The Mystery of Parah Adumah
The Parah Adumah passage is enigmatic for a number of reasons. The ritual bears many similarities to a Korban, but also contains a number of key differences. It is slaughtered like a Korban, but outside the confines of the Mishkan. It must be blemish free like a Korban, but has the added condition that it must be perfectly red/brown and never have carried a yoke. The blood is collected and sprinkled in the direction of the Mishkan by a Kohen, but never reaches the Mizbe’ach itself. The burning of the cow resembles a Korban, but the purpose is to generate the ash rather than to create a ‘pleasing aroma’. The impure individual sprinkled by the ashes is purified (similar to the function of the blood of a Korban), but paradoxically those performing the ritual are contaminated.[1]
Beyond the ritual itself, and perhaps befitting its mysterious nature, there are three major literary anomalies.
The first relates to location. Seemingly it would have been far more appropriate to include these laws in Sefer Vayikra which deals comprehensively with the various categories of impurity and their purification. Yet for some reason this chief category of impurity from a human corpse is omitted. To make matters worse, there are numerous prior references to the existence of this form of impurity, but the details of how the impurity transmits, the period of impurity, and how purification is achieved, is deferred until now with no obvious link to the surrounding sections.[2]
The next challenge relates to the introductory verse:
זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה ה׳ לֵאמֹר: (במדבר י״ט, ב)
This is a unique formulation. In all other cases, laws are described as either a ‘Chok’ or as a ‘Torah’, but they are never combined in the same phrase.[3] In this verse Chukkat appears in construct form with the word Torah as the referent, but with no indication what the ‘Torah’ refers to. Basing himself on the Midrash, Rashi interprets the term Chukkat HaTorah as alluding to Parah Adumah’s role as the archetypal Chok in the Torah which defies human logic. This interpretation, however, is anachronistic as the use of the word Torah to refer to the entirety of the Torah (i.e. the Pentateuch) was a later development. [4]
The third issue relates to the structure. The Parah Adumah passage comprises two main sections of identical length (146 words). The first section (vv. 1-10) deals with the initial preparation of the ashes which are then stored until needed. This represents a communal requirement to always ensure ashes are available for purification. The second section (vv. 14-22) deals with how the impurity transmits, and how the purification process involving the sprinkling of the ashes is performed in individual cases.[4] The ordering here seems strange insofar as the elaborate preparation of the ashes is described without revealing its purpose. It is only after the details of the preparation process that we learn what the ashes will be used for.
A more logical flow would have been to first introduce the laws of impurity and only then move on to the preparation of the ashes as an extension of the purification process. This is the order in every other instance of ritual impurity even where there is an elaborate purification process (e.g. Metzorah).
One might counter, on chronological grounds, that preparation of the ashes is mentioned first as it takes place prior to the death which creates the impurity. However this doesn’t explain why there is absolutely no allusion to the purpose of the ashes in the first section. It also shifts the question to why the Torah mandated a pre-emptive procedure in the first place thereby distinguishing it from other cases of purification. As we shall see, the pre-emption point is indeed a critical component but it must be understood as more than a mere technicality.
What emerges from both the second and third point is that the Torah treats the preparation of the ashes as an end in itself, not merely as a means to purification.[5] The idea behind this needs to be understood.
Between Chok and Torah
To address all these different issues we will start with a rather technical discussion of the difference between ‘Torah’ and ‘Chok’.
A Chok is a law which is absolute and unconditional. The classic Chok is a law of nature:
הַלְלוּהוּ שְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם וְהַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר מֵעַל הַשָּׁמָיִם… וַיַּעֲמִידֵם לָעַד לְעוֹלָם חׇק־נָתַן וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר׃ (תהילים קמ״ח, ד-ו)
Within a legal framework, a Chok refers to a non-contingent statute which applies under all circumstances and for all time. This is distinct from a Torah which describes a specific set of actions or a process which must be followed in a given situation. It is informative that out of the 30 references to Chok to describe a specific law, 23 of those utilise the phrase Chukkat Olam. Examples of a Chok include the Pesach service and eating Matzah, prohibition of eating blood and fats, and fasting and resting on Yom Kippur.[6] The fixed nature of the law in these contexts does not just reflect its enduring character, but also its absolute non-contingent character.
On the other hand, ‘Torah’ describes a particular process to be followed under prescribed circumstances. Classic examples of Torot include the procedures for offering various Korbanot (Olah, Asham, Chatat, Shelamim) and certain purification procedures (Metzorah, Yoledet, Zav).
