Parshas Chukat: Our Troubles are of Our Own Making

The Torah portion this week, Chukat: Bamidbar (Numbers) 19:1 - 22:1, opens with the account of the Red Heifer, a legal decree from God without rational explanation. Close proximity with a human corpse causes contamination which must be purified by a priest who prepares a concoction made from the ashes of a special cow. The contamination must be rectified to avoid defiling the area of the Tabernacle.

People are dying every day as the original emigrants from Egypt pass away and the various plagues and disasters and wars take their human toll. Without undergoing this purifying rite, spiritual death and childlessness result. These are considered dire consequences at this time! The process of mixing the potion and performing the purification contaminates the priest, who must purify himself in a Mikvah before he enters the Tabernacle.

Miriam dies, causing the well water to dry up. Aaron dies, causing the protective cloud to disappear, emboldening enemy tribes to attack. These calamities set off another rebellion against God and Moses. Moses makes a consequential error when he allows resentment towards the rebels to distract him from God's instruction to speak to the rock to get water. He hits the rock in addition to speaking to the rock, dashing his hope of entering the Holy Land. Venomous snakes and vicious animals attack the rebels. Many die. The people recognize their folly and repent. Moses forgives them and prays to God to stop the carnage and heal the wounded.

After almost 40 years of feigned regret and repeat offenses, this time the Almighty requires serious thought and sincere repentance demonstrated by real change in attitudes and action. The portion closes with lifesaving miracles. Dry wells fill with water and unwinnable battles are won at journey's end.

In this Torah portion, an understanding of spiritual cause and effect emerges as the next generation replaces the previous one. They have better insight than their predecessors into their behavior and the results. When they seek God's help and show gratitude for His mercies, water flows and wars won. When they slip back into selfish and ungodly attitudes and behaviors, war casualties mount and venomous snakes and vicious animals attack. When they sincerely repent and change, miracles abound. This spiritual evolution prepares them for imminent entrance into the Promised Land.

Our Haftarah this week, Judges 11:1–33, recalls the war between the Ammonites and the Israelites. The residents in the land of Israel, again engaging in unholy practices, are being threatened by the Ammonites, who want to reclaim the land they lost 300 years ago. This generation quickly recognizes the cause of the trouble and repents. They stop ungodly behaviors and call on God for help. He answers their prayers in the form of a warrior who leads them into victory over the Ammonites.

Looking at recent history from a biblical point of view our many troubles are of our own making, the result of national policies contrary to holiness and insulting to the Creator, our only reliable source of protection. Political and military solutions aren't working. As we learn in our Torah portion, only sincere repentance and seeking God's help on a national level will solve our many problems.

The Canaanite tribes who appear in this narrative practice child sacrifice, explaining why they had to be eradicated from the land that would become the center of God consciousness in the world. If allowed to continue, this abhorrent practice threatened to debase the holy way of life meant for a holy people.

Tragically, this debasement happened and has spread around the globe. Now we have legal child sacrifice on a mass scale made possible by modern methods.

So many people are affected by abortion now because almost everyone has been in contact with someone who has had something to do with the little dead bodies of our unborn children. Just think about it, The parents, close and extended family members of the baby, the abortion practitioner and assistants and staff in hospitals and free standing facilities, the medical waste delivery drivers and everyone associated with them, the medical researchers who obtain the still alive bodies for dissecting, the recipients of vaccines and other products made from those baby parts. Our world suffers a spiritual sickness of contamination due to our association with millions of little dead bodies. This contributes to the myriad mental and emotional illnesses and errant behaviors we see and experience everyday. This spiritual sickness must be healed if human flourishing is to resume.

Not recognized or acknowledged by most who are affected, only a comparative few seek healing. Those who care for lost souls, supporting their repentance and spiritual restoration, get infected with a certain amount of negative energy, too, which needs to be cleansed to maintain health. Working in the pro-life movement and the field of abortion recovery isn't easy. Is it any wonder that most religious and community leaders avoid it?

We recall Moses who allowed resentments to destroy his hope of a future in the Promised Land. We cannot think or act to good purpose when our minds and emotions are clouded with negative thoughts. We've been battling Moloch for over three thousand years and still it prevails. Swords secure short term victory and abortion bans shift the battle ground. The long war can only be won through the transformative spiritual experience of each person. Emulating Aaron, let us have a kindly and tolerant spirit as we fight our battles and let us never retreat. God loves all of us, even those who don't agree with us, and He will purify each and every one of us in His time.

Cecily Routman

May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and good life upon us and upon all Israel. Amen.