Discussion of selected verses of the parsha Korach through the lens of Mussar, where the middah of Shtika/ Silence / שתיקה will be explored.
(יט) בְּרֹ֣ב דְּ֭בָרִים לֹ֣א יֶחְדַּל־פָּ֑שַׁע וְחוֹשֵׂ֖ךְ שְׂפָתָ֣יו מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃
(19) Where there is much talking, there is no lack of transgressing,
But he who curbs his tongue shows sense.
But he who curbs his tongue shows sense.
“Silence at the time of anger is like water on a fire.” Pele Yoetz
If the Jewish people are truly a people of the word, then by definition we must also be a people who commit to understanding, practicing, and conditioning silence. Silence and speaking are mutually dependent. As we see in our larger societal context, if there is not a silence for our words to arise from, then there is only cacophony, words upon words, and a climate of out-shouting one another. The world we currently inhabit is an unfortunate example of this – words themselves have become debased, devalued, and utterly forgettable. ~Rabbi Joshua Boettiger
Bullet Points:
The offering of the red heifer and laws about ritual purity
After 40 years of journeying in the wilderness, B'nai Yisrael reach Kadesh in Zin.
Miriam dies and is buried there.
There is no longer source for water, and Moses receives instructions for obtaining water from a rock.
There is no longer source for water, and Moses receives instructions for obtaining water from a rock.
Aaron dies.
There are negotiations and battles with kings in order to gain safe passage through their land.
There is discontent among the people and remedy is found.
There is a confrontation with Sichon and Og
The rituals and laws of the red heifer have proven a mystery through the ages. We'll read the beginning verses and then focus on Moses' response to the lack of water.
(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃(ב) זֹ֚את חֻקַּ֣ת הַתּוֹרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יהוה לֵאמֹ֑ר דַּבֵּ֣ר ׀ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֣וּ אֵלֶ֩יךָ֩ פָרָ֨ה אֲדֻמָּ֜ה תְּמִימָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֵֽין־בָּהּ֙ מ֔וּם אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־עָלָ֥ה עָלֶ֖יהָ עֹֽל׃(ג) וּנְתַתֶּ֣ם אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־אֶלְעָזָ֖ר הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וְהוֹצִ֤יא אֹתָהּ֙ אֶל־מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְשָׁחַ֥ט אֹתָ֖הּ לְפָנָֽיו׃(ד) וְלָקַ֞ח אֶלְעָזָ֧ר הַכֹּהֵ֛ן מִדָּמָ֖הּ בְּאֶצְבָּע֑וֹ וְהִזָּ֞ה אֶל־נֹ֨כַח פְּנֵ֧י אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֛ד מִדָּמָ֖הּ שֶׁ֥בַע פְּעָמִֽים׃
(1) יהוה spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:(2) This is the ritual law that יהוה has commanded: Instruct the Israelite people to bring you a red cow without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which no yoke has been laid.(3) You shall give it to Eleazar the priest. It shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.(4) Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting.
