THOSE DEALING WITH THE RED HEIFER - AND THE IMPURITY THEY CONTRACT
It is stated in the Torah that those who are involved in preparing the ashes of the red heifer become defiled with a low level of impurity. This impurity can be rid of by immersing in a mikveh, ritual bath, on the day of defilement and with nightfall the full level of purity is restored.
Additionally, this level of impurity is transferred to the person's clothes upon his body and the vessels he holds while preparing the ashes. [45] Considering this, the Sages elucidate the verse (Job 14:4), “Who can produce a pure thing out of an impure one? No one?!” [46] as a reference to G-d creating something that on one hand purifies and on the other, renders impure. [47]
PREPARATION OF RED HEIFERS THROUGHOUT HISTORY
As mentioned earlier, the first red heifer ritual was performed by Elazar, son of Aharon, the kohen, as described in the Torah. The Sages note that this ceremony was done immediately after the erection of the ‘Mishkan’ - Tabernacle on the second day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, in the second year following the exodus from Egypt. The preparation of the red heifer on this date enabled ample time for all of the Nation of Israel to become pure in time to bring the Passover offering, two weeks later.
There is no additional mention in the Bible of another red heifer being prepared, and from the words of the Sages it is understood that throughout the whole time period up to the end of the First Temple, no additional red heifer was prepared. Therefore, the ashes of the first red heifer, prepared in the desert, lasted an extremely long time, about a thousand years.
It is stated in the Mishnah that, during the time period of the Second Temple, there were eight red heifers prepared for use: [48] the first being done by Ezra the Scribe in the beginning of the Second Temple period, followed by the two red heifers prepared by Shimon the Righteous, one of the last members of the Great Assembly (‘anshei knesset hagedola’). Later on, two red heifers were prepared by a Kohen Gadol (High Priest) by the name of Yochanan, grandson of Matityahu the Hasmonean. After him, Eliyhoeini ben HaKof, as well as Chanamel HaMitzri, Ishmael ben Piavi (who lived several decades before the destruction of the Second Temple), prepared one each. [49] Various sources also mention the involvement of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai in preparing a red heifer. [650]
THE ASHES OF THE RED HEIFER IN THE PRESENT
Regarding the preparation of the red heifer ashes in the future, Maimonides wrote: “Nine red heifers were prepared from the time that this commandment was given up until the destruction of the Second Temple. The first was prepared by Moses, the second by Ezra, and seven more were prepared from Ezra until the destruction of the Temple. And the tenth, the king Messiah will prepare, may he be speedily revealed.” [51]
There are those that wish to understand from this that only the king Messiah is permitted to prepare the next red heifer. However, the general rule is that there is no commandment in the Torah that its performance is dependent on the coming of the Messiah, rather the commandments are incumbent upon Israel to perform in every generation. [52]
READING THE TORAH PORTION REGARDING THE RED HEIFER
The Sages created a set time to read the Torah portion regarding the red heifer on the Shabbat (Sabbath) which follows the holiday of Purim, in preparation for the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the bringing of the Passover offering. There are those that are of the opinion that the public Torah reading of this portion is the fulfillment of a commandment of the Torah. [53] Others say that during the preparation of the red heifer, it is a commandment to publicly read the relevant portion in the Torah.[54]
FROM THE MIDRASH
(the homiletical exegesis of the Torah)
The commandment of the red heifer - “I have issued a decree and you may not transgress it.”
The Sages point out the uniqueness of the commandment of the red heifer and pose questions, such as: Why exactly does the heifer need to be red? What is the nature of its “power” that it is a means through which purification can be attained? How can it be that a degree of impurity is passed on to those involved in its preparation?
In reply to such questions, the Sages [55] elucidate the following verse said by King Solomon, “I said I would attain wisdom, but it eludes me.” [56] to mean, that in spite of all his wisdom, he was unable to fully comprehend the meaning behind the commandment of the red heifer. [57] Or, in the words of the Sages, “A statute I [G-d] have instituted, a decree I have decreed! You do not have the right to transgress it!” [58]
In connection to this, a midrash (literally, homily, a deeper meaning behind the text of the Torah) is brought: [59]
An idol-worshiper asked Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, "These rituals you do, they seem like witchcraft! You bring a red heifer, burn it, grind it up, and take its ashes. When one of you is impure by the dead, two or three drops are sprinkled on him, and you declare him pure!"
Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai replied, "And what do you do for a person into whom an evil spirit has entered?
The idol-worshiper replied, “Roots are brought and they are smoked beneath him, and water is poured and it flees."
Rabbi Yochanan responded, "Your ears should hear what your mouth utters! The same thing is true for this spirit, the spirit of impurity, as it is written, (Zachariah 13:2) "Even the prophets and the spirit of impurity will I remove from the land." They sprinkle upon him purifying waters, and it [the spirit of impurity] flees."
After the idol-worshiper left, the Rabbi's students said, "You pushed him off with a reed. What will you say to us?"
Rabbi Yochanan said to them, "By your lives! A dead person doesn't render things impure, and the water doesn't make things pure. Rather, God said, 'I have instituted a statute, I have passed a decree, and you have no permission to transgress it ‘, as it is written "This is a statute of the Torah."
Even so, the Sages provided a reason for this commandment, saying that the bringing of a female cow provides an atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf, as the Sages say, “Let the mother come and clean up the excrement of her son.” [60]
FROM THE WORLD OF THOUGHT
The ashes of the red heifer purify the impure and defile the pure - Insight into a reason behind this law
Although the commandments are statutes and decrees, the scholars encourage one to seek the logic and depth behind them.
Maimonides writes (Mishneh Torah, Me’ilah, 8:8):
"It is appropriate for a person to delve into the understanding and meaning of the statutes of the holy Torah, and to acquire an understanding according to one’s capacity If he cannot find a reason or a motivating rationale for a practice, he should not regard it lightly. Nor should he break through to confront G-d, lest G-d burst forth against him… The decrees are commandments for which the meaning behind them is not known. The Sages taught that the statement: ‘I have ordained decrees and you have no permission to question them.’… refers to commandments such as the prohibition of eating the meat of a pig… and the red heifer.”
Following in the path of Maimonides, commentators on the Torah attempted to find reasons behind this commandment to the best of their ability and wrote that there is reason behind the seeming contradictions in the commandment of the red heifer: On the one hand, the red heifer must be lacking of any blemishes, and could not ever have a yoke placed upon her (i.e. serve as a work cow). On the other hand, the heifer’s unique red color represents sin and iniquity.
This can be seen as a metaphor for a human soul. The soul given to each and every one of us by G-d comes to this world in complete purity in order to serve G-d in a state of purity, holiness, and righteousness. Furthermore, the soul is meant to elevate the material man, to refine his qualities and his evil inclination.
On the other hand, man who acts in accordance with negative tendencies, is engrossed in material issues, and stumbles in sin, may “defile”, so to speak, something in his soul, like a thin shell that externally is wrapped around it.
This is the idea behind the law that kohanim (priests) who prepare the red heifer, and the clothes they are wearing at the time, contract a lower form of ritual impurity. The kohen preparing the red heifer ashes for purification is like an apothecary or doctor preparing medicine to cure his patient from an illness. There are times that the mere close encounter with the disease may have an effect on the physician. So too, those involved in preparing the red heifer are affected with a degree of impurity themselves.
With this law, G-d is teaching us of the importance of distancing ourselves from sin so that our pure soul is protected. [61]