parashah Chukat

G‑d tells Moshè and Aaron to take a staff and gather the people in front of a certain rock. They should speak to the rock, and it will give forth water. Moshè and Aaron gather everybody, and Moshè strikes the rock and it gives forth water. In the course of this episode they committed a grave error, the conventional explanation being that they struck the rock instead of speaking to it. This caused G‑d to punish Moshè and Aaron, barring them from leading the Jews into Israel. 

 Water painted rocks

Spilling water from rocks painted by children

parashah Chukat 2 - parah adumah

The ritual of the Parah Adumah, the red heifer, is part of one of the most mysterious rituals described in the Torah. The purpose of this ritual is to purify people from the defilement caused by contact with the dead. The ritual is discussed in Bamidbar. If you find it difficult to understand, don’t feel bad; our Sages themselves described it as beyond human understanding.
The kids painted totally red a cow toy to have a perfect red heifer.

parashah Chukat

Here’s again as last year what we love to do for the snakes in Chukat, courtesy of Emily Shapiro Katz of ParshaProjects and Challah Crumbs.  

It’s basically a cut-out spiral in a paper plate, it still lies flat, like a plate, then “jumps up” like a real snake.  

parashah Chukat

 

Easy to make snakes from parashah Chukat. You just need some paper plates, markers and scissors.

 

Let the children color the paper plate after you draw a spiral, then cut following the spiral lines. 

The land was filled with poisonous snakes and people begin getting bit.  

Upon leaving Mount Hor to go around the land of Edom, the people grew impatient and another rebellion brewed. This time the people murmured not only against Moshè, but against the Lord Himself. Consequently, the Lord sent "serpents" (haNechashim haseraphim) that bit the people and many Israelites died. The people confessed their sin and appealed to Moshè for help, who then interceded on their behalf.