Rabbi's Corner

In this week’s parashah, Parashat Chukat, we find the following: “HaShem spoke to Moshe and Aharon saying: ‘This is the ritual law of the Torah that Hashem has commanded: Instruct B’nei Yisrael to take for you a parah adumah (“red heifer”) without blemish in which there is no defect and on which no yoke has been laid.’” (BeMidbar 19:1-2) The Hebrew words for “ritual law of the Torah” are Chukat HaTorah.  This decree that requires the use of the ashes of a burnt pure red heifer in the ritual purification process is the only decree in the Torah that is introduced by these words.  Why?  Because this mixture of ashes and water which is created to purify a contaminated person also makes the person who created it impure.  Confusing?  Yes!  Even Shlomo HaMelech (King Solomon) confessed that he could not understand the rationale behind this decree. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaches: “Take my advice and do not let the world fool you.” (Sichot HaRan, Discourse 51) In order to better understand Rebbe Nachman’s words, perhaps this Chasidic parable will help:

Grisha had never been out of Moscow in his life.  Out on the vast Siberian plains where he grew up, a person was either healthy or he defunct.  There was no-in-between: no doctors, no hospitals, and no medicines.  There were not even any spoons or forks for that matter.  The Siberian peasants thought that a fork was only good for pitching hay or straw.  It never occurred to them that a hand-sized version of the implement could make eating easier.  One day, out of the blue, a rare letter arrived for Grisha.  Inside was a train ticket for Moscow with a twenty-ruble banknote for pocket money sent by a long-lost uncle who wanted to see his nephew before passing on into the Olam HaBa (“the World-to-Come”).  Grisha was thrilled, and he prepared himself for the imminent journey.

Needless-to-say, everything in Russia’s west was odd, new, strange, and fascinating to the peasant from the Siberian plains.  Grisha saw, for the first time, horseless carriages, marvelous structures, majestic fountains, huge stores, and all sorts of other things he could never see in Siberia.  These and many more things were both exciting and puzzling to him.  There seemed to be so much confusion in this world of Moscow.  Grisha’s uncle was the administrator of the hospital in Moscow.  He had decided that he wanted show his nephew the wonders of modern medicine by giving him a tour through the various wards of the hospital.  As they proceeded through the hospital, his uncle took Grisha to the surgical ward where they proceeded to a glass-paned observation room.  From there, they were able to witness an operation that was about to take place at the very same time.

His uncle explained to Grisha how doctors are able to remove infected parts of the body in order to save the rest of the body and, ultimately, the patient’s life.  Grisha scratched his head, confused.  He heard and understood his uncle’s words, but he was unsure of their meaning.  Suddenly, he saw a sleeping patient being wheeled in on a bed (gurney).  A nurse lifted the patient’s gown and spread alcohol on the patient’s abdomen.  A doctor leaned over the patient with a small knife (scalpel) in his hand and made an incision in the patient’s chest.  Suddenly, Grisha shrieked hysterically: “Murderer!  He is murdering that person in his sleep!  Uncle, you have got to stop this right now!”  With that, Grisha started banging on the glass panes with his fists.  It took four brawny male nurses to retrain him.

“Calm down, nephew,” urged Grisha’s uncle.  As soon as Grisha had done so, his uncle explained to him what an appendectomy was and how, if the doctor did not complete the operation within the next few minutes, the infected appendix could burst and release poisons that would flow throughout the patient’s blood stream causing the patient’s death.  “The doctor is no murderer, explained Grisha’s uncle patiently, “on the contrary, he is a compassionate healer!”

Just as the decree of the red heifer is deceiving in that the impure becomes pure and the pure becomes impure, we live in a world where fantasy can become reality and reality can become fantasy.  For example, things that look real today (e.g.- wealth and fame) can be gone tomorrow.  Ultimately, they are illusions.  What is real is HaShem’s love for us. And although we might not witness it or experience it in a way that is always understandable to us, it is there, and it will always be there.  Why?  Because we are Hashem’s treasured people, H-s covenanted people, H-s Chosen People.  Even in the worst moments of our confusion, may we never forget that fact!