Dear beloved members and friends of Sephardic Temple Tiferet Israel, Greetings from Israel.
As I write these words, I am spending precious time with my family as we mark the period between the memorial anniversaries (Yahrzeits) of my sister and my father, Z”L.
Being in the Land of Israel at this meaningful time has given me an opportunity to reflect on memory, gratitude, and the enduring gift of family. Though I am far away geographically, my heart is very much with our congregation, and I look forward to being back together with you soon.
This Shabbat is also uniquely special because we read the double portion of Parashot Chukat–Balak, allowing Jewish communities outside Israel to once again synchronize with the Torah reading cycle observed here in Israel. On the Shabbat immediately after Shavuot, Diaspora communities read the Torah portion for the second day of Yom Tov, while in Israel, the regular cycle continued toward the next Parasha. Now, we are catching up. There is something profoundly symbolic in this reunion. We may sometimes travel different paths, but ultimately, we read the same Torah, share the same destiny, and are united by the same covenant.
Parashat Chukat opens with one of the Torah’s greatest mysteries—the Parah Adumah, the Red Heifer. It is the quintessential “Chok”, a commandment whose deepest meaning lies beyond human understanding. Even King Solomon, renowned for his wisdom, acknowledged that this mitzvah remained beyond his comprehension.
Immediately afterward, the Torah confronts us with the deaths of Miriam and Aaron, and the decree that Moses himself will not enter the Promised Land. The Torah teaches us that some of life’s most painful experiences—loss, grief, and mortality—cannot always be explained. We naturally ask “Why?” Yet the lesson of Parah Adumah is that faith does not depend on having every answer. Sometimes holiness begins with the humility to acknowledge that God’s wisdom is greater than our own.
This message speaks to me personally as I remember the souls of my father and my sister during their anniversaries. Judaism teaches that while death marks the end of a physical life, it never ends a life of influence. Every value our parents instilled, every act of kindness they modeled, every word of Torah they inspired continues to live through us. The greatest memorial is not only remembering those we love but becoming living expressions of their legacy.
The second parasha, Balak, offers a remarkable complement to this lesson. Balaam looked upon the Jewish people intending to curse them, yet God transformed every curse into a blessing. Standing before the camp of Israel, he proclaimed the timeless words:
“Mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishkenotecha Yisrael”—”How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel.”
The circumstances had not changed; only the perspective had. Balaam was forced to see beauty where he expected to find fault. Perhaps this is one of the greatest challenges of our own generation. We cannot always change our circumstances, but we can choose how we see them.
We cannot always understand God’s mysteries, but we can choose to recognize God’s blessings. We cannot erase loss, but we can transform memory into purpose. And we cannot always control the words spoken about us, but we can ensure that the words we speak bring blessings, encouragement, and peace.
As our Torah reading reunites with Israel this Shabbat, may we also strengthen the unity of our people, and may we approach life’s mysteries with faith, and life’s sorrows with hope.
May all our loved ones be remembered through the goodness, love, and inspiration we bring into the world. May we merit to see the day when all of Israel and the entire Jewish people will dwell together in peace, fulfilling Balaam’s words not only as a blessing, but as a living reality.
Wishing you and your families a Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem.
Rabbi Refael Cohen