Though the ritual has not been practised since the days of the Temple, it nonetheless remains significant, in itself and for an understanding of what a chok, usually translated as “statute,” actually is. Other instances include the prohibition against eating meat and milk together, wearing clothes of mixed wool and linen (shatnez) and sowing a field with two kinds of grain (kilayim)....The most famous is that a chok is a law whose logic we cannot understand. It makes sense to God, but it makes no sense to us. We cannot aspire to the kind of cosmic wisdom that would allow us to see its point and purpose. Or perhaps, as Rav Saadia Gaon put it, it is a command issued for no other reason than to reward us for obeying it. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
(ב) מים חיים אל כלי. דמת הוא אבי אבות הטומאה. וכל זה מצד הגוף שעומד למיתה. והנשמה כתיב בה ויפח באפיו נשמת חיים. והוא שורש כל הנשמות בחי' חי החיים. עמך מקור חיים. וכל הטהרה מכח הנשמה כמ"ש נשמה שנתת בי טהורה. ובשבת יש התגלות מנשמה זו. לכן אומרים נשמת כל חי תברך. כ"ל ח"י גי' חיי"ם. זה נשמת חיים. דאיתא בזו"ח שנתרעם הכ' במ"ש ויהי האדם לנפש חי'. כי נשתנה מבחי' נשמת חיים לנפש חיה ע"ש. וכפי התגברות הנשמה על הגוף כך זוכה לטהרה. ובמתן תורה נתחדש זו הנשמה באמרו אנכי יהוה אלהיך. ולכן כתיב אמרתי אלהים אתם. ח"י חיי"ם גי' אלהי"ם. וזהו שורש כל המצות לדבק הגוף אל חיות הנשמה. כמ"ש וחי בהם שנעשה הגוף כלי. ע"י המצות. ואז הנשמה מים חיים אל כלי. וזה רמז המים ואפר התקשרות הנשמה בהגוף. שמזה בא הטהרה. זאת חקת התורה. דהתורה היא משיבת נפש והעוסק בתורה יוכל לחזור הנפש לבחי' נשמת חיים כבראשונה ואז נעשה טהור כמו נשיקה במים שמטהר:
Contact with a dead body is the most severe impurity. It is caused by the body disconnecting from the soul, which is the source of life. The method of purification is to return the soul to its prominence over the body. This occurred at Har Sinai when the Jewish people became immortal (until it was lost after the sin of the golden calf). The purpose of all mitzvos is to connect the body to the soul. This is reflected in the verse (Numbers 19:17): "and you shall put living water on [the ashes of the red heifer] in a vessel." And this is hinted to in the mixture of ashes and water, connecting the soul and body. And this is why this section of the Torah begins with "this is the law of the Torah", because the Torah is what allows to return to our living soul.
We are holy when alive, because we have souls. In Sefer HaChinuucuh, it says that at death, the body sinks to a level of impurity. Without a soul, we are like beasts...and when our soul departs, the body becomes mere waste.
וְשָׂרַ֥ף אֶת־הַפָּרָ֖ה לְעֵינָ֑יו אֶת־עֹרָ֤הּ וְאֶת־בְּשָׂרָהּ֙ וְאֶת־דָּמָ֔הּ עַל־פִּרְשָׁ֖הּ יִשְׂרֹֽף׃ וְלָקַ֣ח הַכֹּהֵ֗ן עֵ֥ץ אֶ֛רֶז וְאֵז֖וֹב וּשְׁנִ֣י תוֹלָ֑עַת וְהִשְׁלִ֕יךְ אֶל־תּ֖וֹךְ שְׂרֵפַ֥ת הַפָּרָֽה׃ וְכִבֶּ֨ס בְּגָדָ֜יו הַכֹּהֵ֗ן וְרָחַ֤ץ בְּשָׂרוֹ֙ בַּמַּ֔יִם וְאַחַ֖ר יָבֹ֣א אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וְטָמֵ֥א הַכֹּהֵ֖ן עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃ וְהַשֹּׂרֵ֣ף אֹתָ֔הּ יְכַבֵּ֤ס בְּגָדָיו֙ בַּמַּ֔יִם וְרָחַ֥ץ בְּשָׂר֖וֹ בַּמָּ֑יִם וְטָמֵ֖א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃
The cow shall be burned in his sight—its hide, flesh, and blood shall be burned, its dung included— and the priest shall take cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson wool, and throw them into the fire consuming the cow. The priest shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water; after that the priest may reenter the camp, but he shall be unclean until evening. He who performed the burning shall also wash his garments in water, bathe his body in water, and be unclean until evening.
