Torah Trivia for Parashah 39. Chukkat (Questions
Only)
1.) Can you describe what the characteristics
must be possessed by the animal who is sacrificed for the purification offering
of the removal of sin, at the beginning of Parashah Chukkat?
2.) Can you described the number of days a person
is unclean after a person becomes ritually unclean by having contacted with a
human corpse, and on what days does the person cleanse the person’s self with
the purifying water?
3.) Can you describe what punishment Moshe and
Aaron receive after striking the rock to provide water, rather than simply
speaking to the rock (as commanded)?
4.) Can you describe the name that is given to
the location where the water is provided from the rock?
Questions 5.) and 6.)
pertain to the passage, Bamidbar 20:14 – 21:
5.) Can you describe which paraphrased statement
most accurately depicts the solicitation that Moshe sends to the king of Edom:
a.) “Break yourself,
fool! We own this joint.”;
b.) “Most honourable cousins, we humbly request
passage through your land in the most convenient and expedient of manners.”;
c.) “My dear sires, we shall pay for any
materials we usurp during our transverse through your countryside, if you
simply provide us the kindness of granting us permission to do so.”;
d.) “Big Up, Edom. And much respect. Looks, kid:
we family. And we’s on our way to
that Promised Land, and we gots to make this shortcut through your block. What’s up?”;
e.) “Baruch
Hashem. May we pass?”;
f.) “Nos amigos, puedemos
viajar aqui con ustesdes.”?
6.) Can you describe which paraphrased statement
most accurately depicts the response Edom sends to Israelis:
a.) “You best
recognise, fool. You outta pocket.”;
b.) “Most honourable cousins, we graciously
refuse your passage through our land within any tangible manner conceivable.”;
c.) “My dear sires, your proposal is summarily
rejected and the connexion between yourselves and our materials is quite
impossible as we intend to comprehensively prevent you from approaching
anywhere near to our resources.”;
d.) “Game recognise
game, my dudes. But check it: Zero haps.”;
e.) “We decline.”;
f.) “Si, nos
amigos. Por Supuesto!”?
7.) Can you state the location where Aaron passes
from life, and who is present with him when he passes?
8.) Can you describe what promise Israelis make
to receive Adonai’s help to overcome the Canaanites, within this Parashah:
a.) Israelis promise
to educate all the Canaanites into becoming a righteous nation;
b.) Israelis promise
to establish a charitable largess from the material riches of the Canaanites;
c.) Israelis promise to negotiate a
super-regional, multi-tribal treaty, establishing cooperative economic trade,
shared infrastructure initiatives, and educational protocols for all citizens;
d.) Israelis promise to absolutely ignore the
Canaanites, and place fingers within the ears whenever seeing a Canaanite
approaching;
e.) Israelis promise to contract the Edomites to
enslave the Canaanites, and provide Adonai with 20% of the gain?
9.) Can you describe what punishment Adonai sends
upon Israelis after the 20th complaint that Israelis make; and what remedy Adonai provides to help
Israelis, after Israelis repent?
10.) Can you describe who are the respective 3rd
and 4th armies to oppose Moshe within this Parashah?
11.) Can you describe the name of the city within
which Israel settles after defeating Sichon?
12.) Can you describe the appropriate sequence of
travel locations that Israelis visit during the course of this Parashah:
a.) Wilderness of
Zin;
b.) Camp within
Kadesh;
c.) Mai
Meribah;
d.) Mount Hor;
e.) Harmah within
the Negev;
f.) Sea of
Reeds;
g.) Oboth;
h.) Iye Abarim along
Moab Border;
i.) Brook of
Zered;
j.) Desert
Encampment near Amorite Border, off Arnon River;
k.) Well of
Beer;
l.) Matanah;
m.) Nachaliel;
n.) Bamoth;
o.) Mount Pisgah
within Plain of Moab, Overlooking Yeshimon;
p.) Yahaz;
q.) Area between
Arnon River and Jabbok River;
r.) Heshbon;
s.) Yaazer;
t.) Bashan;
u.) Yordan River,
across from Yericho, within Western Plains of Moab?
Torah Trivia for Parashah 39. Chukkat (with Answers)
1.) Can you describe what the characteristics must
be possessed by the animal who is sacrificed for the purification offering of
the removal of sin, at the beginning of Parashah Chukkat?
Answer: The animal
is to be a red cow, without blemish, that abstains from ever working:
“This is the ritual law that the LORD 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.
