Chukath

1. Chukath is the middle of the three ק parshioth, parshoth  named after words in which the ק is prominent: Horach, Chukath, Balak.  Chok, the root of chukath, is the law, you can take (kach)  it or leave it.  It is invariant (chok velo yaavor)  unless it is erased ( mochek) by the lawgiver (mechokek).

2. Hillel says: be like the students of Aaron. When Aaron becomes useless ( the Red Heifer service is done by Aaron’s son, Elazar), he surrenders the priestly vestments ( expensive clothing) and dies (voluntarily?). Euthanasia.

3. The conquest of Sichon and Og are portrayed as defensive wars. The Israelites ask for passage and they are attacked.  Sichon and Og are interlopers, so their conquest does not violate the ancestral rights to the land.  Their status as conquerors  is established by independent sources... like the Book of the Wars of Hashem.

The victor writes the history and transmits the laws.


I did a better job last year.

2009 

2007