Beth Elohim Messianic Synagogue
Parasha # 39: Hukkat (Regulation) B’Midbar (Numbers) 19:1-22:1
Haftarah: Shof’tim (Judges) 11:14-1:33
B’rit Hadashah: Yochanan (John) 3:9-21; 4:3-30; 12:27-50
This week’s Parsha teaches us that someone who comes in contact with a dead body is impure, and the impurity lasts for seven days, during which he undergoes a purification process. Death is the great and final weapon in the arsenal of hasatan. We find that the ashes of the red cow are sprinkled on him during the third and seventh day. We must remember that Yahshua haMashiach was in the earth for three days and the number seven signifies spiritual perfection. We have here a foreshadowing in this teaching. Afterwards, the impure person must immerse himself in water, and only then does he attain purity. This is a picture of us being immersed in the Ruach Ha Kodesh.
The procedure dealing with the red cow contains many laws, but there is one set of laws that seem to contradict themselves.
On the one hand, the ashes of the cow are used as a purifying agent, but on the other hand the Cohen who sprinkles the ashes, becomes impure.
How can the same ashes that purify one person, simultaneously cause another to become impure? To give a logical explanation for this seemingly contradiction is difficult for the Torah explicitly writes that this commandment is a “Hok”, a law without an explanation. Even King Solomon, who was gifted with supreme wisdom, admitted that of all the laws in the torah, this is the only one he didn’t understand.
From our perspective as Messianic Believer’s in Israel’s Messiah, Yahshua, could this be a type, a picture of Him pure and sinless, taking on the impurity (our sin) as our High Priest, and like the Cohen, made impure while the impure person is made whole again. A picture of the sprinkling of the ashes or if you will the sprinkling of Yahshua’s blood upon us. I think so, and marvel that we have wisdom that even King Solomon did not have.
Another important lesson this portion teaches us. As Yahshua and as the Cohen demonstrate, the giving of yourself demands more than merely giving, it also demands sacrifice. When Yahshua shed His blood He gave totally of Himself in His sacrifice. When the Cohen sprinkles the ashes he is also giving of his purity (sacrificing) to an impure person, because the process depletes him of his own purity and he himself must then undergo a process of purification. This teaches us that we are not merely to give but to sacrifice for the need of another.
Things to think about:
1. Why was Moshe and Aaron punished so severely for hitting the rock? Certainly, in our eyes people have committed for worse sins and received milder punishments.
2. In our parsha, two great people died. How do you think their deaths affected the nation?
3. In order to stop the plague, Moshe fashioned a copper snake on a pole. How could looking at a copper snake cure someone of his illness? Compare this to Shemot 17:11 where a similar question arises. Does this also foreshadow Yahshua?
Sages Wisdom:
“The whole nation mourned Aaron for 30 days.” (20:29)
Everyone in the camp mourned for Aaron. He had touched the lives of men, women, young, and old. How so? The Midrash explains that Aaron was the consummate peacemaker. He was especially adept at making peace between husband and wife. He could go to the husband and say that he had just spoken to his wife and that despite their argument; she still loved him very much. He would then go over to the wife and tell her the same thing about her husband. When they next say each other, husband and wife would rush to make up. It was this unique quality of being a true man of peace that made him beloved by all.
“And Miriam died there…and there was no water to drink.” (20:1-2)
From here our Sages teach that throughout the 40 years that B’nai Yisrael wandered in the desert, a well of water went with them. This well was given to the because of the merit of Miriam, Moshe’s sister. When she died, the well dried up and the people began to complain about the lack of water.
Why was Aaron punished?
After all he wasn’t the one to hit the rock. Our Sages tell us that the Torah purposely tells us that Moshe hit the rock twice, Had he hit it only once, Aaron would not have been blamed for contributing to Moshe’s sin. But when Aaron saw Moshe lifting his had to hit the rock a second time, he should have stopped him. For not doing so, he was punished as if he himself had hit the rock.
Gematria:
Lahaen lo taveu et ha’kahal ha’zeh el ha’aretz, “Therefore, you will not bring this nation to the land.” (20:12)
G-d tells Moshe and Aaron that since they didn’t sanctify His Name, therefore they won’t lead the congregation into Israel. The numeric value of the word Lahen is one hundred. That is the same value as the phrase Mida B’mida, which means, “measure for measure.” Since by their sin they removed G-d’s sanctify from B’nai Yisrael, so they will be removed from their positions of leadership and someone else will bring B’nai Yisrael into Israel.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Tama’ bat Shalom