Close To Torah

פרשת חקת – The Rock

by Binyomin Radner

פרק כ’ פסוק י”ב – “ויאמר ה’ אל משה ואל אהרן יען לא האמנתם בי להקדישני לעיני בני ישראל לכן לא תביאו את הקהל הזה אל הארץ אשר נתתי להם

משה and אהרן are taken to task for failing to sanctify G-d in the midst of the Jewish nation and are therefore denied the privilege of leading them into the Promised Land.

The פסוק is rather cryptic both in its wording of the incident with the rock  at מי מריבה, and in what precisely the sin of משה and אהרן entailed. The commentators discuss this issue at length and the אור החיים alone explores no less than ten varying possible explanations as to what exactly transpired at מי מריבה.

רש”י explains that משה was commanded to speak to the rock and thereby release water for the Jewish people to drink. Yet משה deviated and struck the rock with his staff instead of speaking to it. This was because the rock did not react after being spoken to, as it was the wrong rock. משה figured that perhaps he should hit the rock first in order to achieve the desired effect as was the case with the rock in פרשת בשלח. If only משה had spoken to the rock as instructed, the people would have said, “If a rock which does not speak nor hear and does not need sustenance, yet still dutifully fulfills the command of G-d, we certainly should do likewise.” This potential response would have caused a קידוש ה’.

רמב”ן takes issue with the approach of רש”י on several fronts:

ה’ commanded משה to take the staff in his hand first and then to approach the rock. The implication is that he should, in fact, hit the rock. For if he was to merely speak to the rock to release water, what role would the staff play other than to be used to hit the rock?

Furthermore, the fact that sufficient water for an entire nation could be released from the rock is a tremendous miracle in and of itself. The act of striking the rock does not detract from the miraculous nature of water being produced from an inanimate object, let alone in such a large quantity so as to provide water for a nation of millions of people . Accordingly, the קידוש ה’ of such a supernatural event is the same regardless of the method of communication with the rock.

Additionally, the Pasuk in דברים פרק ל”ו פסוק נ”א  refers to the incident at מי מריבה with  ”אשר מעלתם בי”. Why should משה hitting the rock be called an act of מעילה (which is deriving personal benefit from הקדש?)

Thus, רמב”ן (as well as רבינו חננאל and the רא”ש) explain that the wrongdoing of משה and אהרן was not in the action of striking the rock, but in their choice of words,  ”המן הסלע הזה נוציא לכם מים”. “From this rock will we produce water”?! They should have said “יוציא” “He” – that ה’ will produce the water. This incorrect wording could possibly have lent credence to the false notion that משה and אהרן were the ones who produced the water from the work, and not just ה’. That perhaps it was something of a team effort.  Hence, the קידוש ה’ was lacking. This is also why it was called מעילה since they derived personal benefit from an act of G-d by seemingly crediting themselves with the miracle instead of completely crediting G-d with it.

The רמב”ם in שמונה פרקים פרק ד’ offers yet another explanation that the sin of משה was that he acted with anger when he said to the Jewish nation “שמעו נא המורים” (Listen here rebels.) This caused a חילול ה’ since משה was the chosen emissary of G-d, and the people thought that G-d was angry with them as well, which was not the case.

In light of the attacks which the רמב”ן lodges at the approach of רש”י, perhaps we could have a better understanding of רש”י with the words of the כלי יקר:

The כלי יקר explains that the staff under discussion here that משה was to hold in his hand while speaking to the rock was actually the staff of אהרן. The staff of אהרן was dry wood which contained no moist nor water whatsoever, and yet  still  had sprouted flowers and almonds, which is impossible without water. This occurred because ה’ performed a miracle causing the staff to produce water which in turn produced the flowers and the almonds. Thus, משה was to display the staff to the Jewish people in order to demonstrate that just as ה’ can produce water from a staff, so can He produce water from a stone. Furthermore, whereas משה is commanded to speak to the rock the פסוק does not  inform us  at all of  what he is supposed to say to the rock. But on a closer look, the פסוק states “ודברתם אל הסלע ונתן מימיו”. The basic meaning is that “You should speak to the rock, and then it will give water.” However, the כלי יקר explains that these two words “ונתן מימיו” were the actual words that he was  to say to the rock. Meaning, he should say to the rock, “Just as the staff produced water by the command of G-d, so too should you (the rock) produce water by the command of G-d.”

