Parsha Chukas: Tefillot for Rectification of Chait, Unity and Rachel Imeinu

Previously, on Korach’s rebellion, there is a thought from R’ Simcha Bunim of P’shischa; “Now took Korach…”; that Korach was blessed with many positive attributes: fine lineage, wealth (albeit ill-gotten and questionable), wisdom, and thus he might have been worthy of being a leader of B’nai Yisrael. “‘Now took Korach — he took himself.’ He did not wait until he was offered the leadership, but he sought to take it by force. That is why he is not worthy of it.”[1] It seems that Korach used the above attributes for Ra, attempting to deceive the people and to seize power and influence from Moshe Rabbeinu and Aaron HaKohen. Perhaps the history of contemporary political leadership parallels the worst of Korach, but without any valid rationale?

“Rabbi Artscroll” presents one answer to the question of placement in a commentary in The Stone Chumash on the words at the beginning of our Parsha “…el Moshe, v’el Aaron” [2] The answer speaks of the symbolism of the Parah Adumah (the Red Heiffer) coming to atone for the sin of the Eigel Zahav (the Golden Calf) “… as if to say let the Mother come and clean up the mess left by her child…”

Back in Philadelphia, in the “Old Country”, Rav Moshe Ungar would render the phenomenon of the Parah Adumah as a Tikkun given B’nai Yisrael after the Eigel Zahav, as an eternal rectification of the tumah, the defilement of the Eigel Zahav. In other words, the Tikkun only later revealed in Parsha Chukat, tells us that, like a doctor treating an ill patient, that the remedy for illness generally precedes the illness itself; that the means of rectification of a Chait precedes the Chait itself.

And here is where Rachel Imeinu comes in. We today suffer in Eretz Yisrael the aftermath, of the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif and the Shomron and the outright legalized theft of their property and posssessions, as well as the evolution of the regime’s plans to duplicate the expulsion on a 10-fold massive scale in Yehuda and the Shomron. As we approach the period before Tisha B’av, we harken back to Rachel Imeinu’s role and why She was buried by Yaakov Aveinu “b’derech Beit Lehem (On the road to Bethlehem).”

Yaakov Aveinu says, in explaining to Yosef why his Ima is buried b’derech, “…I buried her [on the road] by Divine command. In the future my children will go into exile. When they pass Kever Rachel, they will embrace it. She will stand and pray for mercy on their behalf, and the Holy One, Blessed is He, will accept her prayer.” [3]

And Eichah tells how Rachel Imeinu recounted to Hashem the circumstances of her Marriage to Yaakov and how she acceded to Yaakov’s prior Marraige to Leah due to Lavan’s trickery and how she spoke to Yaakov on the wedding night so that Yaakov would not hear her sister’s voice and so that her sister Leah would not be shamed. And in this merit, she pleaded with Hashem, “‘You exile my children and [let] their enemies slaughter them and do with them as they pleased?’ At once, the compassion [rachamim] of HaKodosh Borchu was aroused and he said, ‘For Rachel I will return the people of Israel to their place.'” [4]

And just as we beseech Rachel Imeinu to plead for mercy on our behalf, to pray for the speedy release of kidnap victim Gilad Shalit from her prominent station in Shemayim; so too, we must pray for Rachel Imeinu, and for Kever Rachel. The Kever is ever more encaged daily, since this past January, by a despicable regime, under the guise of security, but in reality just another action among many to systematically separate Israelis from their Jewishness, from history, halachot and tradition.

May it be in this year and beyond, that our brethren; the refugee families from Gush Katif and the Shomron (may they soon be restored to new homes and neighborhoods, Bati Knesset, Yeshivot in Gush Katif and the Shomron and only happiness and success for all time), as well as our dear brother, Jonathan Pollard (may he soon know freedom and long life in Eretz Yisrael) be central in our thoughts, prayers, chassadim and actions. May this abominable period of history called hitnatkut be as a bad dream.

May we be zocha in this coming year to take giant steps toward fulfilling Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, “Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!