You shall give it to Eleazar the priest.
It shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his
presence.” (Bamidbar 19:2 – 3);
“A
man who is pure shall gather up the ashes of the cow and deposit them outside
the camp in a pure place, to be kept for water of lustration for the Israelite
community. It is for purification.” (Bamidbar 19:9).
2.) Can you described the number of days a person
is unclean after a person becomes ritually unclean by having contacted with a
human corpse, and on what days does the person cleanse the person’s self with
the purifying water?
Answer: A person is unclean for 7 days, and is to be
cleansed with purification water on the 3rd and 7th days:
“He
who touches the corpse of any human being shall be impure seven days. He shall purify himself with it on the third
day and on the seventh day, and then be pure;
if he fails to purify himself on the third and seventh days, he shall
not be pure.” (Bamidbar 19:11 – 12).
3.) Can you describe what punishment Moshe and
Aaron receive after striking the rock to provide water, rather than simply
speaking to the rock (as commanded)?
Answer: Moshe and
Aaron are prevent from leading Israelis into Eretz Israel:
“But
the LORD said to (Moshe) 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.’” (Bamidbar 20:12).
4.) Can you describe the name that is given to
the location where the water is provided from the rock?
Answer: The location
is called, “מריבה מי” (“Mai Meribah”: “Waters of
Dispute”):
“Those
are the Waters of Meribah—meaning that the Israelites quarrelled with the
LORD—through which (Adonai) affirmed (Adonai’s) sanctity.” (Bamidbar 20:13).
Questions 5.) and 6.) pertain
to the passage, Bamidbar 20:14 – 21:
5.) Can you describe which paraphrased statement most
accurately depicts the solicitation that Moshe sends to the king of Edom:
a.) “Break yourself,
fool! We own this joint.”;
b.) “Most honourable cousins, we humbly request
passage through your land in the most convenient and expedient of manners.”;
c.) “My dear sires, we shall pay for any
materials we usurp during our transverse through your countryside, if you
simply provide us the kindness of granting us permission to do so.”;
d.) “Big Up, Edom. And much respect. Looks, kid:
we family. And we’s on our way to
that Promised Land, and we gots to make this shortcut through your block. What’s up?”;
e.) “Baruch
Hashem. May we pass?”;
f.) “Nos amigos,
puedemos viajar aqui con ustesdes.”?
Answer:
It may be considered that b.), c.), and
d.) each include a specific element within the solicitation that Moshe sends,
beginning with the familial reference and request, within b.) and d.), and
including the counter proposal to provide compensation for consumed materials,
upon an initial rejection, provided in c.);
it may also be considered that e.) and f.) are generally
applicable; (Bamidbar 20:14 – 21).
6.) Can you describe which paraphrased statement
most accurately depicts the response Edom sends to Israelis:
a.) “You best
recognise, fool. You outta pocket.”;
b.) “Most honourable cousins, we graciously
refuse your passage through our land within any tangible manner conceivable.”;
c.) “My dear sires, your proposal is summarily
rejected and the connexion between yourselves and our materials is quite
impossible as we intend to comprehensively prevent you from approaching
anywhere near to our resources.”;
d.) “Game recognise
game, my dudes. But check it: Zero haps.”;
e.) “We decline.”;
f.) “Si, nos
amigos. Por Supuesto!”?
Answer: It may be considered that the proceeding
answers are correspondingly applicable:
a.), b.), c.), d.), and e.):
“From
Kadesh, (Moshe) sent messengers to the king of Edom: ‘Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardships that have befallen
us; that our ancestors went down to
Egypt, that we dwelt in Egypt a long time, and that the Egyptians dealt harshly
with us and our ancestors. We cried to
the LORD and (Adonai) heard our plea, and (Adonai) sent a messenger who freed
us from Egypt. Now we are in Kadesh, the
town on the border of your territory.
Allow us, then, to cross your country.
We will not pass through fields or vineyards, and we will not drink
water from wells. We will follow the
king’s highway, turning off neither to the right nor to the left until we have
crossed your territory.’
“But
Edom answered him, ‘You shall not pass through us, else we will go out against
you with the sword.’ ‘We will keep to
the beaten track,’ the Israelites said to them, ‘and if we or our cattle drink
your water, we will pay for it. We ask
only for passage on foot—it is but a small matter.’ But they replied, ‘You shall not pass
through!’ And Edom went out against them
in heavy force, strongly armed. So Edom
would not let Israel cross their territory, and Israel turned away from them.” (Bamidbar 20:14 – 21).
