Parshas Chukas - Balak
Zechus Refuah Sheleima: Tzvi ben Devorah -( B"H Tzvi is almost completely better though we were told to keep him on the list for tefilos)
Le'iluy Nishmas: Gittel a"h bas Shraga Meir Hakohen (Her first Yahrtzeit was today Rosh Chodesh Tammuz )
Le'iluy Nishmas Tziporah Chana a"h bas Yaakov Avraham Eliyahu
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Another great Parsha with many ideas for your Parsha Party. REMINDER - THIS IS A SPRINGBOARD OF IDEAS. YOU CAN CHOOSE ONE IDEA OR A FEW. AND HAVE THE KIDS GUESS THE CONNECTIONS.
Parsha Overview (Feel free to skip straight to the Party below - simply click the arrow next to this text and the overview will disappear
Chukas
Hashem gives the Mitzvah that is a “Chok” of Parah Aduma. Take a perfectly red cow with no Mum- blemish – that never carried a yoke before. (Rashi – if there are even 2 black hairs it is Pasul). The cow is brought to Elazar HaKohen and shechted outside the camp. Elazar is to sprinkle the blood 7x towards the Mishkan and all parts of the cow get burned. Then he throws into the fire a cedar wood, hyssop, and red wool string. The Kohen then becomes Tameh and needs to wash his clothing and immerse in a mikvah.
The ashes are taken and used to purify people.
Anyone that touches a dead body is Tameh for 7 days. On the 3rd and 7th day he purifies himself with the ashes from the Para Aduma.
If someone does not purify himself with the ashes of the Para Aduma sprinkled on him, and enters the courtyard of the Mishkan, he will get Kares.
If someone enters the tent where there is a dead body, then they become Tameh from it. Any unsealed vessels in the tent become Tameh.
Anyone that touches the dead body of someone that was killed by sword, or a dead body, or a human bone, or a grave, becomes Tameh.
The person that does the sprinkling on the Tameh person, should be someone that is Tahor. And this person becomes Tameh from sprinkling the sprinkling until nighttime.
Anything and anyone that the Tameh person touches becomes Tameh.
After 40 years in the midbar, the people arrived at Midbar Tzin in the first month. They settled in Kadesh where Miriam died and was buried. After she died, the well dried up and the people had no water. They began to fight with Moshe saying they wish they had died with the others. They complained that Moshe brought them out of Mitzrayim to the Midbar and which is not a place of seeds, figs, grapes and pomegranates and there is no water to drink.
Moshe and Aharon immediately fall on their face and daven to Hashem.
Hashem tells Moshe to take his stick and speak to the rock and it will give forth water. Moshe gathers the people and says “Listen, you rebellious ones, can we draw water for you from this rock?” Then Moshe hits the rock twice and water comes out. (Rashi: He first tried speaking to it but was talking to the wrong rock. He then hit it and only a few drops came out. Then hit it again and water rushed out.) Hashem was not happy that he hit the rock. He said that because of this, Moshe and Aharon will not lead the people into Eretz Yisrael. The name of the place is called Mei Meriva.
Moshe sends a message to Edom to ask for permission for the Jewish People to pass through their land to get to Eretz Yisrael. He says they will stick to the main roads and not take food or drink there but Edom refuses to allow it.
Instead, they turned and went to Har Hor. There Hashem told Moshe to take Aharon and his son Elazar to the mountain and switch the Kohen Gadol clothing from Aharon to Elazar. Rashi says that Aharon entered a cave and there was a bed in there and Hashem told Moshe to have him stretch his hands out, close his eyes, and close his mouth and Hashem took his neshama. When the people saw that Aharon had passed away, they mourned for 30 days. Rashi says that the clouds that were with them left them when Aharon died.
The Canaani king of Arad in the south (Rashi says it was Amalek who lived in the south) heard that the Jewish people were coming and went to fight with them and took a captive. The people davened to Hashem and promised that if Hashem helps them win, they will make the cities that they win holy for Hashem. Hashem heard their voice and gave it over into their hands.