Given this background, we can understand why the second section which sets out how to apply the ashes for purification is introduced as a Torah:
זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אָדָם כִּי־יָמוּת בְּאֹהֶל כׇּל־הַבָּא אֶל־הָאֹהֶל וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁר בָּאֹהֶל יִטְמָא שִׁבְעַת יָמִים׃ (במדמבר י״ט, ד)
Since the second section dealing with the purification procedure is described as a Torah, the phrase Chukkat HaTorah introducing the first section means the specific Chok which underpins that Torah i.e. the preparation of the ashes. The preparation of the Parah Adumah ashes meets the definition of a Chok as the essence of the law is that there must always be ashes ready for purification, whether or not there is a specific need for them at any given moment.[7]
Pre-empting death
The unique introductory phrase ‘Chukkat haTorah’ highlights the special nature of the Parah Adumah law which consists of a universal Chok (to prepare the ashes) which pre-empts and facilitates a particular Torah (purifying the contaminated individual). This stands in contrast to other purification procedures which comprise only a Torah to be carried out when the need arises.
The broader spiritual implication of this Chok is that anticipating the possibility of death is made into a fixed feature of life. To understand the deeper meaning here we now turn to the basic symbolism of the ritual itself.
Within the conceptual world of Korbanot (to which Parah Adumah belongs), animal sacrifice is a metaphor for human life. In the unique case of Parah Adumah, the blemish-free perfectly red/brown cow is a symbol of beauty and life (symbolised by the reddish colour). The slaughter and burning of the cow is a graphic depiction of the transformation of a symbol of life into ash – the ultimate symbol of death. Ashes represent the transience of life and inevitability of death. All living beings, however large and impressive they were in life, eventually return to the earth the same way. The fact that the cow is burnt before it has ever carried a yoke is also a sober reminder of unfulfilled potential which is almost always felt when death strikes.
When Adam and Eve partake of the Tree of Knowledge, they acquire knowledge of their mortality:
בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם עַד שׁוּבְךָ אֶל־הָאֲדָמָה כִּי מִמֶּנָּה לֻקָּחְתָּ כִּי־עָפָר אַתָּה וְאֶל־עָפָר תָּשׁוּב׃ (בראשית ג:יט)
Consciousness of one’s own mortality requires a deep level of self-awareness, which is both a distinguishing feature of human life and a reflection of the image of God – a key theme of the first two chapters of Genesis. Paradoxically, it is the contemplation of life’s finite nature which also reminds us of the limits of the God likeness. This is part of the significance of the pre-emptive preparation of ashes of the Parah Adumah and their continuous storage for potential use. It acts as an ongoing reminder of human mortality and is a call to act with humility in life.
From אפר to עפר
In addition to the above, Parah Adumah also provides a positive perspective which protects against a descent into nihilism. At the end of the day it is the same ashes which cleanses the impurity caused by the corpse. The word used for ashes is אפר, however in the last instance describing the ashes being sprinkled over the impure individual, the word used is עפר. Although linguistically and visually related, the effect of the ע and א exchange is to create a word pair with related but divergent meanings.[8] Whereas ash is the end of life, earth is the source of life. Returning to Genesis, this idea is represented by Adam being created from the soil:
וַיִּיצֶר ה׳ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן־הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה׃ (בראשית ב׳, ז)
Both the terms עפר and אדמה used in this verse which relates the physical origins of man, are referenced or alluded (אדמה=אדומה) to in the Parah Adumah passage. From a biological perspective, it is of course the earth which nourishes and sustains life, especially when combined with water. Ash is what remains when life has been entirely consumed, but even ash is able to provide fertility to the soil to enable new life to emerge. The all important message is that whilst death may be inevitable, there is continuity through offspring, and the influence of one generation shapes and molds the next.[9]
It is the awareness of mortality on the one hand and generational continuity on the other, which enables one to maximise potential in life.[10] This is the significance of the Parah Adumah belonging to the world of Chok which requires proactive engagement with issues of mortality, rather than as a Torah which is only reactive to the tragedy of death itself.
