Parshas Chukas - Parsha Stumpers

~ Something to Think About ~

פרשת חקת

Parsha Stumpers

By: Daniel Listhaus

1. Rashi (19:22) writes that the parah adumah is a kapparah for the eigel ha'zahav – it is the mother cleaning after its baby. In fact, the Torah stresses six similarities between the parah adumah and eigel ha'zahav. What exactly is the connection, though, between mitzva of parah adumah and eigel haz'zahav (other than the fact that they are both cows) that it should be chosen to be its kaparah?
2. (19:22) Why should the parah adumah cow act as a kapparah for the eigel? What about the concept of ein k’teigar na’aseh s’neiger – that the prosecutor does not become the defense counselor? (See Rashi 19:3 for example)
3. Why is it that the eigel ha'zahav has no “settling of its debt”?
4. The Torah states that the Parah Adumah had to be perfectly red. The Meforshim explain that even two black or white hairs would disqualify it from being a valid Parah Adumah. Why is it that two hairs disqualify it? If it needs to be perfect, shouldn't even one hair disqualify?

5. Who does the Parah Adumah? In our Parsha – Elazar the S'gan Kohen (Aharon's son) performed the avodah, but it seems that that was only because Aharon couldn't since he was involved in the eigel hazahav. So whose job is it l'doros (I.e- from that point on)? Was it always the job of the S'gan Kohen or was it the job of the Kohen Gadol himself?
6. Rashi (20:1) writes that the Torah puts Miriam's death next to parsha of parah adumah to show that the death of tzadikkim acts as a kapparah. How could we understand this concept?
7. (20:2) Why because of Miriam did they merit water?
8. (20:3) We find that B'nei Yisroel complained that they would have wished to remain in Mitzrayim. Yet, in “Dayeinu” on Pesach night we say if Hashem would have taken us out of Mitzrayim it would have been enough even without giving us the manna! What is it that we realize which the B'nei Yisroel of the time did not? And how could we be so sure to make such a claim?
9. (Rashi 20:10) What is the connection between the places in the Torah when “something small contained something bigger”?
10. Moshe rabbeinu was punished because of a lesson he failed to teach B'nei Yisroel by hitting the rock as opposed to speaking to it. What lesson (kal v'chomeir) was meant to be learned out? And why exactly would it have been a good lesson to learn from a mindless rock?
11. Why did Hashem ask Moshe to take his stick if he wasn't supposed to hit the rock?
12. Aharon got reprimanded along with Moshe during the episode of the hitting the rock – what did Aharon do wrong?
13. (21:9) Was there something special about making the snake out of copper or was it in fact nothing more than a cute play on words from the hebrew word for snake – nachash?