They traveled from Har Hor, alongside the Yam Suf to circumvent Edom. It was a very hard journey for the people. Once again, they began to complain that Moshe brought them up from Mitzrayim. They complained about the Mann which they called spoiled bread because it would absorb into their limbs and not leave their bodies. Hashem sent venomous snakes to punish them and many people died.
The people beg Moshe to daven for them to stop the snake bites and heal them. Hashem tells Moshe to make a big serpent and put it on a pole and anyone that was bitten and looks at it will be healed. (Fun Fact – this is the symbol until today for many hospitals!)
Moshe made a snake out of copper because Nachash and Nechoshes are connected.
The nation travels to more places in the dessert. They sing a song in honor of the Be’er – Well, that gave them water in the Midbar.
The Jewish people sent a message to Sichon the king of Emori to see if they can peacefully pass through their land but Sichon said “No” and came to fight with them. Hashem made them win the battles and inherit the land. They turned towards the land of Bashan and the king Og came out to fight with them. Hashem told them not to worry and delivered the enemy into their hands.
Balak
Next, they travelled to the plains of Moav. King Balak saw them coming and knew what they did to Sichon and Og. The people of Moav were petrified. And became disgusted with the Jewish people and said to the people of Midyan that the Jewish people are going to come and eat up everything of theirs.
Balak sends messengers to Bilaam to tell him that so many Jews are covering his lands and he wants Bilaam to come and curse thiem so he can wage a successful war against them. Bilaam was known that whoever he blesses is blessed and whoever he curses gets cursed.
The elders of Midyan and Moav go to Bilaam with magic charms in their hands. Bilaam tells them to sleep over the night as he needs to see if Hashem will allow him to go and Hashem appears to him at night only.
Hashem appears to Bilaam and asks him “Who are these people?” Bilaam answers that Balak sent them. Hashem tells Bilaam not to go and curse the Jewish people because they are blessed. BIlaam tells them to go home because he cannot go with them.
Balak sends new greater men to get Bilaam. Bilaam responds that even if Balak were to give him a house full of silver and gold, I still cannot do anything against the will of Hashem. He tells them to stay overnight and see what Hashem says to him.
Hashem comes to him and tells him he can go but will be bound to say whatever Hashem says.
Bilaam gets up early in the morning and saddles his donkey and goes on the way with the men. Hashem was angry and sent a Malach to block him.The donkey saw the malach standing there with a sword in hand and tried to turn away so Bilaam hit her to go back on the road as he didn’t see the Malach.
Again, the Malach comes and stands in the way with a fence blocking on both sides of him. The donkey again sees the Malach and tries to squeeze around it, smashing Bilaam’s leg on the fence and he hit the donkey again. The Malach continues further on the way and blocks them on a very narrow passageway. The donkey stops and crouches down under Bilaam when it sees it cannot get by. Bilaam keeps hitting the donkey with his stick.
Hashem then opened the mouth of the donkey and it begins to speak to Bilaam saying “What have I done to you that you hit me three times!” Bilaam responds to the donkey that it humiliated him and if he had a sword he would kill it. The donkey tells Bilaam, I have been your trusted donkey that you have always ridden on, and I have never done anything like this to you! Suddenly Hashem opened Bilaam’s eyes and he saw the Malach standing in front of him with a sword in his hand and he quickly bows to the Malach.
The Malach tells Bilaam off for hitting the donkey and says had it not turned away, the Malach would have killed Bilaam. Bilaam responds “Chatasi” I sinned. I didn’t realize it. The Malach tells Bilaam to continue going with his men but whatever Hashem says to say he will need to say.
Balak goes out to Moav to meet Bilam and says “Why didn’t you come to me?” Bilaam says “I have come to you but do I have power to say anything? It is whatever Hashem puts into my mouth.” Balak slaughters some cattle for Bilaam and in the morning takes him up to Bamos Baal where he can see part of the nation.