7.) Can you state the location where Aaron passes
from life, and who is present with him when he passes?
Answer: Aaron passes away on Mount Hor, and Moshe and
Aaron’s son, Eleazar, climb up the mountain with him:
“Setting
out from Kadesh, the Israelites arrived in a body at Mount Hor. At Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of
Edom, the LORD said to (Moshe) and Aaron, ‘Let Aaron be gathered to his
kin: he is not to enter the land that I
have assigned to the Israelite people, because you disobeyed (My) command about
the Waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and
his son Eleazar and bring them up on Mount Hor.
Strip Aaron of his vestments and put them on his son Eleazar. There Aaron shall be gathered unto the dead.’
“(Moshe
did as the LORD had commanded. They
ascended Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. (Moshe) stripped Aaron of his vestments and
put them on his son Eleazar, and Aaron died there on the summit of the
mountain. When (Moshe) and Eleazar came
down from the mountain, the whole community knew that Aaron had breathed his
last. All the house of Israel bewailed
Aaron thirty days.” (Bamidbar 20:22 –
29).
8.) Can you describe what promise Israelis make
to receive Adonai’s help to overcome the Canaanites, within this Parashah:
a.) Israelis promise
to educate all the Canaanites into becoming a righteous nation;
b.) Israelis promise
to establish a charitable largess from the material riches of the Canaanites;
c.) Israelis promise to negotiate a
super-regional, multi-tribal treaty, establishing cooperative economic trade,
shared infrastructure initiatives, and educational protocols for all citizens;
d.) Israelis promise to absolutely ignore the
Canaanites, and place fingers within the ears whenever seeing a Canaanite
approaching;
e.) Israelis promise to contract the Edomites to
enslave the Canaanites, and provide Adonai with 20% of the gain?
Answer: The answer is “f.)”: an absence of any of the above; Israelis promise to completely dedicate (“proscribe”)
the Canaanites and everything within the cities:
“When
the Canaanite, king of Arad, who dwelt in the (Negev), learned that Israel was
coming by the way of Atharim, he engaged Israel in battle and took some of them
captive. Then Israel made a vow to the
LORD and said, ‘If You deliver this people into our hand, we will proscribe
their towns.’ The LORD heeded Israel’s
plea and delivered up the Canaanites, and they and their cities were
proscribed. So that place was named
Hormah.” (Bamidbar 21:1 – 3).
9.) Can you describe what punishment Adonai sends
upon Israelis after the 20th complaint that Israelis make; and what remedy Adonai provides to help
Israelis, after Israelis repent?
Answer: Adonai sends poisonous snakes as a
punishment; and Adonai tells Moshe to
construct a copper snake atop a pole, as a remedy to the bites of the poisonous
snakes:
“They
set out from Mount Hor by way of the Sea of Reeds to skirt the land of
Edom. But the people grew restive on the
journey, and the people spoke against God and against (Moshe), ‘Why did you
make us leave Egypt to die in the wilderness?
There is no bread and no water, and we have come to loathe this
miserable food.’ The LORD sent seraph
serpents against the people. They bit
the people and many of the Israelites died.
The people came to (Moshe) and said, ‘We sinned by speaking against the
LORD and against you. Intercede with the
LORD to take away the serpents from us!’
And (Moshe) interceded for the people.
Then the LORD said to (Moshe), ‘Make a seraph figure and mount it on a
standard. And if anyone who is bitten
looks at it, he shall recover.’ (Moshe)
made a copper serpent and mounted it on a standard; and when anyone was bitten by a serpent, he
would look at the copper serpent and recover.”
(Bamidbar 21:4 – 9).
10.) Can you describe who are the respective 3rd
and 4th armies to oppose Moshe within this Parashah?
Answer: Basically, the 3rd and 4th
armies are respectively those of Sichon, King of the Amorites (3rd),
and Og, King of Bashan (4th);
this is after the Canaanite King of Arad (1st), and the King
of Edom (2nd); however, it
may be considered that the army of Israel also opposes Moshe on 2 occasions,
within this Parashah (with complaints);
and within an esoteric/spiritual manner, it may be considered that the
army of Moshe’s own personal ego opposes him when he strikes the rock,
disobeying the command from Adonai; and
technically, the armis of Sichon, the Canaanite King of Arad, and the King of
Edom, each oppose Israel, rather than Moshe, specifically:
“Israel
now sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, ‘Let me pass through
your country. We will not turn off into
fields or vineyards, and we will not drink water from wells. We will follow the king’s highwar until we
have crossed your territory.’ But Sihon
would not let Israel pass through his territory. Sihon gathered all his people and went out
against Israel in the wilderness. He
came to Jahaz and engaged Israel in battle.”
