Chukat
חֻקַּת
The Ritual Law
Numbers 19:1−22:1
When Is Chukat Read?
/ 10 Tammuz 5782
/ 7 Tammuz 5784
/ 9 Tammuz 5785
Summary
- The laws of the red heifer to purify a person who has had contact with a corpse are given. (19:1-22)
- The people arrive at the wilderness of Zin. Miriam dies and is buried there. (20:1)
- The people complain that they have no water. Moses strikes the rock to get water for them. God tells Moses and Aaron they will not enter the Land of Israel. (20:2-13)
- The king of Edom refuses to let the Children of Israel pass through his land. After Aaron's priestly garments are given to his son Eleazer, Aaron dies. (20:14-29)
- After they are punished for complaining about the lack of bread and water, the Israelites repent and are victorious in battle against the Amorites and the people of Bashan, whose lands they capture. (21:4-22:1)
More Chukat Commentaries
Video: Learn More About Parashat Chukat
Learn More About Parashat Chukat With Bim Bam
In Parshat Chukat, when a plague of burning snakes attacks the wandering Israelites, Moses gets to work on a curious plan to stop the fearful biting. Malki Rose joins us from Melbourne, Australia to talk about the legacy of snakes in the Bible, and what we can do about them. Enjoy this video and others with Bim Bam.
Listen to Podcasts About Parashat Chukat
Listen to Rabbi Rick Jacobs discuss Parashat Chukat in these episodes of his podcast, On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah.
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Ten Minutes of Torah: Chukat Commentary
In the End, There Was Love
By: Rabbi Alex Kress
Just as Parshat Chukat lists the Israelites’ battles and resting places in their trek toward the Promised Land, so too should we mark our nation’s jagged journey toward racial justice. It is therefore appropriate to mark not just the official end of slavery with the phrase et vahev b’sufa, but also the continuing struggle against the legacy of Jim Crow – systemic racism.
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