This is alluded to by virtue of the fact that the גימטריא (numerical equivalent) of  סלע  (rock) = 170 which   is the same as that of עץ (staff). The rock was supposed  to learn from the staff to produce water by G-d’s command. משה however,then proceeded to strike the rock not with the staff of אהרן but with his own staff. This was a great sin due to the history of the staff’s involvement in many of the miracles. Some would scorn that the miracles were performed by the staff of משה with the powers of witchcraft contained inside that staff. Now that water was produced from the rock only after being struck by the same staff of משה  ,the misconception that the miracles were all performed with witchcraft of his staff was further intensified. This caused a חילול ה’ as it reopened the possibility for the scorners to credit the staff for all of the miracles instead of ה’ who really performed them.

The כלי יקר concludes that there is a deeper lesson  hinted to us as well. Earlier in פרשת בשלח, ה’ commanded משה to strike the rock to produce the water, and later on in פרשת חקת not to strike, but to speak to the rock to produce water. At the first time, the Jewish nation had just previously left Egypt and was yet young. Now in פרשת חקת the Jewish nation  was older, had experienced matan torah, and was more developed. This teaches us that when a child is young, corporal punishment can be effective and helpful in the child’s development. However, once the child matures into adolescence, only verbal rebuke is the proper חינוך.

Furthermore, the Jewish nation was to learn from this that they ought to  follow in the ways of ה’ without “corporal punishment”. Meaning, without all of the punishments that were given to them throughout their journey in the desert, they should be able to dutifully follow in the ways of  Hashem without coercion or threats, but out of free will. Since the rock was struck instead of spoken to, this message was prevented from being fully internalized by the Jewish people.

R’ Moshe Feinstein Zt’l in the Darash Moshe adds that there is another lesson hinted to us here as well:

Certainly there is no real difference between hitting the rock or talking to it. The miracle is the same just  like the  רמב”ן explained above. Hence, Moshe was commanded specifically  to speak to the rock even though rocks do not hear or understand. This is to teach us that Torah should be taught even to those who who do not at first  fully grasp it, and  eventually with the accurate  effort and toil, they too will reach the point where they are able to understand it .  R’ Moshe writes furthermore that one should not give up on teaching his children even if it seems at first like they do not understand. Rather, he should teach them repeatedly  until they do understand. Just as the stone did not understand but still fulfilled the command of G-d, so too and certainly to people who do not understand in the beginning but can eventually, with effort, reach the point where they can understand the words of Torah.

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The author can be reached at benradner@gmail.com.

The sin of Moshe hitting the rock is beyond our comprehension, however, the commentators express numerous lessons that can be learned from the event. Interestingly, the hitting of the rock is seen by Chazal to refer to Moshe acting as the teacher and the rock being the student. Once again, it is important not to attribute sins to Moshe, but the commentators shed light on important educational outlooks based on this episode.

The Ohr HaChaim lists off ten opinions as to what Moshe did wrong. Each one is a most relevant lesson to us both in the classroom, at home, and in our personal relationships.

1- Rashi: “Hashem told Moshe to speak to the rock, but he hit it.” We must always bear in mind that properly speaking to someone will accomplish more than physical contact.

2- Ibn Ezra: “Moshe did not have the right concentration when he hit the rock because he was distracted by the nation’s bickering and complaining that they were thirsty.” An educator must always remain calm and focused. No actions should be taken from a place of confusion. If the educator is frazzled, it is better not to act at all and wait until one calms down.