Let us now use this discussion to better understand why Parah Aduma is in Sefer Bamidbar and not Sefer Vayikra. The focal point of Sefer Vayikra is the Mishkan. The Mishkan and by extension the Kohanim embody regularity and order which is also a reflection of God’s immutability. In the words of R Sacks:
"The priestly mind sees the universe in terms of distinctions, boundaries and domains, in which each object or act has its proper place and they must not be mixed. The Kohen's task is to maintain boundaries and respect limits. For the Kohen, goodness equals order." (R' Sacks, introduction to the Yom Kippur Machzor)
Generational Continuity
We can perhaps go a step further to explain the specific location of the passage. The establishment of the Mishkan containing the ark with the Luchot and Keruvim, is undoubtedly a conceptual remodelling of the Garden of Eden. Within the Vayikra eutopia, the Divine presence resides in the Mishkan and projects outwards encompassing not just the Kohanim but the entire nation. Under this model, there should be no death – as there was no death in the original Garden. Within the real-life narrative of Sefer Bamidbar however, failure leads to the death of the first generation. But as the Rambam sensed, there is a strong sense of inevitability in the story – a generational change was fundamentally required to meet the new challenges for entering the land.[13]
It is precisely at the point of transition between the first and second generation that we are introduced to the Parah Adumah. Parashat Korach takes place at the beginning of the 40 years and Chukkat picks up the narrative at the end of the 40 years – the only intervening passage is Parah Adumah. To highlight this transition it is Elazar, the son of Aaron of the second generation, who is identified as the Kohen who supervises the ritual rather than Aaron himself.
Locating the Parah Adumah passage at this particular point, imparts the comforting message that this is not a story of wholesale replacement (as was indeed threatened at the time of the golden calf), but one of continuity and development. The new generation emerges from the ashes of the first but its persona and resilience is shaped by the first generation, and builds off its achievements and failures.
The Chok of Parah Adumah pre-empts the tragedy of death – not only from a legal and conceptual standpoint – but also in terms of the wider literary structure as it prepares us for the demise of the first generation. In fact, straight after the Parah Adumah passage we read about the deaths and impending deaths of the three generational leaders – Moshe, Aaron and Miriam. In this respect the placement of Parah Adumah prepares us to come to terms with the deaths of the leaders. Like the Parah Adumah they were blemish-free and innocent, but died as part of the generational transition.[14] Like the blood of the Parah Adumah which is slaughtered outside the camp and whose blood is sprinkled towards – but not quite reaching – the Mishkan, so too the leaders die outside the Land of Israel, just short of their destination. Their legacy (the ‘ashes’) however, lives on and guides the new generation who will be the ones to enter the land and complete the mission.[15]
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[1] Ramban (Deut. 21:5-8) saw Parah Adumah as part of a group of three special Korbanot performed outside the Mishkan (the other two being Eglah Arufah and Se’ir HaMishtale’ach). The quasi Korban status has far reaching halachic implications, see for example the debates in Mishnah Parah 2:3 and 4:1 about how far the Korban comparison goes.
[2] This is especially strange as the Rashbam repeatedly tells us that the Torah always provides background and context ahead of time (what he refers to as הקדמות – see for example Rashbam Bereishit 1:1).
[3] The only other place the combined phrase ‘Chukkat HaTorah’ appears is Bamidbar 31:21 in the context of purifying the vessels following the battle with Midian, however that usage is clearly intended to link back to our passage.
[3] The term Torah is used in Sefer Devarim in a broader way than the earlier books, but still does not mean the entire Torah.
[4] This division of the passages is based on R’ Elchanan Samet’s article here. This is characteristic of his general tendency to divide passages into two halves of equal length. He argues (convincingly in my view) that the verses between the two main passages (vv. 11-13) act as a bridge between the two sections.
[5] For this reason, the Rambam classified the preparation of the ashes as an independent Mitzvah to the purification process.
[6] The reference to Pesach and Matzah as a Chok is probably to highlight the ongoing obligation in contrast to the one-off events of the night of the Exodus. It also sets it apart from every other individual Korban.
זאת חקת התורה - ולפנינו יפרש באיזו תורה הוא מדבר, דכתיב: זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל - כלומר: חקת התורה שאמר למשה זאת התורה.
[9] This is perhaps the reason a cow is used which was a well known symbol of fertility in the ancient world.
[10] In the story of Adam and Eve, they gain knowledge of childbirth at the same time as they acquire knowledge of mortality.
[11] I discussed this at greater length in other contexts here and here
[12] Tzoraat may be unusual and cause immense suffering, but at the end of the day the person is expected to recover and return to the camp.
[14] That Moshe died before entering the land primarily due to being the leader of the first generation – rather than as a direct punishment of hitting the rock – was discussed here.
The Gemara is quoted by Rashi (19:1) but the Parah Adumah reference in the answer is substituted for Korbanot more generally.
