We hope you enjoy the following excerpts from students’ Divrei Torah presented in our minyanim. Rabbi Daniel Siegel

Aden Cohen – Year 9

In this week’s parashah, Chukat, the people start doubting God and complain about not having bread and water after being led into the desert. The Israelite camp is attacked by ‘fiery serpents’ sent by God. Moshe prayed to God and was told to make a brass serpent on a pole, which would save anyone who had been bitten from dying if they looked at it.

You might be thinking: “Hey wait a minute, that snake sounds a lot like it’s an idol.” Well it’s not. The snakes serve as a metaphor for fear and doubt that serve to send us astray. If we do not see quantifiable results we often hear our inner snake telling us to just give up because it’s easier, like the rebellious Israelites in this parashah. In facing the brass snake, a tangible version of these doubts and fears, we can eliminate them. Looking the snake in the eye, we can heal ourselves.

Samara Trenaman – Year 10

Jake Lewitton – Year 10

What do the people’s complaining and Moshe’s striking the rock, in this week’s parashat Chukat, teach us.

We believe the message is that we cannot always rely on God or other powerful people in our lives to fix our problems, we need to fix them ourselves. “God doesn’t build bridges, he gives us the strength to build them ourselves”. And, when we do act, we should do so considering others. Moshe was seeking to elevate his own status, through a show of strength, when he struck the rock. We should always think of the good of others, above our own vanity.