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“Whoever touches the corpse of a person who dies and does not purify himself, he defiles Hashem’s Tabernacle and that soul shall be cut off from Israel...” (Bamidbar 19:13)
The Parah Aduma was given to us as an opportunity for one, who has been contaminated by coming in contact with a corpse, to become purified. The process entailed being sprinkled twice with water into which ashes of the red heifer had been mixed, and then immersing in a mikveh.
The Torah now discusses one who does not go through the purification process. He is threatened with kareis, spiritual excommunication. Though this is not the only mitzvah one would be subject to this punishment if he didn’t fulfill, it is one of only two which uses the phrase, “cut off from Israel.”
Many other cases of kareis, such as not paining one’s self on Yom Kippur, entering the Mishkan or Bais HaMikdash when impure, not getting a bris mila, eating nosar (a korban after the allotted time for eating expires) and violating Shabbos. However, all those instances use the phrase, “that soul shall be cut off from its nation,” or similar. The only other time it says one will be cut off from Israel is referring to eating chametz on Pesach. What is the difference between these two phrases, and why would Chametz and Parah Aduma be related?
If we look at the other mitzvos, they are all very “Jewish” things. Keeping Shabbos and Mila certainly define a Jew, and Yom Kippur is held in high regard by Jews across the spectrum. One who performs these mitzvos properly can be said to be fulfilling “acts of your nation,” a phrase used in halacha to refer to observant Jews.
Being cut off from Israel is different. One who eats chametz on Pesach or refuses to purify himself has done something worse. Hashem took us out of Egypt and gave us the Torah, saying, “you shall be for Me a holy nation.” These two mitzvos represent our desire and determination to purify and sanctify ourselves at every opportunity. Leaven represents the Yetzer Hara, arrogance, and the things that keep us away from serving Hashem. Tumah, impurity, also keeps us from Hashem and is the antithesis of being holy.
For one to give up the chance to purify himself and not take advantage of it means he is losing the identity of a Yisrael, a Jew who was given the Torah as a vehicle for spiritual refinement. And we can take it a step further.
The posuk says, “He has defiled Hashem’s Mishkan.” Rashi comments, “if he enters the Mishkan even after immersing, but without the two sprinklings.” However, homiletically, we can explain that when the person “defiled the Tabernacle of Hashem,” it refers to himself.
One who refuses to sanctify himself has defiled Hashem’s resting place, as it says, “You shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in you.” Each of us is to make himelf a place of holiness where Hashem’s presence can rest. If we don’t, we have defiled that Mishkan of Hashem, and undermined our reason for becoming the Chosen People.
Rabbi Chatzkel Abramsky, z”l, was once riding in an Israeli cab and the driver told him a story.“After our IDF military service was over,” said the cabbie, “some friends and I went on a hiking and camping trip. In the middle of the night, we heard shouts and awoke to find a large snake wrapped around one of my friends. It was squeezing him so hard he could not breathe.”
“We didn’t know what to do, as it slowly killed him, and one of my friends said, “You’re going to die, say ‘Shema Yisrael!’” As he did, the snake uncoiled and slithered away. He was so moved that he became a baal Teshuva [a penitent Jew,] studied Torah, and is completely religious today.”
R’ Chatzkel asked him, “And what about you? Did you become more religious too?” “Me?” replied the taxi driver, “Why should I have become more religious? The snake wasn’t wrapped around me!”
©2025 – J. Gewirtz