3- Ibn Ezra: “He was only supposed to hit the rock once, because that constituted speaking to it, but he hit it twice.” Sometimes a “potch” may be necessary, but it must be exact. Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe zt”l says from his Rebbe, Rabbi Elya Lopian zt”l, that hitting a child is not a punishment of pain, but rather it is a light tap of love that expresses that the parent expects more from the child and the present behavior is not acceptable.

4- Ibn Ezra: “the Jews should have sung a song of thanks to Hashem.” Our Chinuch revolves around teaching our children to praise Hashem and to recognize His Guiding Hand and Eternal Kindness.

5- Ibn Ezra: “Moshe called the Jews ‘rebels’”. Educators must be so careful not to label children as failures. A child who is called a name by his Rebbe can be scarred for life. I dealt with the sweetest student who once confided in me that he thought of himself as a liar because that was a name that he was once called by a teacher who had falsely accused him of doing something. It took months for me to show him that he was truly a good person with middos, honesty, and so much to offer.

6- Rambam: “Moshe got angry leading the Jews to think that Hashem was angry at them as well, which was not the case.” This is powerful, as educators, we represent the Torah and Hashem and our children associate the feelings that we produce in them to be emanating from Hashem. This is a sobering wakeup call for how we interact and communicate with them.

7- Rabbeinu Chananel: “Moshe made it sound as if he and Aharon were bringing out the water and not Hashem.” We must educate our children to see the Hand of Hashem in everything.

8-R”M Kohen: “Moshe made it sound like it was impossible for Hashem to make water come from the rock.” Hashem is all capable and can do anything.

9- R”Y Albo (Ikrim): “Moshe and Aharon should have brought the Jews water before they even had to complain that they lacked it. And when the Jews did complain this showed their lack of Bitachon in Hashem.” The educator must be in tune with the needs of the students and he must instill in them a deep belief in Hashem.

10- Maaseh Hashem: The Jews and Moshe were arguing and Moshe threw his stick onto the rock in anger.” There is no room for anger in an educational setting, ever. I always tell my students, “you can get angry, or you can solve the problem, but you can’t do both.” If someone feels angry, that is okay, but there is never a time to express anger. It is fire that destroys relationships.

Once again, it must be stressed that Moshe is called by the dear title of ‘Rabbainu, our teacher’, because he was the master pedagogue of the Jews. The commentators are expressing a sin that Moshe did that was the minutest fraction of the above listed transgressions, and Hashem was extra strict on Moshe. May we learn to be effective, thoughtful, and warm educators who instill Ahavas HaTorah and Yiras Shamayim in our students and families.

UTILIZING ARROGANCE

Parah adumah is the chok of the Torah, for it simultaneously purifies the impure and makes the pure impure. While even Shlomo Hamelech could not fathom the full depths of this seemingly contradictory functioning, this mitzvah alludes to very deep concepts that even we can appreciate.

In the application of the parah adumah, we find more opposites. The parah was first burned and mixed with water, and then applied with the branches of a cedar tree (erez), hyssop (ezov), and scarlet (tolas). The cedar tree is the tallest of all plants and hints to the attribute of gaavah, haughtiness, while hyssop and scarlet are from the smallest of shrubs and are reminiscent of anavah, humility.

Arrogance is extremely harmful, and is generally considered to be one of the worst middos. However, in certain situations, there is a place for it, and it can be harnessed for the good. If used properly, it can help elevate a person to the highest levels.

When a person starts learning Torah, there is a massive amount of knowledge in front of him, but he knows almost nothing. Looking objectively at his own talents versus the challenges that lie ahead of him could cause him to drop the whole endeavor and give up. At this point, a person is allowed to feel a certain amount of haughtiness, for this can act as an impetus to push him to become a gadol baTorah.

