Parashat Chukat

Revision as of 00:08, 26 June 2015

Parashat-Chukat

The Red Haifer

Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon saying about the statute of the Red Haifer, a commandment with no obvious logic or purpose.^[1] Although this can be mocked by the Satan and the nations of the world, it is a decree from Hashem and no one has the right to challenge it.^[1] The Jews are take a perfectly red cow, lacking even two black hairs,^[1] that is unblemished and upon which no yoke was laid and give it to Moshe. Therefore this first Red Haifer would always be referenced as 'the cow which Moses prepared in the desert'.^[1]

The Burning

Moshe is to give it to Elazar the deputy kohen gadol,^[2] who will take it outside all three camps^[2] where it will be slaughtered by a non-kohen in his presence as he watches.^[2] Elazar will take from its blood with his finger and sprinkle it toward the front of the Ohel Moed seven times. In later generations when this ritual is performed outside the Beis Hamikdash in Yerushalaim the kohen is to east of the city and direct his gaze toward the entrance to the Temple while sprinkling the blood.^[3] The cow will then be burned in front of Elazar; including its hide, flesh, blood and dung. The kohen takes a piece of cedar wood, hyssop and crimson wool which he casts into the fire burning the cow.

Following the burning, the kohen must wash his garments, immerse in a mikva and wait until evening^[4] before entering the camp of the Divine Presence. Even before this the kohen is allowed to enter the Levite Camp beforehand since only a Zav, Baal Keri and someone afflicted with Tzuras is banished from both camps.^[4] Also the one who burns the cow must wash his clothes in water, immerse in a mikva and remains unclean until evening.

The Ashes

A ritually clean person shall gather the cow's ashes and place them outside the camp in clean places where it is to serve as a keepsake for the Jews and for sprinkling water^[5] used for spiritual cleansing. These ashes are a holy object, just like a sin offering and it is forbidden to use them for personal benefit.^[5] He divides the ashes into three parts;^[5]

1. One third was put on the Mount of Olives and was set aside for the kohanim gedolim to sanctify themselves from it before prepering other red cows.^[5]
2. One third was divided among all the 'kohan watch groups' and was placed outside the Temple courtyard to be used by the inhabitants of Eretz Yisroel who needed to purify themselves.^[5]
3. One third was placed in rampart surrounding the Bais Hamikdash for preservation and was never to be used but rather serve as a keepsake for the congregation of Yisrael.^[5]

The one who gathers the cow's ashes must also wash his clothes and remains unclean until evening. The red heifer is to serve as an everlasting statute for the Jews and converts who reside in their midst.

Corpse Impurity

Anyone touching a human corpse, a quarter measurement of life blood,^[6] a human bone, grave, top and side of a coffin^[7] remains unclean for seven days. Touch is only necessary to induce impurity in an open field,^[7] however one who enters a tent containing a corpse,^[8] becomes impure with no touch. This does not apply to one who touches the corpse of an animal, who remains impure for only a day and does not require sprinkling.^[6]

A corpse is the 'supreme source of contamination', a person that touches the corpse becomes a 'primary source of contamination'. If person who was defiled by a corpse,^[9] touches any person or vessel, they become unclean and remain unclean until the evening.

Impure Vessels

Any open earthenware^[10] vessel which has no seal fastened^[10] around it that enters a tent containing a human corpse becomes unclean. Earthenware vessels exterior's do not accept contamination, only its interior's, therefore if there is a securely fastened seal around it, it remains clean but if it is not securly fastened, it becomes contaminated.^[10]

Purification

Ashes are taken from the burnt cow and are placed in a vessel filled with spring water. On the third and seventh days, a person or vessel must be sprinkled with the ashes,^[11] in order to become pure. A ritually clean person shall take a hyssop and dip it into the water and sprinkle it on the impure person, tent or vessels. On the seventh day after the second sprinkling, the cleansing process has ended^[12] and the person who underwent the purification must then wash his cloths and immerse in the mikva, becoming ritually clean in the evening.

If a person is not sprinkled with the ash water on the third and seventh days, even if he immerses in a mikva,^[6] he remains impure. If he then enters the Temple courtyard, even after immersion,^[6] he has defiled it and his soul will be cut off from the congregation of Yisroel. This applies both to the Mishkan even though its holiness was not permanent and to the Bais Hamikdash even though it was not anointed with the anointing oil.^[13]

Although the person who does the actual sprinkling remains ritually clean, the one who carries the purifying waters becomes defiled with a stringent uncleanness where even the clothes he is wearing are contaminated.^[14] Anyone else who merely touches the sprinkling waters becomes unclean until evening, yet his cloths remain pure and he is not required to wash them.^[14] The waters do not contaminate until there is an amount of water adequate for sprinkling.^[14]

Rectification of Golden Calf

According the Aggada of Rabbi Moshe Hadarshan the Ritual of the red heifer served as a rectification for the sin of the golden calf and is filled with illusions regarding this.<^[9]

• The Jews are to purchase the red cow from their own possessions; just as they removed their own golden earrings for the golden calf. Bringing this cow from their own possessions serves as an atonement.^[9]
• A cow atones for the calf, similar to mother maidservant who comes to clean up the mess that her son made in the king’s palace.^[9]
• The cow must be red alluding to sins which are described as being 'red' in the verse “if your sins prove to be as red as crimson dye”^[15][16]
• The cow must be unblemished to atone for the Jews who were once perfect but became blemished, allowing them to once again regain their perfection.^[17]
• No yoke could ever have been laid on the cow alluding to the Jews having cast off from themselves the yoke of Heaven.^[18]

[Midrash Aggadah]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Rashi Bamidbar 19:2
2. ^ ^{a b c} Rashi Bamidbar 19:3
3. ^ Rashi Bamidbar 19:4
4. ^ ^{a b} Rashi Bamidbar 19:7
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Rashi Bamidbar 19:9
6. ^ ^{a b c d} Rashi Bamidbar 19:13
7. ^ ^{a b} Rashi Bamidbar 19:16
8. ^ Rashi Bamidbar 19:14
9. ^ ^{a b c d} Rashi Bamidbar 19:22
10. ^ ^{a b c} Rashi Bamidbar 19:15
11. ^ Rashi Bamidbar 19:12
12. ^ Rashi Bamidbar 19:19
13. ^ Rashi Bamidbar 19:20
14. ^ ^{a b c} Rashi Bamidbar 19:21
15. ^ Yishayahu 1:18
16. ^ Rashi Bamidbar 19:20
17. ^ Rashi Bamidbar 19:20
18. ^ Rashi Bamidbar 19:20