The lesson of the Red Heifer: Faith in action

Numbers 19:1 – 22:1

This week’s parsha introduces the law of the Parah Adumah, the Red Heifer, with the words: “This is the statute of the Torah…”

A completely red, unblemished cow is slaughtered and burned. Its ashes are then used to purify those who have come into contact with impurity.

Here’s the paradox: Those who handle the ashes become impure themselves.

In other words, the ritual that makes others pure contaminates those performing it. This seems counterintuitive.

Delving into the Torah, there appears to be no logic, no reason and no practical explanation for this peculiar mitzvah.

Even King Solomon, the wisest of all men, admitted that the secret explanation of the Parah Adumah was beyond him.

That’s why the Torah introduces this mitzvah as not just a statute, but the statute of the Torah. The Hebrew word used is
chok, a category of mitzvot that defies human understanding. And the law of the Parah Adumah is the prime example. It’s not meant to be understood; it’s meant to be observed.

But what is the purpose of this type of mitzvah — one that no one, not even King Solomon, can explain?

Perhaps, in this mystery, lies the essence of Torah life.

The Parah Adumah demands a relationship with G-d that transcends understanding. It reminds us that Judaism is not a system
we follow because it makes sense, but rather it is a covenant we uphold because it’s true. We don’t keep mitzvot because they are logical. We keep them because they are G-d’s will.

That distinction matters. Especially now.

We live in a time when clarity is hard to come by. The world feels upside down. People question what used to be obvious. Antisemitism grows bolder. The moral compass that once seemed shared is spinning wildly. And even regarding Israel, where the lines should be the clearest, we see complexity where there should be simplicity.

And yet, we also see something else.

We see Jews returning to Shabbat candles. Men putting on tefillin. Families embracing mitzvot they’d long forgotten. We see a deep, almost instinctive sense that when the world turns dark, the Jewish soul reaches for light.

Not because it always makes sense. But because it’s who we are.

This past week also marked Gimmel Tammuz, the anniversary of the passing of the Rebbe.

The Rebbe was not only a brilliant scholar, but he was also a leader who taught us to live with faith that reaches beyond reason. He reminded us that doing a mitzvah, even one we don’t fully understand, has the power to transform the world. That meaning isn’t always found in explanation. Sometimes it’s found in commitment.

The Rebbe encouraged every Jew to do mitzvot, regardless of background or affiliation. Labels and divisions between Jews had no place in his worldview. He taught that every Jew, no matter their level of observance, upbringing or political belief, is a vital part of G-d’s master plan. And for that, we need to strive toward a 100% participation rate.

The Rebbe asked people not to wait until it made sense. He asked them to simply start doing.

Put on tefillin. Light Shabbat candles. Give tzedakah. Observe Shabbat. Do another mitzvah.

And from those simple acts, entire lives changed.

The Parah Adumah is not a ritual we can recreate today until the coming of Moshiach. But the lesson it teaches is as relevant as ever: We are part of something deeper than reason. G-d gave us a Torah not to explain everything, but rather to elevate
everything.

When it comes to elevating the world around us, don’t wait for it all to make sense. Do a mitzvah. Say a prayer. Reach out to a fellow Jew. Not just because it’s logical, but because it’s eternal.

Because purity doesn’t always come from understanding.

Sometimes all it takes is doing. PJC

Rabbi Henoch Rosenfeld is the director of Chabad Young Professionals of Pittsburgh. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabonim of Greater Pittsburgh.