A Tale of Two Plagues

Parshat Chukas Balak

by Rabbi Avi Billet

The double-parsha we have this week is uncommon – it comes because the second day of Shavuos was on Shabbos, which put Israel ahead of us in the Torah reading track. We normally catch up with Matos-Masei, but because Israel will also be reading Matos-Masei (and not as two separate parshas) this year, we are catching up this week. The need for the catchup is to make sure Devarim preceeds Tisha B’Av, or more accurately, as the Shulchan Arukh puts it, so that Va’Eschanan can follow Tisha B’Av. 

The two parshas are largely dissimilar: 

Parshas Chukas has the (Parah Adumah), the deaths of Miriam and Aharon, two complaints about water – one which concludes with the “rock incident” and one which concludes with the “snake incident,” a few military encounters (Edom, Arad, Sichon, Og). 

Parshas Balak has mostly one long story of Balak’s attempts to get Bilaam to join him so they may destroy Israel through magical means. This tale includes a fine mix of supporting characters (including a talking donkey!), a wall, several altars, many sacrifices, and three attempted curses which turn into blessings. Following the failed mission, we are told of the entrapment of Israel related to Baal Peor, and the deaths of 24,000 Israelites. (The Torah depicts a death sentence declared upon the followers of Baal Peor (25:5), though it also looks like nothing came of it once Pinchas killed Zimri and Kozbi, thereby stopping the plague God had unleashed.) 

Interestingly, the “snake incident” mentioned in the Chukas summary also consisted of a plague, as “A large multitude of Israel died.” (21:6) With all that as a background, people came to Moshe, admitting their sins (complaining about water), and asked Moshe to intercede. God instructed him to make a “Saraph” and Moshe made a copper “Nachash” which people would look at to be healed from snake bites. (21:8-9) 

One thing is certain: anyone who would go to a doctor to get healing from either plague in these parshas would not stand a chance. 

What I find fascinating is the distinction between the Saraph and the Nachash. In his Toldos Yitzchak, Rabbi Isaac Caro writes, “If God told him to make a Saraph, why did Moshe fashion a snake? They’re not the same thing! …Because the people did two sins – against God and against Moshe. Moshe was called an “angel”… and the angel is called a “seraph.” God is in the heavens which looks like copper. God says “I forgive what they did to me, but I don’t forgive what they did to you. So make a Seraph.” Moshe also forgave the slight to him, “…but b/c they sinned to God” he made a snake out of copper. 

Along similar lines, Rabbi Mordekhai HaKohen wrote in his Siftei Cohen, “Because they spoke against God – snakes (Nechashim). Because they spoke against Moshe – seraphim. God is more concerned for the honor of the righteous than for His own honor … a snake bite can be healed with herbs or care. But there is no cure from Seraphim. When it says “they bit” – this refers to the snakes. When it says “a large multitude died” – this is the result of the seraphim bites. 

Baal HaTurim and Or HaChaim both focus on the Lashon Hora component of the deeds being punished, noting how a snake is representative of a gossiper and tale-bearer, so it is a fitting punishment for those guilty of those crimes. [We ought to remember that Lashon Hora is even more of a challenge in our times, when some have encouraged people to tattle on businesses, or some people rush to tell things they see about their neighbors. Lashon Hora might not be true and it might also be true! If the goal of talking about others is to look down upon them or to have others be critical of them or to make them look bad – it is of the worst form of Lashon Hora that one can violate!] 

Or HaChaim (21:6) writes, “Because they had spoken of Moshe, and they continued to sin by speaking of God, God sent upon them what was born of their sin, as I have written elsewhere that from sin comes a mazik (one who causes harm).” 

Or HaChaim continues, quoting a Talmudic narrative (Taanit 8), “They asked the snake, a lion hunts and eats its prey… but you just bite to kill and move on. What benefit do you get from your actions? The snake answered, ‘What is the benefit of one who speaks of others (one who says Lashon Hora)? That person just bites to kill and moves on…’ The explanation for the snake’s answer is this: There is a form of sin which brings out its own kind of damage, and from this sin there were two forms of damage which emerged: one is a Nachash, and one is a Saraph. The Nachash has teeth, so it kills the person and burns the soul. ‘Hashem sent those among them.’ The Seraphim were sent because of how people spoke of God [They caused death]. The Midrash says Seraphim are called this because they burn the soul.” 

One of the key questions we face when we contemplate these plague tales, and even the story of Moshe and the rock, is the place of “Reward and Punishment” in our world. Rambam includes reward and punishment as one of his 13 principles (see Ani Maamin #11). The question is how are reward and punishment meted out? Is it like a child who gets a candy (reward) or a potch (punishment)? Is it how an adult might view it – getting money (reward) or suffering (punishment)? Or does it refer to the experience of the soul – which is something we might not have an easy time fathoming? 

The sins in these parshas are Lashon Hora and idolatry. And the antidotes to the plagues are surely the eradication of both sins. Were the deaths punishments, or were they atonements? It’s hard to know. After all, how DO we understand reward and punishment? 

When the people looked at the copper snake, they realized Moshe was not as bad a person as they had accused him of being. They stopped speaking of him and God when they saw what he and God allowed to cause healing. 

When Pinchas killed Zimri, he sucked the breath of life out of any continued desire to worship Baal Peor, and the plague following Baal Peor ended. 

An easy lesson is to not speak Lashon Hora, and to not worship idols. We know both of these, and yet gossip is so much fun! We don’t worship idols, so what’s the big deal? 

We don’t know anyone’s full story. We don’t know anyone’s history. We don’t know what anyone is going through, unless they tell us. Seeing them, judging them, deciding whether they are right or wrong, and then discussing it with other people (especially when we are not dealing with criminal behavior, or even if we are dealing with behavior that some deem “selfish”) is Lashon Hora. It must stop. 

Regarding idolatry, I highly recommend this article: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/tamim-tehiyeh-forecast-models-and-the-coronavirus/ 

Moshe Rabbenu knew that people had spoken of him, he saw that snakes had come, and yet he still considered to pursue the option of what would heal those bitten most quickly. Pinchas took a very drastic move to stop a plague, because sometimes you do what you have to do to get the job done. 

May Hashem watch over all of us, and see us through to the end of the current plague, speedily in our days.