Home > News > Food Tourah: Hukkat
July 2, 2025 in Food Tourah
In the year 5786 Hukkat and Balak are read as a double portion.
Drought, death of leaders, poisonous snakes, and battles make Hukkat a very rough time to be an Israelite. The perfect red heifer is the star of chapter nineteen. This flawless animal needs to be sacrificed and then its ashes collected for use in purification ceremonies. Anyone who has come into contact with a dead body is ritually impure for seven days. To become ritually pure again, on both the third and seventh days, a person must be sprinkled with water mixed with the red heifer’s ashes using a hyssop branch.
Both of Moses’ siblings die in this parsha. Miriam dies and is buried in the Wilderness of Zin. Her presence has always been associated with water and when she dies the Israelites have no water. God tells Moses to gather the Israelites and touch a rock with his staff, so that the Israelites will witness the miracle of water coming from a rock. Rather than following the directions precisely, Moses hits the rock twice. After this incident, God holds Moses and Aaron accountable telling them that neither will enter the Promised Land. Aaron dies on Mount Hor. His priestly clothing and duties are passed along to his son Elazar.
The Israelites continue to grumble about how much better life was in Egypt. In this parsha, God sends poisonous snakes into the camp, then instructs Moses to make a staff with a brass serpent on it. When anyone afflicted by a snake bite looks towards the heavens in front of this brass serpent, they will be healed.
This parsha also includes much conflict with the Edomites and Amorites. Since hyssops is specifically mentioned in the ritual with the red heifer, a recipe using za’atar seems like a perfect way to make Roast Chicken this Shabbat. Or since cedar wood is used in the sacrifice, you could use a za’tar rub on cedar plank salmon. I still haven’t made it to Red Heifer Winery but maybe this is the year. Because there is nothing easy about this part of the dessert journey, we recommend rocky road ice cream.
In Balak, the second half of this double portion, the frightened king of Moab – Balak himself – appeals to a prophet, Balaam – known for the potency of his curses and blessings – for help defeating Israel saying, “For I know that whomever you bless is blessed indeed, and whomever you curse is cursed.” (Numbers 22:6)
But, plot twist! G-d does not want Balaam to curse the Israelites. As Balaam heads out to speak to Balak, his path is blocked by a messenger of G-d holding a sword. Balaam does not see the messenger, but his donkey does. Three times the donkey refuses to move forward, and each time Balaam beats her. After the third time, the donkey speaks to Balaam asking why he is treating her so cruelly. And finally, Balaam sees the messenger the next time they go out. In the end, despite Balak’s request for curses, Balaam ends up blessing the people of Israel instead. In fact, the opening lines of the blessing that we say upon entering the synagogue, come directly from Balaam’s words. “Mah Tovu Ohalekha Yaakov, Mishkentokha Yisrael” (“How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel”) (Numbers 24:5) This prayer reminds us that even someone sent to curse us was able to see the beauty, strength, and divine favor of the Jewish people.
As these summer days roll on, this week’s parsha gives us the perfect tie-in to fire up the grill and enjoy a meal outdoors. The messenger blocking Balaam’s path while wielding a sword made us think of… skewers! Please let us know what you think of these recipes for Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers and/or Chili Lime Tofu Skewers. Easy to prepare and sure to please! Serve with roasted potatoes or corn on the cob for a perfect summer meal. We’ll also throw in this recipe for Moroccan Carrot Salad. Three times Balaam did not see the messenger in his way – maybe he needed an eye exam? Either way, we couldn’t resist this carrot connection!
And finally you didn’t think we’d miss the opportunity to make a playful nod to the talking donkey, did you? Finish your meal with this decadent Black Magic Cake, in honor of Balaam’s magical, message-delivering donkey! We’ve even done some legwork for you. Take a look at this link if you want to find a non-dairy substitute for the buttermilk in the recipe.
B’tayavon and Shabbat Shalom, Alison (Baraf) & Sarah (Roark)
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For a more in-depth look at this week’s parsha, visit Sefaria.com