Once a person has acquired a certain amount of Torah knowledge and recognizes what it means to be a talmid chochom, he should try to reverse his feelings. At this point, he should work on humility and recognize how miniscule he is vis-à-vis his Creator and the rest of the Torah that lies in front of him. This attitude will give him more siyata diShmaya and help him achieve much higher levels of Torah understanding.

Using the above concepts, the Baal Shem Tov explained what is hinted to in the seemingly contradictory nature of parah adumah. Arrogance has the power to purify the impure at the beginning of their endeavor to become a talmid chochom. Overestimating one’s abilities will save a person from the feeling of despair that he will never achieve anything.

However, once a person has reached a level of understanding regarding what Torah is really meant to be – once he has attained some purity – then haughtiness becomes a dangerous attribute. At this point, the very same attribute that he initially used to elevate himself in his Torah learning – to purify the impure – can now cause him to become impure and to plummet to the lowest depths. He should try to swing to the opposite extreme and work on humility.

DANGER OR PROTECTION

We can understand the seemingly contradictory nature of the parah adumah in another light. Chazal reveal that Torah can be a sam hachaim, an elixir of life, or a sam hamovess, a deadly poison. When a person recognizes that Torah is the word of Hashem, and he uses his learning to bring himself closer to his Creator, then Torah has life-giving qualities. Even someone who is currently considered impure, as a result of transgressions, can be elevated to the highest level.

However, if a person learns Torah as he would any other wisdom, Torah becomes extremely dangerous. A person can use his knowledge to embarrass others and transgress in various ways. Even a tzaddik can become impure as a result of learning Torah with corrupt intentions.

Based on this, we can understand another difficult parsha of the Torah. Chazal tell us that when Yisro offered Moshe Rabbeinu the chance to marry his daughter Tziporah, he made a stipulation that their first child should become a priest to idol worship. After Yisro gave up a life of idolatry, how could he request that his grandchildren follow the same path that he abandoned?

Yisro recognized the danger of learning Torah for the wrong reasons. He felt that one should first try and grasp the futility of all other paths. Once a person comes to the understanding that all other ways are wrong and that Torah is the way to properly live one’s life, then he could embark on learning Torah with the correct attitude without running the risk of it being a sam hamovess.

Although Yisro was correct in his perception of learning Torah for the right reasons, his methodology was mistaken. First, a person must internalize “ain k’Elokeinu” – that there is no other power in the world aside from the Almighty – and only then can he grasp “mi k’Elokeinu,” the deeper understanding of His existence. A person who starts off his search for truth by trying to negate all of the mistaken ideologies that exist in the world might be drawn after them in the process and wind up actually more distanced from Torah.

DIFFICULT QUESTIONS

People who follow Yisro’s ideology and have not completely internalized “ein k’Elokeinu” might ask, “Where was the Almighty during the Holocaust? How could He stand by silently during the slaughter of millions of Jews, including women, children and cripples?” These and other similar questions plague them and do not allow them to achieve complete emunah.

“His [the Almighty's] thoughts are not ours.” His thoughts are not on the same plane as ours, and we cannot hope to fathom the depth of His intentions. We must realize that just as we cannot comprehend the parah adumah, we cannot achieve a complete understanding of  Hashem’s ways in this world.

The Chofetz Chaim compares this to an out-of-town guest who comes to shul for Shabbos. He sees aliyos being handed out, and at first glance, he thinks it is random and concludes that there is no reasoning behind this allotment. Why is a simple person receiving an aliyah, while an esteemed rov is not honored?

The Chofetz Chaim explains that the confused guest does not realize the broader spectrum of what is going on in that shul. Next week, the rov is making a bar mitzvah for his son and will receive an aliyah then. The simple person has not been called up to the Torah in the past six months and is therefore getting an aliyah this Shabbos.

So, too, explains the Chofetz Chaim, we are not in touch with the full gamut of what is taking place in this world. We see life through our narrow perspective, but in truth, the picture is much broader. Only by accustoming ourselves to recognize the limitation of our vision can we hope to come to terms with life as we see it.

