A red heifer

Synopsis

Rabbi Aba asks Rabbi Shimon why the 'red heifer' in "a red heifer, faultless without blemish" is compared to the calf and the lamb and why it should be cleansed just through roasting it. Rabbi Shimon says the essence of the message is that a clean thing can be brought out of an unclean thing. The heifer was unclean, but by burning her to ashes she became clean. She had to be burned to ashes because it is like the verse: "and you shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet." When water was sprinkled on the ashes they became clean. The secret of the clean water is the verse: "water of purifying (sin)." After judgment was executed on the heifer she became clean and the Holy Spirit had dominion. The spirit of defilement was no longer found in the camp.

Egypt Fire Head Heifer Holiness (Kedushah) Lambs Red

323. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּמִצְרַיִם, בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא דִּלְהוֹן כְּתִיב, אַל תֹאכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ נָא וְגוֹ'. צְלִי אֵשׁ, בְּגִין דְּיִסְלַק רֵיחוֹ נוֹדֵף. רֹאשׁוֹ עַל כְּרָעָיו, לְתַּבְרָא לֵיהּ וּלְאַכְפְּיָיא לֵיהּ, וּכְדֵין כָּל אִינּוּן דְּאַתְיָין מִסִּטְרֵיהּ לָא שַׁלְטֵי. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא פָרָה אֲדוּמָּה תְּמִימָה וְגוֹ' בְּגִין לְאַכְפְּיָיא כָּל אִינּוּן סִטְרֵי מִסְאַבָא, דְּלָא יִשְׁלְטוּן.

Babel Babylon Daniel Edom Egyptians Gold Head Heifer Holiness (Kedushah) Lambs Red

324. Rabbi Aba said to him: But the red heifer is pure; why THEN COMPARE IT TO THE CALF AND THE LAMB, WHICH THE EGYPTIANS WORSHIPPED, AND WHY WILL ITS BURNING SUBDUE THE ASPECTS OF UNCLEANLINESS? He told him: It is so, THAT THE HEIFER ALLUDES ALSO TO THEIR SIDE, as explained that the heifer is comprised of the four kingdoms. "A heifer" is as is written, "For Yisrael is stubborn like a stubborn heifer" (Hoshea 4:16). "Red" alludes to the kingdom of Babylon, as it is written, "you are the head of gold" (Daniel 2:38), GOLD BEING RED. "Faultless" is the kingdom of Media. It is "without blemish," referring to the Greek kingdom. "Upon which never came a yoke" alludes to the kingdom of Edom, which was never under any yoke. The secret meaning is that though this verse was given several explanations, they all pertain to the same mystery.

324. א"ל רִבִּי אַבָּא, וְהָא פָּרָה קַדִּישָׁא אִיהִי, דַּכְיָא אִיהִי, וַאֲמַאי. אָמַר לֵיהּ הָכִי הוּא, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, כְּלָלָא דְּאַרְבַּע מַלְכְּוָון הֲוַת. פָּרָה, כד"א כִּי כְּפָרָה סוֹרֵרָה סָרַר יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֲדוּמָּה, דָּא מַלְכוּת בָּבֶל, דִּכְתִּיב אַנְתְּ הוּא רֵישָׁא דִּי דַּהֲבָא. תְּמִימָה, דָּא מַלְכוּת מָדַי. אֲשֶׁר אֵין בָּהּ מוּם, דָּא מַלְכוּת יָוָן. אֲשֶׁר לֹֹא עָלָה עָלֶיהָ עוֹל, דָּא מַלְכוּת אֱדוֹם, דְּלָא סָלִיק עָלֵיהּ עוֹל. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה דָּא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּכַמָּה מִלִּין אִתְיְיהִיבוּ לְמִדְרָשׁ בַּקְּרָאֵי, כֻּלְּהוּ חַד.

