JUNE 17 • 2021 | 41

An Urgent Need
M

any paradoxes 
occur in the Torah. 
For example, 
Deuteronomy 15 states: “There 
shall be no needy among you;” 
(v. 4), and “There will never 
cease to be needy ones 
in your land.
” (v. 11)”
In another example, 
upon creating the first 
human being, God 
declares people to be 
very good (Genesis 
1:31), but just five 
chapters later, God 
describes the human 
being as evil (Genesis 
6:5). 
It should not 
surprise us to read 
in parshat Chukat 
the paradox of the 
red heifer. In describing the 
ceremony for removing ritual 
impurity after contact with 
a corpse, we learn that by 
removing another’s impurity, 
the “healer” then becomes 
afflicted with his/her own 
impurity!
Water, which plays a central 
role in Chukat, is itself a 
paradox. We can’t live without 
water. A drought, a water 
main break or contamination 
are but three of the ways 
people have suffered and even 
died from lack of sufficient 
water. On the other hand, 
too much water is dangerous 
as we know from floods 
and drownings. So water 
symbolizes the breath of life; it 
is almost always a blessing, but 
not without risks.
This Shabbat, after reading 
about the red heifer cleansing 
ritual (which requires water), 
we learn that there is no water. 
This is the story, of course, of 
Moses being commanded by 

God to speak to a rock. Moses, 
instead, strikes the rock.
What happened to all the 
water? Prior to creation, the 
entire world was water. God 
divided the water, separating 
it from the sky and from 
dry land. But God did 
not destroy the water. So 
where did it disappear?
Of course, the answer 
is that it is our job, not 
God’s, to find available 
water and make sure 
that there is enough for 
everyone, now and in 
the future. 
Our country is 
currently challenged 
by the Colorado River, 
which supplies water 
to 40 million people in 
seven western states, but has 
been experiencing drought 
conditions during the past 20 
years. 
As U.S. scientists struggle to 
overcome the drying river, we 
see the incredible success of 
Israel, which leads the world 
in water recycling. Israel has 
taken seriously the need to 
preserve water, by creating 
and maintaining technology 
to desalinate salt water and 
reuse 90% of its waste water, 
primarily for irrigation 
purposes. In contrast, the U.S. 
recycles less than 10% of its 
waste water.
Like Moses, we all stand 
before the rock, and have the 
ability to find water which we 
cannot easily see, until we try 
a little harder. 

Rabbi Elliot Pachter is the rabbinic 

adviser at the Frankel Jewish 

Academy, and rabbi emeritus at 

Congregation B’nai Moshe, both in 

West Bloomfield.

TORAH PORTION

Rabbi Elliot 
Pachter

Parshat 

Chukat: 

Numbers 

19:1-22:1; 

Judges 

11:1-33.

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Hands handle your Estate Sale needs. Your items can 
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Call Leslie Weisberg today for a free consultation

changinghandsestates.com

3325 ORCHARD LAKE RD, KEEGO HARBOR, MI

248.481.8884

www.leshoppetoo.com

UPSCALE CONSIGNMENT & AUCTION HOUSE

ICONIC 20th CENTURY FURNITURE, 
FINE-ART, HOME DECOR & LIGHTING

Support Local 
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HOURS

TUES–SAT Noon–5pm | MON closed
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FREE
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DFAA:

248.672.3207
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WE ARE OBSERVING ALL STATE COVID-19
GUIDELINES & RESTRICTIONS

Let our experienced team at Le Shoppe Too 
& Changing Hands handle your Estate Sale needs.

PHOTO CREDIT: JAMIE BUSH + CO. AND LAURA HULL

WE ARE OBSERVING ALL STATE COVID-19
GUIDELINES & RESTRICTIONS

248.709.9648

Let our experienced team at Le Shoppe Too & Changing 
Hands handle your Estate Sale needs. Your items can 
be valued and consigned or auctioned at our store. 
We offer hands free-hassle free estate sales.

Call Leslie Weisberg today for a free consultation

changinghandsestates.com

3325 ORCHARD LAKE RD, KEEGO HARBOR, MI

248.481.8884

www.leshoppetoo.com

UPSCALE CONSIGNMENT & AUCTION HOUSE

ICONIC 20th CENTURY FURNITURE, 
FINE-ART, HOME DECOR & LIGHTING

Support Local 
Businesses

HOURS

TUES–SAT Noon–5pm | MON closed

SUN & evenings by appointment only

FREE
preliminary
art appraisals 
Wednesday’s 12-4
with Terri

DFAA:

248.672.3207
DetroitFAA.com

DetroitFineArtAppraisals@gmail.com

Call Leslie Weisberg today for a 
free consultation: 248.709.9648
changinghandsestates.com

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