SAN DIEGO — This week’s Torah portion is filled with drama and has a serious message for readers. The section is from Numbers, Parshot Chukat, and begins with the death of Miriam, Moses’ sister. This triggers a series of complaints. Without Miriam, who would show the Jews how would they find water? The community rose up in anger, blaming God for this new catastrophe. They didn’t trust God to help them.
Moses and Aaron leave to chat with God. They are given a rod and told to hold it up to a nearby rock, telling the people that God will provide water for them from that rock. What happens next is a surprise. Whether Moses is angry with the people for their constant complaining, or he isn’t quite sure if God will send the water flowing, or both, Moses strikes the rock and the water appears. Now God is the angry One. And the punishment for not following God’s directions is severe. Neither Moses nor Aaron will be allowed to go into the Promised Land of Israel.
What happened here? Here’s a way to help understand this better. Let’s say you get to go to Disneyland for your birthday. Each day brings you closer to your trip. You look forward to it! You’re excited about it! Finally, it’s your birthday and you’re on your way. But right before you get there, you break a serious rule by throwing something out the car window. Your parents are stopped by a police officer and get a ticket for littering. They still drive to Disneyland so your younger brother can go and have fun. But you have to sit in the car, staring at the Magic Castle from the parking lot. Not fun, right?
This is what happened to Moses. God tells Moses to talk to the rock so when water shoots out, the people will know God brought forth the water. But Moses strikes the rock and commands it to give water. For punishment, God takes away the most important thing Moses is looking forward to. Moses has been leading the Jewish people through the desert for forty years. He can lead them all the way there, but he can’t go in.
What can you do? Before breaking a rule or doing something you know is wrong, stop and think about what you are doing, and what might happen if you continue. If you are angry, take ten slow, deep breaths. Walk into a different room, take another ten breaths. Take some paper and draw a picture of why you’re so angry. Once you calm down and think it through, it will be easier to make good choices.
Because each Torah Parshah read on Shabbat is long, all the Parshot are divided into three sections. The first sections of each Parshah are read throughout the year. The second sections are read the next year and the third, in the third year. This year, two Parshot are combined and read this coming Shabbat. The first is described above. The second is the story of Balaam and his donkey. Balaam is riding his donkey one day, heading toward a village where he’s been asked to join an army against another village. God doesn’t want him to continue, and puts an angel in his path, blocking his way. Balaam doesn’t see the angel, but his donkey does. Balaa, tries to pass three times and gets very angry with his donkey for stopping. He is surprised when the donkey talks and tells his owner about the angel. Once Balaam understands why the donkey stopped, he feels sorry for being angry.
What happened here? Balaam didn’t stop to find out why the donkey wouldn’t go down the path. This same donkey had served Balaam faithfully for many years. But Balaam was so caught up in what he wanted (to continue down the path), he didn’t take time to find out why his donkey wouldn’t go.
What can you do? Before you get angry with someone, find out the reason behind their actions. There may be something going on that you don’t know or understand. Take the time to talk to the person. You might be surprised at what you learn.
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Marcia Berneger is a retired elementary school teacher as well as a teacher at Torah school. She is the author of such children’s books as Buster the Little Garbage Truck, and A Dreidel in Time. She may be contacted via marcia.berneger@sdjewishworld.com