Shabbos Parah
Some poskim rule that reading parashas Parah is a Torah obligation. The Avodas Yisrael says it is alluded to in the words (Bamidbar 19:1-2). לאמר 'ה צוה אשר התורה חקת זאת, "this is the rule of the Torah that Hashem commanded to say." This indicates that there is an obligation to say this parashah.
The Avodas Yisrael writes, "The Torah is hinting (with לאמר) that even when we don’t have a Beis HaMikdash and can't prepare a physical parah adumah, we must read the parashah, and שפתיתנו פרים ונשלמה, our saying the parashah will be considered as though we brought the parah adumah."
The Torah (Bamidbar 19:21) calls parah adumah עולם חקת, "an eternal law." How is parah adumah eternal? The ashes of the parah adumah were available in the times of the Amoraim, and they would use them to purify themselves. But what about our generation? How is it possible to keep parah adumah in our generation? The Aruch HaShulchan (685:7) answers that the Torah hints that when we can't make a parah adumah, we have a mitzvah to read parashas Parah.
The Yerushalmi writes, "Parashas Parah is ישראל של טהרתן, the purity of the Jewish nation." When we read about the parashah of parah adumah, we become pure.
The Beis Aharon writes, “One must believe that just as the ashes of the parah adumah purify...today, everyone becomes purified when Parashas Parah is read — each person according to his level."
The Sfas Emes (Parashas Parah end 5641) clarifies, “The purity discussed here is purity from sin."
Similarly, Rebbe Tzaddok HaCohen zt'l teaches that when we read this parashah, we become pure from sin. He proves this from the haftorah. The haftorah is usually based on the weekly Torah reading. This Shabbos, the haftorah says (Yechezkel 36:25), טהורים מים עליכם וזרקתי אתכם אטהר גלוליכם ומכל טמאתיכם מכל וטהרתם, "I will sprinkle pure water upon you, that you may become cleansed; I will cleanse you from all your contamination and idols." This indicates that the Torah portion also refers to being tahor from aveiros.
Torah Purifies
Parashas Parah begins with (Bamidbar 19:2) התורה חקת זאת, “This is the statute of the Torah...” Why doesn't it state הפרה חקת זאת? Why is Torah mentioned? The Rokeiach answers that this teaches us that Torah study purifies like the parah adumah.
The Shlah HaKadosh writes, “Even when there isn’t a parah adumah, by studying Torah with hasmadah, one becomes pure."
A non-kosher cooking utensil is kashered by immersing it in boiling water (הגעלה). An even more powerful method of kashering is to scald the cooking utensil in fire (ליבון) until the utensil becomes red-hot. The Or HaChaim zt’l (Rishon L’Tzion) teaches that these two methods of kashering represent the paths people take to attain purity from their aveiros. One way is through afflictions, such as fasting and the like. This method is compared...
