Beloved Friends,
This Shabbat is also known as Shabbat Parah, one of the four special Shabbatot preceding Pesach. We add verses from the book of Numbers (19:1-12) concerning the ritual of the Red Heifer to the verses of this week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:20). This ritual of the red heifer embodies what I call “The Paradox of Purity.” The ashes of the heifer, when mixed with water, could purify one who had come into contact with death. Yet, those who performed the ritual, handling the ashes and administering the purification, themselves became impure. This paradox — that the very act of purifying another renders the purifier impure — invites us to dive deeper.
A timeless tale from the late 1700s captures this truth. Rebbe Moshe Lieb Erblich, known as the Sassover Rav, once entered an inn and sat beside two local peasants. As the two drank, they fell into a stupor. One turned to the other and asked, “Tell me, friend, do you love me?” The other replied, “Of course I love you. We’re drinking companions. Naturally, I love you.” The first man pressed, “Then tell me, friend, what causes me pain.” The other responded, “How should I know what hurts you? I’m just your drinking buddy.” The first man sighed, “If you loved me, you would know what causes me pain.”
From that day on, the Sassover Rebbe taught: to love another is to understand their suffering and act to ease their burden.
To heal others, we must step into their world, feel their pain, and shoulder part of their struggle. A counselor who comforts the brokenhearted cannot remain untouched. A friend who consoles the grieving will carry some of that sorrow. And a leader who guides a community through uncertainty must bear the weight of their fears and doubts.
The Torah commands that the Priest, who administers the ashes of the red heifer, must step into the realm of impurity, not for his own sake, but for the sake of those in need of restoration.
The ashes of the heifer symbolize the wisdom born of experience—the brokenness that, when embraced, becomes the source of healing. Through our own struggles and imperfections, we can reach others with authenticity and empathy.
As Pesach, the Festival of Freedom, approaches, this teaching becomes even more poignant. Shabbat Parah reminds us of the need for purification in preparation for the holiday. In ancient times, the ashes of the red heifer were essential for those who had become ritually impure to partake in the Passover offering.
Today, in the absence of the sacrificial system, we seek a deeper, spiritual cleansing to prepare for true freedom. Just as the red heifer’s ashes allow us to transcend the impurity of death, Pesach invites us to transcend the stagnation of servitude and embrace liberation and holiness.
On this special Shabbat, we are reminded that redemption is not about escaping from impurity, but about transforming it. Like the biblical Priest who takes on impurity to restore others, we too must confront the darkness within ourselves and our world to bring true freedom and light.
In our relationships, our communities, and our spiritual practice, we are called to be healers. But we must do so with humility, knowing that helping another often leaves a mark on us. This is not a flaw in the system; it is the essence of what it means to be human and to care deeply.
As we clean our homes and our hearts for Pesach, let us embrace the paradox of the red heifer. For in the ashes of our own struggles lies the potential to uplift others and usher in a season of true redemption.
Shabbat Shalom,