The fact that the ashes of the Heifer "purify the contaminated and contaminate the pure" carries an important lesson to us in our daily lives: If your fellow has been infected by impurity and corruption, do not hesitate to get involved and do everything within your power to rehabilitate him. If you are concerned that you may became tainted by your contact with him, remember that the Torah commands the Kohen to purify his fellow Jew, even though his own level of purity will be diminished in the process. ~ The Lubavitcher Rebbe
(א) וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵ֠ל כׇּל־הָ֨עֵדָ֤ה מִדְבַּר־צִן֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב הָעָ֖ם בְּקָדֵ֑שׁ וַתָּ֤מׇת שָׁם֙ מִרְיָ֔ם וַתִּקָּבֵ֖ר שָֽׁם׃(ב) וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה מַ֖יִם לָעֵדָ֑ה וַיִּקָּ֣הֲל֔וּ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹֽן׃(ג) וַיָּ֥רֶב הָעָ֖ם עִם־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֵאמֹ֔ר וְל֥וּ גָוַ֛עְנוּ בִּגְוַ֥ע אַחֵ֖ינוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יהוה׃(ד) וְלָמָ֤ה הֲבֵאתֶם֙ אֶת־קְהַ֣ל יהוה אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה לָמ֣וּת שָׁ֔ם אֲנַ֖חְנוּ וּבְעִירֵֽנוּ׃(ה) וְלָמָ֤ה הֶֽעֱלִיתֻ֙נוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם לְהָבִ֣יא אֹתָ֔נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֥וֹם הָרָ֖ע הַזֶּ֑ה לֹ֣א ׀ מְק֣וֹם זֶ֗רַע וּתְאֵנָ֤ה וְגֶ֙פֶן֙ וְרִמּ֔וֹן וּמַ֥יִם אַ֖יִן לִשְׁתּֽוֹת׃
(1) The Israelites arrived in a body at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.(2) The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron.(3) The people quarreled with Moses, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished at the instance of יהוה !(4) Why have you brought יהוה’s congregation into this wilderness for us and our beasts to die there?(5) Why did you make us leave Egypt to bring us to this wretched place, a place with no grain or figs or vines or pomegranates? There is not even water to drink!”
ולא היה מים לעדה. מִכָּאן שֶׁכָּל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה הָיָה לָהֶם הַבְּאֵר בִּזְכוּת מִרְיָם (תענית ט'):
ולא היה מים לעדה AND THERE WAS NO WATER FOR THE CONGREGATION — Since this statement follows immediately after the mention of Miriam’s death, we may learn from it that during the entire forty years they had the “well” through Miriam’s merit (Taanit 9a).
Miriam's well is the vital fluid of Israel's spiritual life, the water that inculcates them with the knowledge and identity her brothers provide. The waters of Miriam transport and apply the nutrients of Torah and the abstractions of faith to each individual, on his or her particular level. ~The Lubavitcher Rebbe
(ו) וַיָּבֹא֩ מֹשֶׁ֨ה וְאַהֲרֹ֜ן מִפְּנֵ֣י הַקָּהָ֗ל אֶל־פֶּ֙תַח֙ אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֵּרָ֥א כְבוֹד־יהוה אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ {פ}(ז) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃(ח) קַ֣ח אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֗ה וְהַקְהֵ֤ל אֶת־הָעֵדָה֙ אַתָּה֙ וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֧ם אֶל־הַסֶּ֛לַע לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם וְנָתַ֣ן מֵימָ֑יו וְהוֹצֵאתָ֨ לָהֶ֥ם מַ֙יִם֙ מִן־הַסֶּ֔לַע וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֥ אֶת־הָעֵדָ֖ה וְאֶת־בְּעִירָֽם׃(ט) וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֖ה מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יהוה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּֽהוּ׃(י) וַיַּקְהִ֜לוּ מֹשֶׁ֧ה וְאַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַקָּהָ֖ל אֶל־פְּנֵ֣י הַסָּ֑לַע וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ הַמֹּרִ֔ים הֲמִן־הַסֶּ֣לַע הַזֶּ֔ה נוֹצִ֥יא לָכֶ֖ם מָֽיִם׃
(6) Moses and Aaron came away from the congregation to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The Presence of יהוה appeared to them,(7) and יהוה spoke to Moses, saying,(8) “You and your brother Aaron take the rod and assemble the community, and before their very eyes order the rock to yield its water. Thus you shall produce water for them from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their beasts.”(9) Moses took the rod from before יהוה, as he had been commanded.(10) Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock; and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?”
