Torah of the Red Heifer Ordinance

THE RED COW. The law of the Red Cow is described by the Sages as the quintessential חֻקַת  הַתוֹרָה, decree of the Torah (v.2), meaning that it is beyond human understanding. Because Satan and the nations taunt Israel, saying, “What is the purpose of this commandment?” the Torah states that it is a decree of the One Who gave the Torah, and it is not for anyone to question it (Rashi). Rambam explains that this particular commandment invites the taunts of heretics because it is performed outside the Temple, as if to propitiate the “demons” of the field. The Midrash to this chapter focuses primarily on one paradox in the laws of the Red Cow: Its ashes purify people who had become contaminated; yet those who engage in its preparation become contaminated. COMMANDMENT 444 B’midbar 19      1HASHEM spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: 2“This is the decree of the Torah which HASHEM has commanded, saying: ‘Speak to the Children of Israel, and they shall take to you a completely red cow, which is without blemish, and upon which a yoke has not come. 3You shall give it to Elazar the Kohen; he shall take it out to the outside of the camp and someone shall slaughter it in his presence. 4Elazar the Kohen shall take some of its blood with his forefinger, and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the Tent of Meeting seven times. 5Someone shall burn the cow before his eyes — its hide and its flesh, and its blood, with its dung shall he burn. 6The Kohen shall take cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson thread, and he shall throw [them] into the burning of the cow.       7The Kohen shall immerse his clothing and immerse himself in water, and afterwards he may enter the camp; and the Kohen shall remain contaminated until evening. 8The one who burns it shall immerse his clothing in water and immerse himself in water; and he shall remain contaminated until evening.  9A pure man shall gather the ash of the cow and place [it] outside the camp in a pure place. For the assembly of Israel it shall remain as a safekeeping , for water of sprinkling; it is for purification.10The one who gathered the ash of the cow shall immerse his clothing and remain contaminated until evening. It shall be for the Children of Israel and for the proselyte who dwells among them as an eternal decree. COMMANDMENT 443 Tumah of a Corpse     11Whoever touches the corpse of any human being shall be contaminated for seven days. 12He shall purify himself with it on the third day and on the seventh day, then he shall become pure; but if he will not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day he will not become pure. 13Whoever touches the dead body of a human being who will have died, and will not have purified himself — if he shall have contaminated the Tabernacle of HASHEM, that person will be cut off from Israel;1 because the water of sprinkling has not been thrown upon him, he shall remain contaminated; his condemnation is still upon him.     14This is the teaching regarding a man who would die in a tent: Anything that enters the tent and anything that is in the tent shall be contaminated for seven days. 15Any open vessel that has no cover fastened to it is contaminated. 16On the open field: Anyone who touches one slain by the sword, or one that died, or a human bone, or a grave, shall be contaminated for seven days.     17They shall take for the contaminated person some of the ashes of the burning of the purification [animal], and put upon it spring water in a vessel. 18A pure man shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, and sprinkle upon the tent, upon all the vessels, upon the people who were there, and upon the one who touched the bone, or the slain one, or the one that died, or the grave. 19The pure person shall sprinkle upon the contaminated person on the third day and on the seventh day, and shall purify him on the seventh day; then he shall immerse his clothing and immerse himself in water and become purified in the evening. 20But a man who becomes contaminate and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the congregation, if he shall have contaminated the Sanctuary of HASHEM; because the water of sprinkling has not been thrown upon him, he is contaminated. COMMANDMENT 445 Torah of the Water of Purification     21This shall be for them an eternal decree. And the one who sprinkles the water of sprinkling shall immerse his clothing, and the one who touches the water of sprinkling shall be contaminated until evening. 22Anything that the contaminated one may touch shall be come contaminated, and the person who touches him shall become contaminated until evening.’”

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¹ B’midbar 19:13. It a contaminated person intentionally enters the Sanctuary or Courtyard, his soul is cut off from the Jewish people (Rashi; Ramban)

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