The Mystery of the Red Heifer
Jun 19, 2010 By Barry Holtz | Commentary | Hukkat
This week’s Torah reading opens with one of the most mysterious and incomprehensible rituals in the entire Bible. Numbers 19:1–22 describes the ritual of the red heifer—the complex practice that allows a person who has come in contact with a dead body to become “purified” of the contamination (tu’mah) that accompanies connection to those who have died. A red heifer is slaughtered, its body and blood are burned in a fire with certain woods and plants, and the ashes that remain after that burning are used in a mixture with water to create a kind of paste that is sprinkled on those who have come in contact with a corpse.
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Recognizing God’s Gifts
Jul 5, 2008 By Marc Wolf | Commentary | Hukkat
There is a voice that echoes in my memory; so distinctive that I can recall it clearly even today.
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In Memory of Sylvia Ettenberg
Jun 30, 2012 By Abigail Treu | Commentary | Text Study | Hukkat
The week we read of the passing of Miriam is the week that our community mourns—among others—Sylvia Ettenberg, dean emerita at JTS for more than half a century.
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Moses’s Misstep: Words Not Deeds
Jun 27, 2014 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Hukkat
With the loss of both Miriam and Aaron, Parashat Hukkat marks a liminal and tragic point in the Israelite wanderings toward the Land of Israel.
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The Butchers
Jun 26, 2015 By Alan Mintz (<em>z”l</em>) | Commentary | Hukkat
The ritual of the red heifer (Num. 19) has always fascinated readers. Not only is it elaborate and mysterious, it is also based on a rarity: a red cow. The paradoxes and power of this passage attracted the attention of modern Hebrew writers. Set in Eastern Europe, “The Red Heifer” tells the story of butchers who steal a beautiful and vigorous cow, butcher it without a shoḥet (a ritual slaughterer), and sell the meat as kosher. The centerpiece of the story is a gruesome, blow-by-blow description of the slaughter, the great animal quivering and gushing blood.
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The Perils of Leadership
Jul 2, 2011 By David Hoffman | Commentary | Hukkat
Great leadership is about successfully orchestrating change. Whether within organizations, communities, or other social systems, leadership involves developing a vision of the future and implementing strategies to achieve this vision. Exercising leadership means motivating and inspiring people to change habits, attitudes, and values that hold them back from reaching their goals.
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No Single Solution
Jun 12, 2013 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Hukkat
At its essence, Parashat Hukkat brims with questions and mystery.
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The Blessing of a Sister
Jun 27, 2014 By Julia Andelman | Commentary | Hukkat
Among the many momentous events that occur in this week’s short but action-packed parashah, we read of the deaths of both of Moses’s siblings, Miriam and Aaron.
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