(Bamidbar 21:21 – 23);
“They
marched on and went up the road to Bashan, and King Og of Bashan, with all his
people, came out to Edrei to engage them in battle. But the LORD said to (Moshe), ‘Do not fear
him, for I give him and all his people and his land into your hand. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king
of the Amorites who dwelt in Heshbon.’
They defeated him and his sons and all his people, until no remnant was
left him; and they took possession of
his country.” (Bamidbar 21:33 – 35).
11.) Can you describe the name of the city within
which Israel settles after defeating Sichon?
Answer: The name of
the city is Heshbon:
“Israel
took all the those towns. And Israel
settled in all the towns of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its dependencies.
“Now
Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against a
former king of Moab and taken all his land from him as far as the Arnon.” (Bamidbar 21:25 – 26).
12.) Can you describe the appropriate sequence of
travel locations that Israelis visit during the course of this Parashah:
a.) Wilderness of
Zin;
b.) Camp within
Kadesh;
c.) Mai
Meribah;
d.) Mount Hor;
e.) Harmah within
the Negev;
f.) Sea of
Reeds;
g.) Oboth;
h.) Iye Abarim along
Moab Border;
i.) Brook of
Zered;
j.) Desert
Encampment near Amorite Border, off Arnon River;
k.) Well of
Beer;
l.) Matanah;
m.) Nachaliel;
n.) Bamoth;
o.) Mount Pisgah
within Plain of Moab, Overlooking Yeshimon;
p.) Yahaz;
q.) Area between
Arnon River and Jabbok River;
r.) Heshbon;
s.) Yaazer;
t.) Bashan;
u.) Yordan River,
across from Yericho, within Western Plains of Moab?
Answer: The
appropriate sequence is just as it is initially listed within the question,
from a.) through u.):
a.) Wilderness of Zin:
b.) Camp within
Kadesh:
“The
Isrealites 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.”
(Bamidbar 20:1);
c.) Mai Meribah:
“Those
are the Waters of Meribah—meaning that the Israelites quarrelled with the
LORD—through which (Adonai) affirmed (Adonai’s) sanctity.” (Bamidbar 20:13);
d.) Mount Hor:
“Setting out from Kadesh, the Israelites arrived in a body
at Mount Hor.” (Bamidbar 20:22);
e.) Harmah within
the Negev:
“When
the Canaanite, king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb, learned that Israel was
coming by way of Atharim, he engaged Israel in battle and took some of them
captive. Then Israel made a vow to the
LORD and said, ‘If You deliver this people into our hand, we will proscribe
their towns.’ The LORD heeded Israel’s
plea and delivered up the Canaanites;
and they and their cities were proscribed. So that place was named Hormah.” (Bamidbar 21:1 – 3);
f.) Sea of Reeds:
“They set out from Mount Hor by way of the Sea of Reeds to
skirt the land of Edom.” (Bamidbar
21:4);
g.) Oboth:
“The Israelites marched on and encamped at Oboth.” (Bamidbar 21:10);
h.) Iye Abarim along
Moab Border:
“They
set out from Oboth and encamped at Iye Abarim, in the wilderness bordering on
Moab to the east.” (Bamidbar 21:11);
i.) Brook of Zered:
“From
there they set out and encamped at the wadi Zered.” (Bamidbar 20:12);
j.) Desert
Encampment near Amorite Border, off Arnon River:
“From
there they set out and encamped beyond the Arnon, that is, in the wilderness
that extends from the territory of the Amorites. For the Arnon is the boundary of Moab,
between Moab and the Amorites.”
(Bamidbar 21:13);
k.) Well of Beer:
“And
from there to Beer, which is the well where the LORD said to (Moshe), ‘Assemble
the people that I may give them water.’”
(Bamidbar 21:16);
l.) Matanah;
m.) Nachaliel;
n.) Bamoth;
o.) Mount Pisgah
within Plain of Moab, Overlooking Yeshimon:
“And
from Midbar to Mattanah, and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to
Bamoth, and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the country of Moab, at the
peak of Pisgah, overlooking the wasteland.”
