GOT ASH?

  Today, we have received the most perplexing law—that of the red heifer.  The ashes of this heifer will aid in one’s purification process.    That’s the easy part.  The incomprehensible part is that all who are involved in the preparation process are rendered tamai-spiritually impure.  We asked Moshe about this conundrum and he said, “Your description of this law, namely conundrum, is the exact definition of chok-statute.  When about to receive the 10 commandments, everyone said “na’aseh v’nishmah—we will do and we will listen”— thus automatically agreeing to follow even the incomprehensible laws.   It is this type of law that breaks all the normal rules, for which our non-Hebrew-neighbors will mock us.  It will appear to them to be a type of idol worship; for we are slaughtering and burning the heifer outside of our camp.  Still and all, regardless of their remarks, we must follow the law as dictated by the King, even when we don’t understand.”

 MIRIAM DEAD; WE’RE PUNISHED

   If we would have only known how important Miriam was to us as a people, we would never have allowed her to die and be buried without the fanfare that is accorded to royalty.  As the modest woman that she was, the assumption was that upon her death a simple burial without any eulogies would be the best way to go.  Well, apparently this “ain’t” so.  After we unceremoniously buried our dear Miriam, the well that had been traveling throughout the desert with us, in her merit, disappeared.  

We are now dealing with what to do without water.  If we would only have shown appreciation for what we had, we may still have our water supply!

 MOSHE & AHARON DON’T LISTEN TO HASHEM

  It was a simple mistake, anyone could have made it.  The only problem is that Moshe made it and boy is he in trouble now.  The mission was simple, or so it seemed.  Simply talk to the rock in front of everyone and tell it to give the people water.  That’s all he had to do.  But what transpired is that speaking to the rock didn’t seem to work, so he hit it twice with his staff, the same one he used to bring the plagues to Egypt, and the water started to flow.  His punishment is that neither Aharon, who was with him and should have stopped him from using the staff, nor he would enter Canaan, alive or dead.  We asked Moshe what happened. 

DH-Why did you veer away from the plan?  

When I first hit it, it looked like tears were coming out of the rock, probably indicative of the crime that I had committed against Hashem, but the second time it flowed like a river.

DH- What crime did you commit? The water came out.  Doesn’t the end justify the means?

Moshe- My crime was not following my orders in the exact way they were given.  While it’s true that the water did come out, it did not have the effect that Hashem wanted.  Hashem wanted you to see the miracle and understand that the rock which can neither hear or speak and doesn’t need food listened to Hashem, how much more so must we who can do all of the above.  As to your last question of doesn’t the end justify the means, the answer to that is 100% absolutely not!  Once we veer a little off-course from what Hashem ordered, we have already sinned.  Hashem understands this universe like no one else, seeing as He is the Creator.  While we all like to innovate at times, it clearly leads to disaster, as exhibited by my momentary lack of judgment.  If you want more proof of this “theory” just look to Nadav and Avihu, Korach and his company, and/or those involved in the golden calf.  We all made the same mistake.  We thought we knew better.

DH- Thank you for speaking with us