ERETZ YISROEL

In our days, we must also reconcile opposites and deal with difficult questions of emunah. Jews come to Eretz Yisrael to seek out a life of kedushah vetaharah, and to try to give their children the best possible chinuch of how a Jew should live his life. They are willing to live simply in order to be able to serve Hashem in His home.

In the midst of this mesirus nefesh, they find that they are thwarted by the secular government in achieving their goals. Last week, forty-three parents from Moshav Emmanuel were thrown in jail because they desired a higher level of chinuch for their children. The secular court system justified this verdict, claiming that halacha and the words of gedolei Torah must bow in the face of their ruling.

In another incident, Rav Sternbuch was violently attacked by police officers who shot gas directly in the rov‘s face. The rov could not see for ten minutes and needed medical attention even afterward, but, bechasdei Hashem, no lasting damage was caused. How can we understand why in Eretz Yisroel, in the palace of the King, such atrocities take place?

Rav Mordechai Pogromansky said that right before the coming of Moshiach, the final nisyonos will be regarding Eretz Yisroel. The Almighty will test whether the Jews living there are completely given over to His will. Those who successfully overcome these challenges and are faithful to Him will merit redemption.

Hashem’s eyes are not on those misguided individuals who are imposing these restrictions. Rather, His eyes are focused on how we will strengthen ourselves under this persecution and use these incidents to solidify our emunah.. May we see the implementation of the true Torah leadership in Eretz Yisroel quickly.

“וַיִּשְׁמַע הַכְּנַעֲנִי מֶלֶךְ עֲרָד יֹשֵׁב הַנֶּגֶב כִּי בָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֲתָרִים וַיִּלָּחֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּשְׁבְּ מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁבִי” (במדבר פרק כא)

Rashi says a very puzzling thing on right after Aharon HaKohen passes on. The Torah tells us that it is heard that Aharon passed on and the anunim that had been guiding Bnei Yisroel leave their presence. The nation of Amalek ימ”ש believe that there is no protection from Hashem anymore ח”ו and they decide to attack. Amalek are the descendants of Esav and they have a land that they believe is rightfully theirs.

There seems to be a discrepancy as to the nature of the dress of Amalek. Rashi says that they dressed in Amalek clothing and spoke like Cannanim. The Midrash Yilamdu says that they also dressed like Cannanim. The Yilamdu is very clear to understand, it is Rashi that is puzzling. According to both the intention was an attempt to trick Bnei Yisroel so that their prayer are incorrect, they would pray to defeat Cannan when in fact they were fighting Amalek. Bnei Yisroel said a neutral prayer and avoided their tactic all together.

Not that it means anything, but I was unable to find any basis for Rashi explanation. Targum Yonasan may be the earliest who makes reference to Amalek instead of Cannan like all of the other Targum. A simple question is how did he know that the pasuk is dealing with Amalek since it says Cannan. There is a pasuk:

“עֲמָלֵק יוֹשֵׁב בְּאֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב וְהַחִתִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי וְהָאֱמֹרִי יוֹשֵׁב בָּהָר וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי יֹשֵׁב עַל הַיָּם וְעַל יַד הַיַּרְדֵּן” (במדבר פרק יג)

There is an obvious contradiction between this pasuk and our pasuk. Our pasuk speaks of the Cannanim who dwell in the Negev, whereas this pasuk says that Amalek live in the Negev. From this we can begin to understand where the commentators understood how our pasuk is dealing with Amalek. Additionally we can understand how it may be possible for Rashi to say that they dressed as Amalek but spoke like Cannanim as there is an obvious contradiction that needs clarification.