המן הסלע הזה נוציא לכם מים חלילה חלילה שיהיה התימה למניעות כי משה רבינו הנאמן בכל בית יהוה לא יפלא ממנו כל דבר מיהוה והוא וכל ישראל עמו ראו גדולות ונפלאות מזו ואף כי הוא אשר נעשה כן על ידו פעם אחרת בצור בחורב ואמרו המפרשים שיש תמיהות מתקיימות כמו הנגלה נגליתי (שמואל א ב כז) הרואה אתה ( טו כז) התשפוט (יחזקאל כב ב) המן העץ אשר צויתיך (בראשית ג יא) אבל ר"א כתב המן הסלע יש לנו כח להוציא לכם ממנו מים ירצה לפרש שאמר להם שמעו נא המורים ביהוה האומרים ולמה הבאתם את קהל יהוה אל המקום הרע הזה המן החלמיש הזה יהיה לנו כח בטבע שנוציא אנחנו ממנו מים רק תכירו כי מאת יהוה הוא כי הוא אשר הוציא אתכם ממצרים והביא אתכם אל המקום הזה והוא אשר יפרנס אתכם בו וזה כטעם שאמר להן במן (שמות טז ו) וידעתם כי יהוה הוציא אתכם מארץ מצרים ולפי דעתי הה"א הזו לשאלה המן הסלע הזה נוציא לכם מים אם לא כי הכתוב פעם יפרש בשאלה הן ולאו היש בה עץ אם אין (במדבר י״ג:כ׳) התשמור מצותיו אם לא (דברים ח ב) ופעם יזכיר הן לבדו הזה אחיכם הקטן (בראשית מג כט) הידעתם את לבן בן נחור (שם כט ה) האבכה בחדש החמישי הנזר (זכריה ז ג) אבל היתה השאלה הזאת להם שאלת הנסיון אמר שמעו נא המורים מה תחשבון על יהוה המן הסלע הזה החזק נוציא לכם מים היהיה הדבר הזה אם לא הפליג במרים והגיד כי הם קטני אמנה וכאשר יריבו אליו הוא מפני מחשבתם שלא יעשה השם עמהם להפליא כענין שנאמר (תהלים עח יח-כ) וינסו אל בלבבם היוכל אל לערוך שולחן במדבר הגם לחם יוכל תת וכך אמרו (אבות ה ד) עשר נסיונות נסו אבותינו להקב"ה במדבר וכמו השאלה במחשבת הנשאל במקומות רבים ההשב אשיב את בנך (בראשית כד ה) אם רצונך כן הנלך אל רמות גלעד אם אחדל (דהי"ב יח ה) אם עצתך כן אף כאן אם מחשבתכם שנוציא לכם מים מזה וכן דעתי בהנגלה נגליתי הראית כי נכנע אחאב מלפני (מלכים א כא כט) המן העץ אשר צויתיך התשפוט כי כלם שאלות אבל ענינם לשאול בדבר מפורסם שיודה בו הנשאל על כרחו אם נגליתי לבית אביך ובחרתי בכם אם ידעתם זה ולמה תבעטו בזבחי ובמנחתי הלה' תגמלו זאת הגמולה וכן אם מן העץ אשר צויתיך אכלת ותבוש ותחבא או למה תתחבא ובדרך הזה האחרים אבל הרואה אתה שאלה גמורה בדבר המסופק אם יועץ אתה תשוב אל העיר כלשון רואה אני את דברי אדמון (כתובות קח קט) וכבר פירשתי בסדר בראשית (א ד):
ARE WE TO BRING YOU FORTH WATER OUT OF THIS ROCK? Far be it and [G-d] forbid that [we should explain this] as a question indicating impossibility! For Moses our teacher, who was trusted in all G-d’s house, [knew] that nothing is too hard for Him; and he together with all Israel had seen greater and more wondrous miracles than this, and especially since this [miracle of providing water from a rock] had already been done once before through him at the rock in Horeb! Now the commentators have said that there are certain questions which [by apparently doubting that which cannot be denied], have the force of an [impassioned or indignant] affirmation...But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote [that the meaning of the verse is]: “Do we indeed have power to bring you forth water out of the rock?” He means thereby to explain that Moses said to them: “Hear now, ye rebels against G-d, who say, ‘and why have ye brought the assembly of the Eternalunto this evil place?’ Do we have the power by natural means to bring you forth water out of this flint? You should therefore recognize that this is all from G-d, for it is He Who took you out of Egypt, and brought you to this place, and it is He Who will feed you here.” This is similar to what he [Moses] told the people in the case of the manna, and ye shall know that the Eternal hath brought you out from the land of Egypt.
