This week’s portion is Chukas and is multifaceted.  The focus will be a woman supplying water to an entire people in the desert this week.  Miriam was not a young woman.  Miriam’s well followed the people.  It is in her merit that this occurred and water in the desert is a survival issue.

HaShem provided the most basic needs for His People.  Moshe didn’t follow “orders” and struck the rock instead of speaking to it with dire consequences for him not entering the land.  Learning to listen, hear and do what the Most High asks of us is a serious matter. Today we have the scriptures HaShem has given to us for our derech chayim (walk or way of life).

At times the place of women is challenged and left as second place in society.  In Judaism that isn’t possible.  Roles are different for all in the mitzvot (commandments), but roles are not ranked, just noted as different.  Even the servants and slaves do not remain at that status permanently unless an individual chooses to make it permanent with his master.

Miriam, a prophetess, sang and led the women in worship and praise to the Most High after crossing the Reed Sea.  She often was with Moshe and Aaron as we saw in the past parsha.  Just as Moshe and Aaron had roles in Exodus so did Miriam though we do not hear much about her.  Without the well that followed the people in the desert they would have died most likely.

How important is it that we obey the mitzvot while discovering our role in the people, or community where we live?  Can we keep the mitzvot without being part of a community?  How it would be different living locally with a community day to day contrasted with a long distance relationship to community.  A community via phone or internet for some may be the long distance community yet not local and physical it benefits all.

What does the Most High say we need for survival and provide?  What is each of us being asked to do and be as part of these smaller communities of the people of the Most High.  In the Exodus there was Moshe the leader, Aaron the priest, and Miriam the prophetess then the permanent families who took care of the temple and worked in it were set by HaShem.  We don’t have the temple now, what is our role in our community?

There are many ways of looking at the red heifer and the way someone becomes ritually clean.  On the simplest level ashes, fat (remainders of sacrifices) mixed with water (used in ritual) becomes a simple form of lye soap (disinfectant and cleaner).  At times we reach out to others who are in the midst behavior not guarding mitzvot and work to bring them closer to the Most High.  In doing so we may sully our soul and find it necessary to spend more time to return to HaShem as part of bringing someone closer to the Most High.

Spiritual water we need for survival today that the Most High is providing.  Water is often seen as sustaining and healing.  Our study of Torah, scriptures and writings, our practice of tefillah (prayer), our connection to the Most High, and our connection to the people of Israel and the Land all sustain us.

What is the practice that is the water to your connection to the Most High?  How do you reconnect when you find yourself apart/impure/have sinned?  How have you interwoven the mitzvot into your life?  What is your role to the rest of the community?  We do not live as solitary individuals even if connections are far flung via phone, email or the net.

This parsha is full of rituals (practical habits that connect us to the Most High) and teshuvah (return to the Most High, repentance), teachings of forgiveness, listening and doing mitzvot (commandments), the roles needed in community and the life of the community.  It challenges us to look at our modern life and find the parallels today. It is the basics of life embodied in this parsha bringing to life what sustains and brings life in desert and beyond.  Today many of us have complained, challenged, and had others bring us back to connection to the the Most High and our communities.  Chukat challenges us to be honest, real and acknowledge the challenges, dark places needing teshuvah or forgiveness.  What is your spiritual water which you cannot survive without in your journey?  Where and how is the Most High providing this to you?

Ruth Etalka