Chukat-Balak

The sixth section of the Book of Numbers opens with the law (or “rule,” chukat, in Hebrew) governing the process of purification from the state of ritual defilement that a person contracts through contact with a human corpse. After this, the Torah’s narra...

"זאת חקת התורה...ויקחו אליך פרה אדמה" “This is the statute of Torah...and they shall take to you a red heifer.” (19:2) QUESTION: Why does it say “Zot chukat haTorah” — “This is the statute of the Torah” — instead of “Zot chukat parah adumah” — “This is th...

The opening section of the Torah portion Chukas describes the purification ritual of the Parah Adumah , the Red Heifer, one of the foremost suprarational commandments — Chukim — of the Torah. At the beginning of the portion, the verse says:Bamidbar 19:2. ...

The Torah portion of Chukas takes its name from the word chukas , supra-rational Divine decree, that appears at the outset of this portion in reference to the laws of the Red Heifer. The word chukas itself is etymologically related to chakikah , to engrav...