The parsha begins with the words, "Zos chukas haTorah" — "This is the decree of the Torah."
The Baal Shem Tov teaches that every mitzvah in the Torah is eternal. Even mitzvos that seem to apply only when the Beis Hamikdash stood still contain lessons that remain relevant in every generation.
A talmid once asked the Baal Shem Tov: How can the mitzvah of Para Aduma apply today? The entire purpose of the Para Aduma was to purify someone who became tamei through contact with the dead. A mikveh could not accomplish this. Only the ashes of the Para Aduma could remove that tumah. Since we no longer have the Para Aduma, how can this mitzvah still be relevant?
The Baal Shem Tov answered that the word "para" has another meaning. Besides referring to a cow, it is related to the words "paru u'revu" — to increase, expand, and grow. Sometimes a person's ego also expands and grows. This is the middah of gaavah.
One of the great mysteries of the Para Aduma is that it was metaher teme'im and metame tehorim. Those who were tamei became tahor, while those involved in preparing the ashes became tamei. How can the very same thing purify one person and contaminate another?
The Baal Shem Tov explains that gaavah can work in a similar way. Sometimes it is destructive, and sometimes it is necessary.
When a person uses gaavah for his own honor and self importance, it is a terrible middah. But there are times when a person needs a measure of gaavah d'kedushah. Sometimes one must stand up for the truth and refuse to be influenced by public opinion. Sometimes a person must do what is right even when others disagree. At such a moment, excessive humility is not a virtue.
The "para" teaches that the same trait can be positive in one situation and negative in another. Just as the Para Aduma purified some and contaminated others, a middah can elevate a person or harm him depending on how and when it is used.
An example can be found in the life of Rav Akiva Eiger. Few people embodied humility more than Rav Akiva Eiger. In his letters, he writes that he never referred to someone as "my talmid." He explained that he did not know who learned more from whom. Perhaps he gained more from the talmid than the talmid gained from him. As Chazal say, "More than I learned from my teachers, I learned from my friends, and from my students more than all of them."
In another letter, Rav Akiva Eiger writes that he was afraid to issue halachic rulings and asked whether someone could help him find a position as a shamash in a shul.
His humility was legendary. Yet there were times when he displayed great firmness.
A dispute once arose between the printers of the Slavuta Shas and the printers of the Vilna Shas. The owners of the Slavuta printing house claimed that they possessed exclusive rights to print the Shas. Rav Akiva Eiger sided with the Vilna printers and ruled that others were permitted to print new editions.
Those who disagreed with him published sharp attacks against his position. In response, Rav Akiva Eiger wrote that the "gadol hador" in that generation was himself, and therefore he would not remain silent while his honor and authority were being undermined.
Was this the same Rav Akiva Eiger who was afraid to call someone "my talmid"? The answer is yes. When it came to his own honor, he fled from kavod. But when the honor of Torah was at stake, humility was no longer appropriate. Then it was necessary to stand firm.
This, says the Baal Shem Tov, is the lesson of the Para Aduma. Every middah has a proper place and a proper time.
Rav Moshe Feinstein develops this idea further. He asks why the Torah says, "Zos chukas haTorah." We are discussing the Para Aduma. Why does the Torah not say, "Zos chukas haPara," just as it says regarding Korban Pesach, "Zos chukas haPesach"?
Rav Moshe explains that the Torah is teaching a lesson that extends far beyond the Para Aduma itself.
The principle of metaher teme'im and metame tehorim applies throughout the Torah. Every middah can be used positively or negatively depending on the situation.
Tefillin is a great mitzvah. On a weekday, putting on tefillin is a tremendous mitzvah. On Shabbos, however, putting on tefillin is improper. The very same act changes based on what Hashem wants at that moment.
The same is true regarding character traits. Humility is a wonderful middah. Yet a person may forgo his own honor, but not the honor of another Jew. Sometimes the correct approach is to give someone else recognition and help him feel valued.
Generosity is also a wonderful trait. A person should be willing to spend his own money for worthy causes. But he has no right to be generous with someone else's money. Every penny that belongs to another person must be treated with care.
Bitachon is one of the foundations of Torah life. Yet when another person is suffering, it is not our place to lecture him about bitachon or tell him to accept his difficulties with love. Those are words a person can say to himself regarding his own challenges, not to someone else.
This is the meaning of "Zos chukas haTorah." The lesson of the Para Aduma is not limited to the Para Aduma. The entire Torah teaches that every middah, every action, and every response must be guided by the ratzon Hashem.
The challenge is not merely knowing what is right. The challenge is knowing when it is right.