As I already mentioned Rashi’s understanding bothers me, while I have pointed out this contradiction to go as far as Rashi is difficult. The main difficulty is once Amalek are going to change their language, why not go all the way and change their dress. I saw from the Belzer Rebbe a pshat that was far from what I was looking for. He says that we see from here that the dress is so important to a person that had Amalek changed their dress to that of Cannan they would be like Cannan to the degree that the tefillah would work! In complete opposition to what Rav Aharon Leib Shteiman said a nice point that whose to say that had Bnei Yisroel said the wrong nation their prayers would not have been answers, he implies that it was understood that it was this nation they were fighting.

I asked my great Rebbi, HaRav Nochum Lansky Shlita how to understand Rashi. He suggested on the spot that there is a connection between this and Yaakov and the birthright. I think what my Rebbi meant was that it is known that Amalek came from Esav. When Yaakov went to his father to receive the birthright he put hides on his arms to make them appear to be hairy like that of his brother Esav. Yitzchak proclaimed that hands are that of Esav but the voice is that of Yaakov, and he gave Yaakov the berachah.

Perhaps the pshat is that Amalek want to get the land that they thought should have been theirs. Esav was the antithesis of Yaakov therefore where Yaakov changed his physical appearance, Amalek change their voice. Directly following the tefillah of Bnei Yisroel the pasuk says   ”וישמע ה’ בקול ישראל ..”as if to say that the voice of Yaakov was still heard.

In this week’s Parsha in order to alleviate the plague, Hashem told Moshe Rabbenu to make a copper staff with a serpent on it, and when one would look up at the snake, he would live (Bamidbar 21:9). What is it about this snake that upon looking at it all of a sudden one is healed?

The Gemarah in Rosh Hashana says about this story, that it wasn’t the snake that did the healing. Rather, when the Jews looked up at it, amidst their suffering and pain, they came to a realization. This is from Hashem, who is “up (in the skies above) he is the one that is in control, and all this has fallen upon us because of the complaining that we have spoken against Hashem. The people were thereby moved to do Teshuva earning them the merit of being healed.

So too us in our lives have to realize that at times things won’t always go our way. We might be frustrated at how things turn out. If a person does honest inner soul searching, he will come to see that all that has befallen him both good or bad is from Hashem and this in turn will cause him  to turn to Hashem in Teffilah, and Teshuva. When a person realizes that it is Hashem who is in charge, then he will truly merit a true salvation from all of his problems. How is it though that through realzing the bad will a person merit real salvation? The answer is very simple, once a person looks up and realizes that all is from Hahsem, he will realize that all that happens to him is for the best, whether good or bad, and this will make him truly happy in his life. It will also help him to really reflect on those situations that need change, thus enabling him to get started on the road of change and success. Hashem is looking down and smiling, cheering you on. Good luck!

“זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל…” (יט:יד).

“These are the laws of one that perishes in a tent…” (19:14).

While very famous and well known, the Gemara’s statement on these words is most delicate and needs to be understood properly.

Berachos (63b) states a homiletical interpretation of this verse. “The Torah can only be retained by one who kills himself over it in the study hall.” While sounding very idealistic, it can also sound extremely intimidating to the beginner. “You must break yourself to succeed!” Who would be encouraged to involve himself with something that requires total immersion and commitment in order to achieve success in it? It sounds so intense! On the flip side, there are those who pursue Torah very seriously, and they think that this Chazal is calling for self-infliction, pain and suffering. What is the proper balance and what are Chazal teaching us?

Torah is inspirational and refreshing! Chazal are telling us that Torah helps one fulfill his most vital purpose in life. This is not the purpose of self-torture and the shunning of all physical feelings. On the contrary, Hashem very much wants us to experience emotions. Our feelings are what allow us to thank Hashem and beg Hashem for our needs in a most heartfelt and real way.

