A Sense of Life

Parashat Chukat

The birth of the nation of Israel was a

sequence of miraculous events, and one of
the most striking was the mass prophetic
experience, culminating in the revelation at
Sinai. The precursor to that ultimately
defining moment was the spontaneous
expression of the awesome power of G-d, as
expressed in the Shir HaYam, the Song of
the Sea that begins, “Oz yashir Moshe u’vinai
Yisrael.., then Moshe and the children of
Israel began to sing….” (Ex. 14:30).

It was a moment of unparalleled national

prophecy, in the form of a song, the nations
creative response to their deliverance.
This creative environment, brimming with
life, was in fact short lived, and after being
overwhelmed by Sinai, conditions
eventually deteriorated.

This week’s parasha signifies the end of an era, and

the sunset of the Mosaic triumvirate.

The Torah transports us from the beginning of the

second year in the wilderness thirty eight years
hence, and we are now in the fortieth year of the
desert wanderings.
We have no record of any stories during this
period, just the twenty locations the Bnai Yisrael
encamped during that time (Rashi on Num. 33:10).
According to the classic medieval commenter Ibn
Ezra, the interim period was dark, without
prophecy or divine contact, save for the
miraculous nature of their shelter and sustenance.
Most commentators agree that the details of the
parah adumah, the red heifer, which would purify
one exposed to the spiritual residue of death, took
place in the first year or two after leaving Egypt.
This makes sense, as the decree that the generation
of the Exodus would live out their lives in the
desert, and death would be a fact of life in the
wilderness.

Over the next thirty eight years the adults who left
Egypt gradually died out, and now the Israelites,
consisting of the next generation, were at the edge
of civilization, ready to begin their conquest of the
land.

Moshe’s sister Miriam and brother Aaron die, and

Moshe himself is informed that he will not live to
see the promised land.
“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Since you did not have faith in Me to
sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this
assembly to the Land which I have given them.” (Num. 20:12)
In order to merit admission into the Holy Land, the
people would need new leadership, and a more
mature relationship with G-d and each other.

We know that Joshua would be the one to assume

the role as leader of the congregation, and lead
them into the land. How do we know the people
themselves have demonstrated their worthiness for
deliverance?

The stain on the collective psyche of the Israelites,

after their parents were led through the split sea,
and spontaneously erupted in prophetic songs of
praise, only to be dancing around a golden calf a
few weeks later, must have been substantial. The
ensuing period was void of joyous outpourings,
and triumphant melody was replaced with the
dissonance of complaints and lamentations.

Aaron the high priest was loved by all and his

passing a terrific loss:
“….the entire house of Israel wept for Aaron for thirty days.” (Num. 20:29)

The death of Aaron was transformative for the

nation, because next the Torah records them
reaching out to G-d for help in a military
confrontation:
The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the south, heard that Israel had come by
the route of the spies, and he waged war against Israel and took from them a
captive. Israel made a vow to G-d, and said, "If You deliver this people into my
hand, I shall consecrate their cities." G-d heard Israel's voice and delivered the
Canaanite. He destroyed them and consecrated
their cities, and he called the place Chormah. (Num. 21:2-3)

The nation temporarily relapses and express their

frustration by falling back on a familiar refrain: The
people spoke against G-d and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of
Egypt to die in this desert, for there is no bread and no water, and we are disgusted
with this rotten food." (Num. 21:5)

They are quickly punished with an attack by a

bevy of poisonous snakes, but this time the people
are remorseful, and take the first step in
repentance:
The people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against
G-d, and against you. Prayto G-d that He remove the snakes from us."
(Num.21:7)
Moshe is told by G-d to make a sculpture of a
snake, and the people could be healed by using
artwork to reflect on their current state.

This would be the last recorded complaint by the

Israelites.

A few verses later the Torah tells us of a book

called
“The Wars of G-d” and an entry that makes a
connection between Sufa (The Sea of Reeds that
split miraculously 40 years earlier) and the streams
of Arnon, which border the land of Israel.
Rabbi S.R Hirsch notes that the mention of this
book in the Torah proves that there was literary
activity among the Israelites.

The people are given the gift of water, and there is

a striking similarity to the miraculous splitting of
the Sea of Reeds just after Egypt; The entire nation,
after remaining tacit an entire generation, once
again erupts into spontaneous song:
Then Israel sang this song: "'Ascend, O well,' sing to it!
A well dug by princes, carved out by nobles of the people, through the lawgiver
with their staffs, and from the desert, a gift.
From the gift, to the streams, and from the streams to the heights.
From the heights to the valley in the field of Moab, at the top of the peak, that
overlooks the wastelands." (Num. 21:17-20)

But this enthusiastic performance did not require

the conducting skills of Moshe, for the nation had
developed their spiritual skills to create on their
own.
After the next documented military victory (they
were on a roll!) we hear the Torah mention the
words of hamoshlim, the poets! The creative spirit is
back, and in full swing. The Torah quotes the poets
saying:
…"Come to Cheshbon, may it be built and established as the city of
Sichon…”(Num. 21:27).
The Talmud (Bava Batra 78B) teaches that the
word hamoshlim, the poets, can also mean “the
rulers”, those who have dominion over their urges.
Chesbon means an accounting. Those who are in
control of their urges can make a chesbon, calculate
the result of their actions ahead of time, and make
informed decisions.

Art is the result of people engaging, taking the

time to calculate, to reflect on their experiences,
and have domain over sound, shape, color and
thought.

Through the artistic outpouring of image, word

and verse the nation is revitalized, and can
joyously express their sense of life.

As to the role of emotions in art and the subconscious mechanism that serves as the
integrating factor both in artistic creation and in man’s response to art, they involve a
psychological phenomenon which we call a sense of life. A sense of life is a pre-
conceptual equivalent of metaphysics, an emotional, subconsciously integrated appraisal
of man and of existence.

Ayn Rand: “The Psycho-Epistemology of Art,” The Romantic Manifesto

There will be challenges ahead, but a nation that
can stop, reflect , make an accounting, a cheshbon,
and grow, will not be held back from achieving
their spiritual and material potential.

Here’s to all of us achieving all of ours, creatively.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Greg