Fire Heifer Holiness (Kedushah) Job Judgment Red

325. הָא אִתְּמַר, דִּכְתִּיב מִי יִתֵּן טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא לֹא אֶחָד. מִי יִתֵּן טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא, רָזָא דָּא, הָכִי הוּא, דְּדָא אִיהוּ טָהוֹר דְּנָפַק מִטָּמֵא. דְּהָא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא טָמֵא, וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּאִתְעָבֵיד בֵּיהּ דִּינָא, וְאִתְיְיהִיב לִיקֵידַת אֶשָּׁא בְּנוּרָא דְּדָלִיק, וְאִתְעָבֵיד עָפָר, הַשְׁתָּא אִיהוּ טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא, טָהוֹר דְּנָפִיק מִטָּמֵא.

Holiness (Kedushah) Water Wicked Wickedness

326. Hence, all those who busied themselves with her became defiled indeed, BECAUSE SHE WAS UNHOLY. And though she turned into ashes, yet before being gathered and taken away, she defiles them all. And so it is written, "and he that gathers...shall wash his clothes, and be unclean..." (Bemidbar 19:10). Why DID SHE HAVE TO BECOME ashes? It resembles the verse, "And you shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet" (Malachi 3:21), for when water was sprinkled upon the ashes, they became a clean thing out of an unclean.

326. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, כָּל אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בָּהּ, כֻּלְּהוּ מִסְתַּאֲבֵי, דְּהָא הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, וְכֵיוָן דְּאִתְעָבֵיד אֵפֶר, כְּדֵין עַד דְּיִתְכְּנִישׁ וְיִסְתָּלִיק מִתַּמָּן, מַסְאִיב לְכֻלְּהוּ, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר וְכִבֶּס הָאוֹסֵף וְגוֹ' וְטָמֵא. אֵפֶר, מ"ט. כד"א וְעַסּוֹתֶם רְשָׁעִים כִּי יִהְיוּ אֵפֶר תַּחַת כַּפּוֹת רַגְלֵיכֶם. וְכֵיוָן דְּאִתְיְיהִיב עַל הַהוּא אֵפֶר מַיִם, כְּדֵין אִיהוּ טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא.

Camp Door Heifer High Priest Holiness (Kedushah) Priests Sin Water

327. The secret of this matter is the verse, "water of purifying (sin)" (Bemidbar 8:7), same as in "sin crouches at the door" (Beresheet 4:7). THE HEIFER IS ALSO A "SIN CROUCHES AT THE DOOR," and since she is a sin crouching at the door, it is written first, "That he may bring her outside the camp" (Bemidbar 19:3). Therefore, the work was given to the adjutant priest, and not to the High Priest. And a clean thing, out of an unclean, starts as impure and becomes pure. And all the aspects of the side of defilement, when they saw this, ran away and left that place. SHE THEREFORE PURIFIES THE UNCLEAN.

327. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה, דִּכְתִּיב מֵי חַטָּאת, כד"א לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רוֹבֵץ. וּבְגִין דְּאִיהִי פֶּתַח חַטָּאת רוֹבֵץ וַדַּאי, בְּקַדְמֵיתָא כְּתִיב, וְהוֹצִיא אוֹתָהּ אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה. וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִתְיְיהִיבַת לַסְּגָן, וְלָא לְכַהֲנָא רַבָּא, וְדָא הוּא טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא, בְּקַדְמֵיתָא טָמֵא, וְהַשְׁתָּא טָהוֹר. וְכָל סְטָר רוּחַ מְסַאֲבָא, כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא דָּא, עָרַק, וְלָא יָתִיב בְּהַהוּא דּוּכְתָּא.

Camp Holiness (Kedushah) Judgment Sin Water

328. מֵי חַטָּאת וַדַּאי, מֵי נִדָּה, כֹּלָּא מְסַאֲבָא. וְעַל דָּא שַׁלְטָא רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא, וְרוּחַ מְסַאֲבָא אִתְכַּפְיָא, דְּלָא שַׁלְטָא כְּלַל. וְדָא הוּא דִּינָא דְּרוּחַ מְסַאֲבָא, מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה. בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי רוּחַ מְסַאֲבָא, דִּכְתִּיב וְהָיָה מַחֲנֶיךָ קָדוֹשׁ. אָתָא רִבִּי אַבָּא וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ.