This week's reading begins with the commandment of the 'Red Cow' and it is followed by the death of Miriam, Moses' sister.
Rashi, the main elucidator of the Torah, explains that "It comes to teach us that just as the Red Cow purifies, so the death of 'Tzadkim' (righteous Jews like Miram) purifies."
This is not understood.
First of all, the purification brought about by the Red Cow is a technical affair; ashes are sprinkled on the defiled person who automatically becomes 'pure'. But the purification made by Tzadikim is deeply personal. It means bringing people to change themselves deeply and personally, not automatically.
Second, how can the death of one person, even a Tzadik, possibly rectify the mistakes of another? Everyone has to do their own soul work on themselves.
Third: Why specifically is the ‘Red Cow’ followed by Miriam? She isn’t the only righteous person. Why not to the death of Moses or Aaron or even Nadav and Avihu who were also big Tzadikim?
To explain this here is a story.
This week we celebrated the holiday of Gimmel Tammuz, the date that the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Shneerson, was released from certain death in Communist prison, in 1927, for openly defying the Stalinist regime in Russia and inspiring his Chassidim to spread Judaism and teach Torah (especially to children) at the risk (and often at the cost) of their lives.
The Rebbe taught that true Judaism meant following the example of Abraham, the first Jew, who was willing to sacrifice everything, even heavenly reward, for the truth.
Such a Chassid was Rabbi Mendel Futerfass.
In Russia people were afraid to even think negatively about Stalin. Secret police were everywhere and the brainwashed public was always eager to report anti-communist activities. All this, coupled with the ever-present anti-Semitism, made it suicidal to teach Torah. But this motivated Rav Mendel to defy all fear; he helped Jews to escape Russia, collected funds for 'underground' Torah schools and managed many other forbidden projects.
The story is told that Rabbi Futerfass, after years of self-sacrifice, was told that the secret police were hot on his trail and it would be only days, perhaps hours, until he would be arrested.
He had to act fast. He swiftly obtained forged passports for himself and his family and managed to secure places on a train.
But on his way to the station he met another Chassid called Rav Yona who asked him where he was going. “I have to leave Russia” he replied. “After years they are on to me. Enough self-sacrifice! I have to leave.”
“Ahhh” said Rav Yona “I didn’t know there was a limit to self-sacrifice! Good luck!”
Rav Mendel continued with his family and got on the Train. It was a miracle!! They would soon be out of danger. At every stop soldiers would board and check everyone's passports and, miracle of miracles; they accepted his and his families' to be genuine.
Until finally they reached the last stop before the border .... after this they would be out of Russia! He had reason to be tense but he wasn't. He just thought about the Rebbe! The police just glanced at their passports and were already continuing to the next car. He was free!
But suddenly the words of Rav Yona echoed in his mind “I didn’t know there was a limit to self-sacrifice”
Reb Mendel thought to himself, "He’s right. How can I leave? Who will take care of the underground schools? Every day I'm there, even one day, is important!!"
He told his wife and family to continue without him and he got off the train.
A week or two later he was caught and was sentenced to 7 years in Siberia.
Reb Mendel got out alive after seven years of hell and eventually became one of the head Rabbis in the Yeshiva where I taught in Kfar Chabad. We spoke regularly and he told me a story:
Once, the Previous Rebbe (before the Rebbe himself was imprisoned by Stalin) made an emergency meeting of all his important and influential supporters. Supporting the Rebbe was no simple matter in Communist Russia and just to come to the meeting was to risk one's life.
One person, a brave and self-sacrificing doctor reported in detail how he helped and healed people often at the risk of his own life. The Rebbe listened and answered calmly,
"What you have done is nothing compared to what you could have done - and you know it. If you saved tens, you could have saved hundreds. If you helped hundreds, you could have helped thousands."
Another Chassid begged the Rebbe to do something to help his sister get out of Russia. "At this meeting" the Rebbe replied, "we are not dealing with our selves. Here we are dealing with self-sacrifice. Only self-sacrifice will bring Judaism to victory."
