ב״ה


Parshas Chukas-Balak
Shabbat Candle lighting time: 8:13pm (Friday, June 26, 2026)
Shabbat ends: 9:13pm (Shabbat night, June 27, 2026)
Brooklyn, NY

Lessons for today,
Tuesday, 8 Tamuz, 5786 - June 23, 2026


Sunrise: 5:25am
Sunset: 8:30pm
Latest Shema: 9:11am
Chumash: Chukas-Balak, 3rd portion (Num. 20:22-21:20) with Rashi.
Tehillim: 44-48
Tanya: Read/Listen
Rambam:
 3 chapters Read/Listen
 1 chapter Read/Listen
 Sefer Hamitzvos Read/Listen

Summary of Today's Chumash

After turning from Edom, the Jews arrive at Mt. Hor in the third aliyah. Rashi says that even though the Clouds of Glory that led them in their journeys also leveled mountains for them, three mountains remained standing: Mt. Sinai for the giving of the Torah, Mt. Hor for the burial of Aharon, and Mt. Nevo for the burial of Moshe. At G-D's command, Moshe and Aharon and Aharon's son Elazar go up the mountain. Then Moshe takes the clothes of the Kohain Gadol (High Priest) off of Aharon and puts them on Elazar. After Aharon sees that his son took over the office of Kohain Gadol, Aharon passes away. When Moshe and Elazar came down the mountain without Aharon, the people understood that Aharon was dead, and mourned 30 days. Rashi says that all the people wept because they loved Aharon because he would always pursue peace, and strive for peace between men and between a husband and his wife. After that Rashi says that the Cloud of Glory departed from them. Furthermore the nation of Amalak hears this and attacks, but G-d causes the Jews to win.

This aliyah then describes more journeys of the Jews in the desert. Also in this aliyah, another great miracle is performed, comparable to the splitting of the Yam Suf. The Jews are approaching the valley of Arnon. This valley is very deep and narrow. Rashi says that the mountains were so close that men on each of the two facing mountains could speak to one another. The Emorim realize that this is an excellent place to ambush the Jews because the Jews would have to pass in a narrow space far below them. So the Emorites take ammunition and stationed themselves in crevices and caves on each mountain ready to hurl rocks on the Jews below. As the Jews pass, the mountain on the Emorite side (which later is to become part of Israel) trembled with awe at the approach of the Aron Hakodesh and leaned toward the other mountain. The mountains come together and the peaks of one mountain precisely enter the caves of the other, crushing the Emorite army hiding there.