Bilaam tells Balak to build seven Mizbayachs and bring seven rams. He brings his sacrifice and Bilaam goes alone to try and see if Hashem will appear to him by day because usually, He only appears to him at night. Hashem appears to him by “chance” and tells him to go back to Balak and He will put words in his mouth.
Bilaam tells him “You wanted me to curse the Jewish people but how can I curse them without Hashem cursing them? From their beginning I see them as mountain peaks, they are a nation that dwells alone and not with other nations” … He blessed the Jewish people. Balak was very upset and tries to get Bilaam to say curses on the people. Again, Bilaam tries but Hashem sends him blessings on the people. Bilaam sees that Hashem only wants to say good things and he says Mah Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov – how great are the tents of Yaakov…. And continues with more blessings. Balak is very angry and claps his hands in anger at Bilaam. Bilaam keeps saying good things about Hashem and the people and then leaves.
The Jewish people stayed by Moav and started to act inappropriately with the girls of Moav and started to serve the Baal Peor. Hashem was very angry and said the leaders that were doing this stuff need to be hanged and there was a plague that hit. There was a man from the Jewish People that went and did Aveiros together with a girl from Midyan and Pinchas got up and stabbed a spear into them and the plague stopped.
(Adapted partially from Chabad.org, and The Pesukim and Rashi and Medrash Says)
And now for the fun part
PARSHA PARTY
SNACKS LISTED FIRST SO YOU CAN TRY AND GUESS TOO!
Red Candies
Cow Chocolate
Yolk candy
Red Powerade
Gummy Bones
Rock Candy
Sparkling / Flavored Water
Pretzel sticks
Cry Babies
Salt Water Taffies
Snake Candy
Flutes
Gummi Magic bears
Fruity Peak
Dunkees
Lego Blocks Candy
Money Rolls
Lip candy
Animal Cookies
Tents made out of Graham Crackers and fluff/peanut butter/Choco Spread
THE PARSHA PARTY ANSWER LIST!
Red Candies – The Chok given of Para Aduma to purify people that become Tameh from a dead person
Cow Chocolate- (Look for Pareve) The Para Aduma – red cow
Egg Yolk Gummies – The Para Aduma cannot have carried a “yoke”
Red Powerade – Para Adumah and the ashes that are sprinkled to make the person Tahor again
Gummy Bones – If someone touches a dead body or bone they become Tameh
Rock Candy – Moshe was told to speak to the rock and ends up hitting it for water to come out
Sparkling / Flavored Water – The well of Miriam stopped when she died
Pretzel sticks – Moshe took his stick to hit the rock. Also Bilam uses his stick to hit the donkey
Cry Babies, Salt Water Taffies – ALL of the people cried when Aharon died
Snake Candy – The people were punished for complaining again with snakes that bit them and Moshe had to take a copper snake and put it up on a stick and when they would look at it they would be healed
Flutes – The people sand a song about the well
Gummi Magic bears – The Midyani people came to Bilam with magic charms in their hands. Also the Mov people used Magic charms for enticing the Jewish people
Fruity Peak – Bilaam blessed the Jews from the mountain peaks and also blessed them with mountain peaks
Dunkees – Bilams donkey saw the Malach and kept turning off the road
Lego Blocks Candy – The donkey tried to squeeze around the malach smashing Bilaams leg on the wall
Money Rolls – Bilam said all the gold and silver and money wouldn’t be able to do anything if Hashem does not allow
Lip candy – Bilaam blessed the Jewish people instead of cursing. Also Moshe was told to speak to the rock
Animal Cookies – The donkey of Bilaam, the animals that Balak brought as sacrifices
Tents made out of Graham Crackers and fluff/peanut butter/Choco Spread – Someone in a tent with a dead body becomes Tameh
There are definitely more great ideas.... let's get some more please!!!
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Have a wonderful Shabbos!
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