and against their continuation in the Eurozone continue. In the United States, groups as disparate as the Tea Party and the Occupiers proclaim against institutional “rulers” (be it intrusive government or the moneyed “One Percent”).

                

Korah’s rebellion is unique in our Bible, being an attempt to overthrow both the secular (Moses) and religious (Aaron) leadership of the People, both of whom have been designated not by election, but by God Himself. (As a footnote, some scholars believe that this is actually two separate stories which have been joined together by the Great Compiler when our Bible was reduced to written form. This thesis suggests that the rebellion against Moses comes from the tribe of Reuben (Dothan and Abiram), who complain that by right of primogeniture they should be leaders; the fight against Aaron comes from Korah, himself of the tribe of Levi, and seems to be a struggle over which particular Levite family was entitled to the High Priesthood ).

               

The text makes clear who was “right" and who was “wrong” in the story, but the text never really makes clear whether there is a justification for either complaint, at least as seen from the eyes of those who are in rebellion. This is not a surprise, since Moses and Aaron prevail, and history is written by the victors.

This is one lesson to be drawn from the parasha. Whoever prevails in the Arab Spring, the democracy movement in China, the fight against the centralized power of the European Union, the Tea Party or the Occupiers, we can be sure that history will tell the tale based upon whoever wins.

               

A second lesson we draw is that the text makes clear who was “right” and who was“wrong” in the narrative; we know who God intends to rule. Many today who are in rebellion against authority claim that God is on their side. The Korah story should lead us to be skeptical of those who claim to know God’s intent. While the story of Korah shows God’s judgment through His miraculous intervention, it seems unlikely that those who claim God’s mandate have the same kind of proof readily available.

A healthy skepticism of motivation is a third and perhaps most important lesson of this parasha.