המן הסלע הזה נוציא לכם מים ישראל סברו כמשמעו, כלומר איך יוכל להיות שסלע זה יוציא לכם מים ומשה רצה לומר ההייתם סבורים שמן הסלע הזה נוציא לכם מים כמו שנעשה, ולכך הקפיד הקב״ה, שהיה לו לפרש דבריו שידעו הכל בפירוש שהקב״ה נותן להם מים והוא לא דקדק בלשונו.
?המן הסלע הזה נוציא לכם מים, “Are we supposed to extract water for you from this rock?” The Israelites understood Moses’ exclamation at face value, i.e. that he thought that it was quite impossible to extract water from the rock he pointed at, (or they had pointed at). Actually, what Moses had meant to say was: “did you think that what we are going to do to this rock is the same as what we did for your fathers 40 years ago, i.e. by striking it?”G-d’s command to speak to the rock was precisely to teach them that it was not even necessary to strike the rock. Moses had not been precise in his exclamation.
(יא) וַיָּ֨רֶם מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־יָד֗וֹ וַיַּ֧ךְ אֶת־הַסֶּ֛לַע בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ פַּעֲמָ֑יִם וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּ הָעֵדָ֖ה וּבְעִירָֽם׃ {ס}(יב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ יַ֚עַן לֹא־הֶאֱמַנְתֶּ֣ם בִּ֔י לְהַ֨קְדִּישֵׁ֔נִי לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לָכֵ֗ן לֹ֤א תָבִ֙יאוּ֙ אֶת־הַקָּהָ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי לָהֶֽם׃
(11) And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the community and their beasts drank.(12) But יהוה said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them.”
Rabbi Mari Chernow, "Kaas-The Value of Anger"
Once anger leads us to regrettable action, we can no longer speak of one injured party and one injuring party. Anger has the potential to make it impossible to claim that one is holding righteous high ground. It ensures that both parties will bear responsibility for a damaged relationship. ~ Rabbi Mari Chernow, Kaas-The Value of Anger.
The sages offer insight into what Moses' sin actually was. According to Rashi, it was because Moses struck the stone instead of speaking to it as God had told him to. Maimonides writes that the sin of Moses' anger was the cause. Nachmanides points to Moses' lack of Emunah in God that was the sin.
"Chassidic Master Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev sees Maimonides' explanation (that he rebuked the people angrily) and Rashi's explanation (that he struck the rock instead of speaking to it) as two sides of the same coin. If a leader's influence on the community is achieved through harsh words of rebuke, than his relationship with the environment is likewise: he will have to forcefully impose his will on it to get it to serve his people's needs and their mission in life. If, however, he influences his community by lovingly uplifting them to a higher place so that they, on their own, will desire to improve themselves, the world will likewise willingly yield its resources to the furtherance of his goals."
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/in-depth/default_cdo/aid/48215/jewish/Chukat-Balak-In-Depth.htm
But had not Moses previously said something that was worse than this? For he said (Numbers 11:22): "If flocks and herds be slain for them, will they suffice them? Or if all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, will they suffice them?" Faith surely was wanting there too, and to a greater degree than in the present instance. Why then did G‑d not make the decree against him on that occasion?
Let me illustrate. To what may this be compared? To the case of a king who had a friend. Now this friend displayed arrogance towards the king privately, using harsh words. The king, however, did not lose his temper with him. After a time he rose and displayed his arrogance in the presence of his legions, and the king passed sentence of death upon him. So also the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: "The first offence that you committed was a private matter between you and Me. Now, however, that it is done in the presence of the public it is impossible to overlook it." Thus it says: "[Because you did not believe in Me...] in the eyes of the children of Israel." ~Midrash Rabbah