(Bamidbar 21:18 – 20);
p.) Yahaz:
“But
Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Sihon gathered all his people and went out
against Israel in the wilderness. He
came to Jahaz and engaged Israel in battle.”
(Bamidbar 21:23);
q.) Area between
Arnon River and Jabbok River:
“But
Israel put them to the sword, and took possession of their land, from the Arnon
to the Jabbok, as far as Az of the Ammonites, for Az marked the boundary of the
Ammonites.” (Bamidbar 21:24);
r.) Heshbon:
“Israel
took all those towns. And Israel settled
in all the towns of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its dependencies.” (Bamidbar 21:25);
s.) Yaazer:
“Then
(Moshe) sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its dependencies and
dispossessed the Amorites who were there.”
(Bamidbar 21:32);
t.) Bashan:
“They
marched on and went up the road to Bashan, and King Og of Bashan, with all his
people, came out to Edrei to engage them in battle.” (Bamidbar 21:33);
u.) Yordan River,
across from Yericho, within Western Plains of Moab; 22:1
“The
Israelites then marched on and encamped in the steppes of Moab, across the
(Yordan) from Jericho.” (Bamidbar 22:1).
--
Discussion Questions:
Beyond the hygienic
benefits of separation and cleansing after contact with a corpse, what esoteric
meaning and significance exists within the process of purification? Does a “ritually clean person” constitute
anyone from Israel, or is this understood as the function of the כהנים or Levis?
What is the reason for a
ritually clean person needing to bathe after sprinkling the purification water?
What is the nature of the
apparent dissonance within the communication between Adonai and Moshe and Aaron
regarding the command to “speak to the rock,” and the subsequent action of
striking the rock? Why is there such a
severe consequence for this apparently slight distinction; or is this simply the straw that broke the
water-producing rock?
What are the dynamics
within the contract that Israelis offer to Adonai in order to defeat the
Canaanites: are Israelis searching for
redemption and proof before Adonai, or do Israelis simply want to experience a
victory in fighting against the Canaanites?
Does this promise mean to absolutely destroy the cities and inhabitants,
or to dedicate all the cities and inhabitants to Adonai; or both (as in the manner of a purification
offering)?
How does the metal image
of a poisonous snake exist amidst the prohibition of graven images? How does this compare with the golden calf?
Beyond the familial
connexion and the command to abstain from disturbing the Edomites, what
distinctions exist between Edom’s response to Israel, and the respective
responses of the Canaanite king of Arad and Sichon, the king of the Amorites?
Do Esau and the Edomites
have the same familial obligations to Israelis as Israelis have to the
Edomites? During the Israeli enslavement
within Egypt, what responsibility do Edomites have in rescuing Israelis?
--
118.10.23
ושלום אהבא, Family and Friends.
שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام.Peace.SatNam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.Barış.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.
.
.
.
...
This week’s Parashah is
Chukkat, and this correspondence is provided to you a week after the fact, so
there is another intended “double dose” of Torah Trivia for this week.
Within Parashah Chukkat,
Aaron is joined with our fars, and Israelis are confronted by 3 different
armies.
The featured Hebrew terms
for Parashah Chukkat are: “מריבה מי” (“Mai Meribah,” “Waters of Dispute”), found in Bamidbar 20:13; and “והחרמתי” (“V’haCharamti,” “Put under
Ban”) which refers to practice of strict self denial regarding the retaining of
material riches after a military conquest, found in Bamidbar 21:2.
The featured Torah Trivia
question for Parashah Cukkat is: Can you
describe the name of the location where Moshe and Aaron strike the rock to
provide Israelis with water?
The Complaint-o-Meter is
up to 20 at the end of Parashah Chukkat (18, after Parashah Korach, and 15,
after Parashah Shelach Lecha): with
Israelis complaining of the absence of water (Bamidbar 20:2 – 5); and with Israelis complaining after leaving
Mount Hor, and being subsequently punished with poisonous snakes (Bamidbar 21:4
– 5).
Additional Torah study
resources include:
USCJ Torah Sparks: http://www.uscj.org/JewishLivingandLearning/WeeklyParashah/TorahSparks/Archive/Default.aspx;
,ושלום אהבא
Peter
שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام.Peace.SatNam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.Barış.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.
.
..
...
ૐ.
אמן
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