Now You Know!
Parshas Chukas discusses the Parah Aduma, the red heifer burned and used to purify people who had come into contact with corpses.
The Midrash Tanchuma relates that this mitzvah is a rectification for the sin of the Golden Calf. As it says, “Let the mother come and clean up the mess made by her young.”
The Parah Aduma has no known rationale, thereby rectifying the sin of rationalizing they needed an intermediary between them and G-d.
At Sinai, we reverted to the original state of Man, in which death was no longer a given. Upon sinning with the calf, death was decreed upon us again and we once again had corpse contamination.
The number of pesukim in Parshas Chukas is 87. This is the equivalent of the Hebrew word ‘paz,’ which means purified gold, yet another hint to the fact that the red heifer helps to atone for the sin of the golden calf.
The fact that there is a specific word for “purified gold,” meaning gold that has had its impurities burned out, is very telling.
After going through the purification process, the gold is no longer just gold. It is something better, more refined – like Man should be.
The challenges and difficulties in our lives are meant to rid us of our impurities such as arrogance, selfishness and cruelty so we are transformed into our best selves.
Thought of the week:
To be considered “good,” you must desire to be “better.”
