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FREEDOM - LIBERTY - EMANCIPATION

Monday, July 7, 2008

Parshas Chukas

Last weeks Parsha - Chukas has direct information fundamental for Nanach.
1-3. The verse says that the people spoke against G-d (elokim) and Moshe, Rashi comments that the people equated Moshe to G-d! These people are referred to as the generation of knowledge, that means that when you are really really smart, that's when you begin to suspect that the tzadik is very close to G-d, and there is danger of even equating the tzadik to G-d. This needs explanation, true the Tzadik is very close to G-d and completely above our comprehension, but how can the tzadik be equated to G-d?
A second question is: When the people repented the verse relates that they told Moshe that they sinned by speaking against Hashem (YHVH) and Moshe, it seems that the people were still equating Moshe to G-d.
The answer to these questions I believe is, obviously the people never equated Moshe to G-d himself, when they spoke against G-d and Moshe, they referred to G-d by His attribute Elokim, Moshe Rabbainu is in fact referred to, by G-d Himself, as Eesh HuElokim, the master of Elokim. Thus it seems that the sin the people erred was by judging the prediciment they were in, as under the attribute of Elokim in which case they were equating the status of Moshe to that which they were undergoing. Upon repenting they realized that they were in fact under the eye of Hashem himself, YHVH, in which case there is no room at all for any equation.
We learn from this the utter supremecy of the tzadik, and the necessity to always view our lives as run by Hashem Himself.
The people upon repenting, even after they realized that their lives were being conducted by G-d Himself, knew that they were at the hands of Moshe, thus they went to Moshe, and confessed to Moshe their sins (Rabbi Nachman teaches the necessity to confess before the Tzadik, c.f. Likutay Moharan Tora 4, this is just one of the fundamental princibles the christians borrowed from the Jews, mistorted terribly, and after the Jews did not merit to retain their own, the practice was acreditted to the mistorted) pleaing with Moshe for him to pray to G-d and save them. That is the atitude we must have. Know that everything is completely from G-d Himself, and know that it is G-d's will that we subject ourselves to His Tzadik.

4. The Israelites sing a song of praise and thanks to G-d, they do not mention G-d name in it, Rashi explains that since they were unable to mention the name of Moshe (because Moshe was punished on their account, when he hit the rock, so it is out of place to mention him when praising G-d for the miracle of the rock), therefore they were unable to mention the name of G-d! Rashi gives a parable to someone inviting the king, the king replies if my friend is there, I will attend, if my friend is not there I will not be there either!
This makes it quite clear that we have to put the holy name Na Nach Nachmu Nachmun MayUman everywhere, so that G-d will grace us with His presence everywhere!
This is one of the reasons that often when you tell someone Nanach, they will reply Hashem, for by you saying Nanach, you have made it possible to mention the name of Hashem, who is always present just waiting for us to so to speak allow Him in.