Similarly with the Present Lubavitcher Rebbe. He so stressed the importance of true education that the United States Senate in 1978 declared his birthday every year (the 11th of Nisan) to be "National Education and Sharing Day".
And he too, like the previous Rebbe, was never satisfied. He always urged his Chassidim to do more and reach more Jews.
One of the more striking examples is the village of Kfar Chabad which was founded by the previous Rebbe in 1949 less than a year before his passing with the sole purpose of spreading and providing Jewish education throughout Israel.
From the outset it was a success. The Kfar reached more and more youth until tragedy stuck in 1957.
Fedayeen Arab Terrorists snuck into Kfar Chabad, entered the Youth Vocational School in the middle of their Sabbath Morning Prayers and opened fire with automatic weapons leaving three pupils and two teachers dead; murdered in cold blood.
The Kfar was shocked. Grown men that had weathered the interrogations of the KGB and the tortures of Siberia with a Chassidic song on their lips wept like babies and were broken by the meaningless massacre. There were murmurings that it was not safe to continue living in Kfar Chabad, and that tje vocational school should be closed down.
Everyone waited for the Rebbe to send advice, direction, condolence or at least a response. But for three days there was nothing. They say the Rebbe locked himself in his room all that time.
Then, on the fourth day the answer came.
"Behemshech habinyan tinacheimu"
"By your continued building will you be comforted"
He was telling them that any sign of fear or retreat would be a victory for the terrorists. Rather we must do the opposite and BUILD! We must increase the number of Jewish children that receive Jewish education. Even at the point of self-sacrifice.
I just read a story on Chabad.org that group of Jewish college students once had an audience with the Rebbe and one of them asked him if it is really true that he can do miracles.
The Rebbe answered, "Every Jew is above nature and therefore it is possible for every Jew to do miracles. And to prove it, I am going to do a miracle right now!"
The students could not believe their ears. They were expecting an unusual answer but nothing like this... what was he going to do? They began to get nervous.
The Rebbe said, "I want each of you, right now, to make a resolution to do something that you know in your mind is good and right, but up to now you thought was too difficult or even impossible for you to do. That is a true miracle!"
This answers our above questions about the ‘Red Cow’ and the death of Miriam purifying the Jews.
Tzadikim are Jews that constantly increase in holiness... even after they 'pass away' (see Tanya, book 4 chap. 27) In fact their actual 'death' is not death at all, but rather releases a new type of pure life that removes obstacles; just as the ashes of the Red Cow remove 'impurity'.
And just as the Red Cow both purifies the defiled and defiles the pure (i.e. those that prepare the ashes). Similarly, Tzadikim, (even after they have 'departed' this world) empower their followers to sacrifice their ‘purity’ in order to purify and educate others.
And that is why the Red Cow is juxtaposed to Miriam. Because Miriam is best known for her self-sacrifice and willingness to 'defile' herself to save Jewish CHILDREN (see Rashi, Ex. 1:15). And all Jews are children of G-d (Ex. 4:22)
The lesson to us is that we can draw power and purity from the Tzadikim. Just like the Red Cow purifies from death so too the Tzadikim empower us to reveal our life potentials for good.
As long as our potentials are concealed, they are as 'dead'. But Tzadikim, especially the Rebbe (as in the above story with the students) ‘raise the dead in us by showing us that we are above nature.
That is why one of the accomplishments of Moshiach will be to prepare the tenth and final Red Cow. Because Moshiach will purify all the Jewish people, and through them the entire world (Ez.36:25) to serve G-d.
As Maimonides writes; that Moshiach will fill the world with the awareness of G-d like water fills the ocean. (Isiah 11:9).
And not much is lacking to make it happen!
We are standing on the merits of thousands of years of Jewish prayers, hopes and self-sacrifice. Now it could be that just one more good deed, word or even thought can reveal ......
Moshiach NOW!!
Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel
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