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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 an
agent 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. The


NACHASH of destruction happens when absolutism in our politics or our
approach to religion lead us to insane acts of violence and hatred. LONDON
BOMBINGS. In the certainty that we are right and we claim to know the will
of God without any questioning, any doubt, we find a dangerous zealotry that
masquerades as religion while, in fact, rebelling against God. When people
make their religion or their politics into this kind of serpent, they unleash a
plague 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 to
eat from the ETZ HA-DA’AT TOV VA-RAH, from the Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil. Absolute knowledge of good and evil is
something we should be wary of. It betrays the humility and the seeking
after clarity from the Divine that we are asked to engage in by the prophet
Micah: “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 same
animal that was plaguing them! – which, when looked at (contemplated?
Medidated upon?) from a different attitude suddenly releases and heals.
7. The people ask Moshe to pray on their behalf for God to take the serpents
away. Compare English vs. Hebrew on Numbers 21: 7. English: “Intercede
with God to take away the serpents from us!” Hebrew: HITPALEYL EL
ADONAI V’YASAYR ET HA-NACHASH. (singlular – “the serpent”).

8. Connection between MATEH – Moses’ rod – and NACHASH. When Moses


mis-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 – confusing
his power and Aaron’s power vs. God’s power. Mis-use of MATEH can be
very dangerous.

9. Hezekiah’s destruction of Nechushtan. II Kings 18:4 – 5


a. “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 was
called Nechushtan. He rusted only in the Eternal One the God of Israel.”

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