8/7/2019 Chukkat 5765

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D’var Torah notes: Parashat Chukat 5765

1. Overview of what just happened, what happens, and what’s about to happen.

2. The NACHASHIM – the serpents sent by God . Read Ch. 21: 4 – 9.

3. The NACHASH as a symbol that has two possibilities:a. Destruction vs. healing

4. Compare with other famous serpents, NACHASHIM – we see examples of destruction and healing:a. Genesis 3:1 – Ha-nachash as a symbol of destruction.b. Exodus 4:3 – Moses’ rod, his MATEH, which God turns into a

NACHASH at the burning bush. Not much later, in front of Pharoah,

Aaron casts his rod down and it transforms into a serpent and it acts as anagent of liberation, swallowing up the serpent of the Pharaoh’s magicians.(diff. Hebrew word appears here than NACHASH – TANIN).

c. Our parashah and in elsewhere in the ancient world, serpent = symbol of healing. Greek Rod of Asclepius, and the Caduceus symbol.

5. The NACHASH as a metaphor for how we use or abuse power. TheNACHASH of destruction happens when absolutism in our politics or our approach to religion lead us to insane acts of violence and hatred. LONDONBOMBINGS. In the certainty that we are right and we claim to know the willof God without any questioning, any doubt, we find a dangerous zealotry that

masquerades as religion while, in fact, rebelling against God. When peoplemake their religion or their politics into this kind of serpent, they unleash aplague on others and themselves.a. Likened to the NACHASH that destroys the community in our parashah,

or to the NACHASH back in the Garden of Eden, who convinces Eve toeat from the ETZ HA-DA’AT TOV VA-RAH, from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Absolute knowledge of good and evil issomething we should be wary of. It betrays the humility and the seekingafter clarity from the Divine that we are asked to engage in by the prophetMicah: “to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

6. When we are in a sacred relationship with power, we may suddenly see,within the same symbols, the same stories, a path to growth and healing.Moses doesn’t create a different symbol to bring the people back from their destructive confusion. He creates a symbol of a NACHASH – the sameanimal that was plaguing them! – which, when looked at (contemplated?Medidated upon?) from a different attitude suddenly releases and heals.

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7. The people ask Moshe to pray on their behalf for God to take the serpentsaway. Compare English vs. Hebrew on Numbers 21: 7. English: “Intercedewith God to take away the serpents from us!” Hebrew: HITPALEYL ELADONAI V’YASAYR ET HA-NACHASH. (singlular – “the serpent”).

8. Connection between MATEH – Moses’ rod – and NACHASH. When Mosesmis-uses his MATEH by striking the rock and saying, “Shall we get water for you out of this rock?” MIDRASH on Moses’ being not humble – confusinghis power and Aaron’s power vs. God’s power. Mis-use of MATEH can bevery dangerous.

9. Hezekiah’s destruction of Nechushtan. II Kings 18:4 – 5a. “He abolished the shrines and smashed the pillars and cut down the sacred

post. He also broke into pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made,for until that time the Israelites had been offering sacrifices to it; it wascalled Nechushtan. He rusted only in the Eternal One the God of Israel.”