Chukat-Balak: Embracing the Mystery

This week’s parasha, Chukkat, challenges us with a paradox. When read in combination with Balak, which features a talking donkey and a foreign prophet who comes to curse our people but can only bless, we realise Torah is taking us into the realm of the seemingly inexplicable. In Chukat, we learn of the mysterious ritual of the Red Heifer, a prelude to the story of the deaths of Miriam and Aaron and the death sentence for Moses, who will not enter the Promised Land. Much is taught about the failure of Aaron and Moses to sanctify God; the story of the waters of Meribah, in a sense, is as perplexing as the stories of Balak which follow it, and the Red Heifer, which precedes it. It makes no sense that two of our greatest leaders are condemned not to enter the Promised Land because of one mistake. Similarly, the story of the Red Heifer is beyond rational.

While the life-giving waters of the mikvah purify in most circumstances, only a preparation including the ashes of a specially slaughtered burnt cow purifies one who has had contact with a corpse. Even stranger, while the ashes of the burnt heifer purify the one on whom they are sprinkled, the one who prepares and sprinkles them becomes impure by contact with the very same ashes. According to tradition, the wise Solomon said of this passage, “I succeeded in understanding the whole Torah, but as soon as I reached this chapter of the Red Heifer, I searched, probed and questioned. I said I will get wisdom but it was far from me.” (Midrash, B’Midbar Rabbah 19:3). Despite this, sages throughout the generations have searched for meaning in this passage apparently beyond meaning.

The materials used for purification reveal a pattern of opposites. The four elements – the red heifer, cedar wood, hyssop and dyed thread – contain two opposite pairs. The red heifer is the rarest of creatures, while the worm from which comes the dye for the thread is the most base. The cedar is the mightiest of trees, and the hyssop the lowliest of plants. Only when these distinct and opposite realms are brought together in one mixture does purification become possible.

But what does the bringing together of these opposite realms suggest? The great Italian rabbi of the early 16th century, Rabbi Ovadiah Sforno, teaches that one must live a life of moderation. Others comment on the dangers inherent in following one extreme or exclusive path, and not seeing the truth revealed in tension or dialectic. Rather than being bound to one truth, one teacher or one leader, we should recognise the positive aspect of opposing positions in life and tensions in tradition.

That there is no “one truth” may be the essence of this passage. Perhaps the meaning within this passage is precisely its enigma, hinting that life itself presents us the greatest mystery of all. Tradition suggests that the Divine is more awesome than the human, and therefore there needs to be a point where humans should submit to that power, however one understands that. A shadow side of that teaching occurs in a fundamentalist perspective that how one submits to “God’s power” has been written down once and for all. Another approach, though, considers the story of the Red Heifer and other inexplicable events to understand that Torah is suggesting that we humans need to embrace the reality that not everything in life can be explained and categorised. Life is not black and white, but – depending on your take – far more made up with shades of grey, or even better, a magical spectrum of vibrancy and colour.

Many understand that Judaism celebrates the asking of questions more than the dictate of authority. Perhaps that is why this passage precedes the one telling of the deaths of our greatest and most authoritative leaders – Miriam, Aaron and Moses. It reminds us to live courageously and with faith means precisely to live in the embrace of the great mystery and the expanse of that which may be.

What a perfect Shabbat for me to become Rabbi Emeritus and celebrate my dear friend and colleague, our new Senior Rabbi, who will take our wonderful synagogue into that which may be.