בס"דI

Torah in je leven integreren door reflectie en conversatie kan een ongelooflijk leuke en boeiende ervaring zijn. Het is een ontdekkingsreis waarbij oude wijsheid en tijdloze leringen tot leven komen in onze dagelijkse ervaringen. Door reflectie hebben we de mogelijkheid om diep in het rijke tapijt van Tora te duiken en er diepgaande inzichten en lessen uit te halen die resoneren met ons moderne leven. De vreugde ligt in de 'aha'-momenten, die momenten waarop een Torah-vers of -verhaal plotseling verbonden is met onze persoonlijke uitdagingen, aspiraties en waarden. En wanneer we met anderen over Torah praten, wordt het een interactief onderzoek, waarbij verschillende perspectieven en interpretaties ons begrip vergroten. Deze dialogen wekken vaak opwinding en intellectuele nieuwsgierigheid op, waardoor het leerproces zowel plezierig als bevredigend wordt. Tora wordt een levendig en dynamisch deel van ons leven, dat niet alleen leiding biedt, maar ook een bron van eindeloze fascinatie, verbinding en groei.

OPMERKING: Voel je niet verplicht om elke bron door te nemen of alle vragen te beantwoorden - tenzij je dat wilt. Zelfs één bron of één vraag geeft je genoeg stof voor discussie en meditatie. Geniet ervan!

Some thoughts about Parshat Chukat

“This is the statute of the law which the L-RD hath commanded…”
(Numbers 19:2)

Parshas Chukat opens with one of the Torah’s most mysterious commandments: the Red Heifer—a ritual used to purify those who came in contact with death. Just a few verses later, we learn of the death of Miriam the Prophetess, sister of Moses and Aaron, and a spiritual mother to the nation.

Although these two topics are separated by nearly four decades in historical time, the Torah places them side by side. Why? Our sages explain that just as the offering of the Red Heifer brings atonement, so too does the death of a righteous person. But what does this mean—and how do we understand this in a way that doesn’t echo ideas we may associate with Christianity?

The Tzaddik’s Role in the World

A tzaddik—a truly righteous person—isn’t just spiritually elevated. They carry the needs of the world in their heart. They pray not only for themselves but for others. They live not for comfort, but for purpose. And their presence gives spiritual merit to the entire world.

That’s why, when a tzaddik dies, it is said to bring atonement—not because their death is a substitute or a sacrifice for others, but because the world loses one of its moral and spiritual anchors. This is not a call to passivity or belief in redemptive death. Judaism rejects that. It’s a call to responsibility: to live the kind of life that matters not just to yourself, but to others and to G-d.

What Makes Someone Righteous?

We often think of tzaddikim as saints or prophets—people beyond our reach. But the great Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught that iemand can become a tzaddik. It doesn’t depend on being born with a special soul. It depends on effort, sincerity, and devotion.

This means that your life matters more than you think. The Mishnah says, “Each person must be able to say, ‘the world was created for me.’” Not out of arrogance, but out of responsibility. If the world was created for you, then what are you doing with it? Are you using your time, your talents, your attention to elevate others and bring light into dark places?

Avoiding Misunderstanding: This is Niet a Christian Concept

Some may hear the idea that “the death of the righteous brings atonement” and think it sounds Christian. It’s important to draw a firm line here. Judaism never teaches that someone else’s suffering or death can erase your sins. Atonement comes through repentance, repair, and return to G-d. The loss of a tzaddik is tragic because the world needs righteous people—niet because their death replaces your moral responsibility.

Christianity distorted this Jewish idea into a theology of vicarious atonement. Judaism insists: you are accountable for your life, and no one—not even the most righteous—can live it or fix it for you.

Wat betekent dit voor ons vandaag?

To live as a righteous person is to live with others in mind. You don’t have to be famous, scholarly, or mystical. You just have to care. A tzaddik might be someone who gives charity quietly, forgives quickly, listens deeply, and prays sincerely for the good of the world.

Each of us can live that way. And each of us should try.

Denk nu na over de volgende vragen:

  1. Do I see my life as spiritually significant—or do I underestimate my impact?
  2. What’s one small act of goodness I can do today that benefits someone else?
  3. Do I avoid responsibility by thinking holiness is for others and not for me?
  4. When I lose someone I admire, do I respond by stepping up—or shutting down?
  5. Can I honor the righteous in my life—not by idolizing them, but by emulating them?

May we learn to live with purpose, to pursue righteousness in action, and to remember that our lives truly matter in the unfolding story of the world.

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Shabbat Shalom!

Door rabbijn Tani Burton

Als je meer vragen wilt om over na te denken, ZIE DE ANDERE BLOGS VAN RABBIJN TANI BURTON OVER DE PARSHAT VRAGEN

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