Also in
Parashat Chukat
are laws for the strange ritual of purification with the ashes of a Red Heifer and the beginnings of the Israelite conquest of Canaan.
What can we learn? The key, I think, is in the title of the
parasha
. Most of the laws in Judaism are rational and understandable. A very few are in the category of
chukah
(statutes), given for a reason, although that reason was not provided.
Certainly in
Parashat Chukat
, Moses undergoes great personal trial and adversity: family deaths, severe punishment for something that, to us, seems minor, learning that he will not be allowed to accomplish his life's goal of bringing the Jewish people whom he has led through trial and tribulation into the Land of Israel, with no rationale given. The Torah does not give us any insight into Moses' reactions; the entire episode defies explanation.
What we know is what Moses did - he continued to lead our people with determination. Even upon learning his fate, he did not give up.
When we face adversity and challenges in our lives for which there is no seeming explanation, we can give up or we can make the choice Moses made to carry on, stay the course, comfort others and be a blessing.
