Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

  • Reset
Category

Back to Home -> Chukas -> 5755


Home -> 5755 -> Chukas

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5755

“And strip Aharon of his vestments and dress Elazar his son in them.” (20:26)

In the Midrash, Chazal recount a fascinating story about the transfer of Aharon’s vestments to Elazar, his son.  It is forbidden to dress the Kohen Gadol in any manner other than the prescribed order: He first dons the undergarments, followed by the outer garments. In order to dress Elazar properly, Moshe would have had to remove all of Aharon’s clothes.  What was he to do? Hashem performed a great miracle for Aharon. Whenever Moshe removed one of Aharon’s priestly garments, he found him clothed underneath with a corresponding Heavenly garment, so that Aharon’s body was actually never bared. Another miracle…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5755 -> Chukas

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5755

“And they shall take to you a completely red cow.” (19:2)

The laws of Parah Adumah are shrouded in mystery. Chazal teach us that the Parah Adumah served as an atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf. How does this take effect, and what relationship do the two have with each other ? Another paradoxical aspect of the law is that the one who had prepared the ashes of the Parah Adumah became spiritually defiled, while the unclean person became purified. How could the parah be me’tameh tehorim and simultaneously be me’tahar tema’im? How could the same substances defile those handling them and yet purify those who were spiritually unclean?…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5755 -> Chukas

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5755

“And they shall take to you a completely red cow, which is without blemish, and upon which a yoke has not come.” (19:2)

“And they shall take to you a completely red cow, which is without blemish, and upon which a yoke has not come.”  (19:2) The Parah Adumah, Red Heifer/cow, symbolizes two seemingly conflicting concepts. On the one hand, the Parah Adumah should be completely red in color. Indeed, if only two hairs are not red, it is rendered invalid. The color red traditionally represents sin in an allusion to blood and murder. This idea is consistent with the pasuk in Yeshayah 1:18, “Though your errors will be like scarlet, they will become white as snow; though they will be red as…

Continue Reading

Home -> 5755 -> Chukas

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Chukas, 5755

“This is the decree of the Torah … and they shall take to you a completely red cow …” (19:2)

Although the mitzvah of Parah Adumah is difficult to comprehend, a number of lessons can be derived from its unique halachos. The Midrash takes note of the fact that only a female is acceptable for this korban. For other sacrifices, in contrast, a male or female are equally eligible. Chazal explain that the Parah Adumah serves to cleanse Klal Yisrael from the sin of the Golden Calf.  This concept has given rise to the saying, “Let the (mother) cow atone for the defilement created by the (golden) calf.” Thus, only a female is accepted for the Parah Adumah. In expounding…

Continue Reading

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

You have Successfully Subscribed!