Andy Kirschner's Dvar on Hukat

Parashat Hukat

We certainly have a lot going on in Parashat Hukat: The Israelites do battle with the Ammorites and the Cannanites, God sends serpents, we have the death of Aaron and Miriam, and the story of Moses and Aaron hitting the rock! And to start off this action packed parashah we have the story of the Red Heifer(parah- adumah). So I have chosen the story of this mysterious decree as the highlight of my D'var Torah.

First of all the ritual of the Red Heifer is a chukah, which makes it a decree from G-d that we don't necessarily understand or that may not make much sense at all. The decree itself is the ritual performed in order to prepare the ashes used to purify a person who has touched a corpse. It is one of the most mysterious chukim of the torah. The ashes are used remove an impurity but anyone involved with the ritual becomes impure themselves. The cow must be completely red(as few as two hairs of a different color would disqualify it). Indeed these were very rare animals. The torah commands that it be slaughtered outside the city of Jerusalem(in contrast with other korbanot, which must be slaughtered in the courtyard of the Temple). However, it must still be slaughtered within the sight of the Temple and it's blood sprinkled "toward the Holy of Holies." (Chabad.org)

In my research, I was unable to find an explanation for the reasoning or meaning of this ritual. I did find a story of Johanan ben Zakkai who was questioned by a Roman about the meaning of this ritual. Ben Zakkai replied by referring him to a pagan analogy: 'just as a person afflicted by melancholy or possessed by an "evil spirit" is freed of his disease by taking certain medications or by the burning of certain roots, in the same manner the ashes of the Red Heifer, prepared in the prescribed way and dissolved in water, drive away the "unclean" spirit of defilement resulting from contact with the dead.' The Roman was satisfied with the answer, and went his way. Thereupon the pupils of Johanan said to him: 'That mans attack thou hast warded off with a broken reed, what answer hast thou for us?' 'By your lives,' said the Master ' the dead man doth not make impure, neither do the ashes dissolved in water make pure: but the law concerning the Red Heifer is a decree of the All-holy, Whose reasons for issuing that decree it behooves not mortals to question." (Hertz)

Even though I was not able to find a reason for the chukat of the Parah Adumah I did develop an explanation of why it is here in this portion. With all the action packed story line of the reading it seems out of place to have a ritual involving creating ashes for the purification of one who has touched a corpse. But if you will allow me to humbly bestow my opinion on some interesting parallels to the story of Moshe and Aharon hitting the rock.

1. First of all G-d told Moses and Aaron to take the rod, gather up the congregation, and talk to this rock in order to bring out water for the congregation. It is something that makes no logical sense, just like the ritual of the Red Heifer. However, just as we are obligated to observe the ritual as one of G-d's decrees, so should Aaron and Moses have listened to what they were told to do.
2. There is a great mystery surrounding the ritual, just like there is a great mystery surrounding the nature of the sin that Aaron and Moses committed that ultimately led to their severe punishment. Rashi says that it was because they hit the rock verses talking to the rock that they were punished. Some Rabbis say that it was because he hit the rock twice. Maybe the water didn't come out right away when he hit it the first time and he hit it again displaying a lack of faith. The Rambaam insists that it was because Moses says "here ye rebels." Calling the Chosen People of Israel rebels for demanding a basic need such as water was not his right.
3. The third parallel comes with the punishment it self. In Numbers Ch. 19, 13 it says, "Whosoever toucheth the dead, even the body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself- he hath defiled the tabernacle of the Lord- that soul shall be cut off from Israel." So, anyone that enters the temple, after touching a corpse that has not gone through this ritual is to be cut off from Israel. In Numbers Ch. 20,12 it says, "Because ye believed not in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." Moses and Aaron too were cut off for not following a direct order from G-d.

Well, getting back to a more reputable source of interpretation, other than me, there is a Midrash that again, does not explain the mystery of the Red Heifer, but made me more comfortable with the whole thing.

In the time of the Temple, the Cohen Gadol used to wear a breast plate with a jewel for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Each Jewel was a specific color and cut to a specific measurement. One day it was found that one of the Jewels was missing and needed to be replaced. So, they searched all over Israel and could not find a match for the missing jewel. They even searched beyond the borders of Israel and they heard that a non-Jew named Gamma Ben Nessina, a master craftsmen, might have the jewel they were looking for. And they traveled hundreds of miles to his house, knocked on his door, and explained the situation. Ben Nessina said that he was pretty sure he had the jewel and it was locked in his safe. He retreated to another room and came back a few minutes later empty handed. He explained that he was almost certain that he had the jewel in his safe, but the safe was locked. They key to the safe was under a pillow that his father was sleeping on. He did not want to wake his father, so they would just have to wait.

The sages thought this was simply a ploy to get more money so they immediately offered him 50% more money. Ben Nessina insisted that he didn't want any more money he just did not want to dis-respect his father by waking him. So they offered him even more money: double, and even 200%, but he would not wake his father. Just then, and old man peered into the room and looked like he had just woken up from a nap. Ben Nessina ran into the other room, go the key and retrieved the jewel from the safe. It was the right Jewel and he only charged him the original amount because he did not want to profit out of observing a custom to respect his parents.

Several years later, it is said that Gamma Ben Nessina was rewarded by having a Red Cow in his field. These were so rare they only came once every three or four generations. So word spread quickly that he had the red cow, and the sages returned to buy it. They paid him a huge some of money for the red cow.

Now, the angels in heaven cried up to G-d and asked, "Why do we need the Jews? Even a non-Jew can follow your commandment to honor your mother and father. What is so special about the Jews?" G-d replied, "Anyone can honor their parents because this is a mitzvah that makes sense. You are raised by your parents. They feed you, they clothe you, they protect you. It is natural to want to respect them. Anyone will honor their parents, but only the Jews will travel hundreds of miles and pay an extraordinary amount of money for a mitzvah that they don't even understand!"

In the Torah we have many mitzvot. Many are mishpatim, or laws. They generally make sense to us, like don't steal, or don't kill. Some are Chukim or decrees that don't have an inherent meaning, like don't eat pork, or don't wear wool and linen. I came across a story on the internet about a Rabbi who was giving a lecture about the practice of putting on Tefilin. A student stood up in the back of the room and shouted, "How can you expect me to put on Tefilin whenI don't even believe in G-d!" The Rabbi retorted back, "Put on Tefilin and I assure you will start to believe in G-d."

I will leave you with a question. If we observe the Chukim of the Torah, despite our lack of understanding, doesn't that make the laws we do understand that much more special to observe?

Shabbat Shalom