The “killing of the self”, refers to the conquering of the ego, the goal of overcoming self-worship and selfishness. The Torah stresses repeatedly the concept of treating Hashem and our fellow people with love and respect. The entire theme of the Torah is one encouraging self-development. Hence, it reads, “Torah can only be retained by one that works to kill his selfish tendencies”. This formula requires hard work, however, it is the most useful and practical goal to accomplish. One who is conscience and caring towards others will be successful in so many areas of life. Self-centered behavior causes so many issues in life. The thoughtful and sincerely giving person finds success in marriage, family-life, business interactions and life in general. Developing one’s Middos binds one to Hashem and to others. One who develops these skills will feel self-fulfilled and happy in a most deep way.

Chazal are sensitizing us to the focus of our Torah study. They are begging us to let the Torah in and let it change who we are and thereby open our hearts to care for the most important things in life. One who pursues this brings true happiness to the world!

Moshe hit the rock and was punished very harshly. Many commentators discuss what the exact sin was. What is interesting is that earlier in the desert Moshe was commanded to hit that exact rock and water came forth (Shemos 17:6; Yalkut Shmioni states that it was the same rock in both place!). Here he was told to speak to the rock to extract the water. Why then was he allowed to hit it earlier?

The Yalkut Shimoni sheds light upon this in a way that we can learn a most important lesson. When a child is young, at times (and in an appropriate manner) a hit from the parent can correct his behavior, but when he matures, the best way to get him to comply is to talk to him and allow him to understand your words and the behavior expected of him. So too, when the Jews began their journey in the desert, Moshe had to hit the childlike rock. However, after forty years in the desert, Moshe should have only spoken to the rock!

Moshe’s sin was certainly on his high level; nevertheless, we can learn a most relevant lesson from it.

“…דבר אל בני ישראל ויקחו אליך פרה אדומה תמימה אשר אין בה מום אשר לא עלה עליה עול (יט:ב).

“…Command the Jews to take for themselves a Red Heifer that is perfect and unblemished and has never carried a burden upon it” (19:2).

A most amazing and relevant Midrash is quoted by Rabbeinu Bechayeh on this verse. Chazal show how the four expressions of the verse hint to the four Exiles which the Jews were to suffer from, until our final redemption. (This Midrash is found in many places and variant texts all fill in details missing from others.) Let us quote it in partiality and then take out an important lesson. Here it is:

-“Parah Aduma, a red heifer”, refers to Bavel, as red is similar to gold which they are represented by… (they served idols but because of their respect for Hashem are compared to gold.)

-“Temimah, perfect”, refers to Madai who assisted the Jews in rebuilding the second Bais Hamikdash”. They had an element of deference for that which is sacred.

-“Asher Ain Bah Mum, unblemished”, refers to the Greeks, who gave respect to Shimon the Righteous.

-“Lo Alah Alehah Ol, has never carried a burden”, refers to Rome, who never accepted responsibility and ruler-ship of Hashem upon themselves! They are carefree!

Indeed, many lessons can be learned from this, and I would like to focus on the last stanza which is relevant to us being in the final and longest exile of Rome (who destroyed the second Bais HaMikdash).

Note how brilliantly Chazal summarized their essence! We see the attitude of society clearly expressed, “I don’t care about anything; I’m not interested in respecting that which is important!” This is the culture that we live in. People are looking to get by without having to extend any effort or taking responsibility for their actions. Our job as Jews is not to allow this lazy and carefree attitude to become our mind-set. We strive to maintain our desire and commitment to accept the yoke of true service of Hashem and true dedication to our family, friends and entire nation!

What is left to be explained is why exactly this is expressed in a verse describing the Red Heifer? The Heifer is the antidote which brings purification to one who comes in contact with a dead body, why is it linked to the exiles?

One simple thought is that it is teaching us the attitude by which to view our potentially dangerous influencers. We must view them as dead corpses with nothing of value to offer us! This is how we will escape their negative outlooks.

There is something deeper here as well. The Red Heifer is the most perplexing law in all of Torah. Its entire purpose is to purify those in need of cleanliness by having its ashes sprinkled upon then. Yet, paradoxically, everyone involved in its preparation becomes ritually impure?! This is indeed mind-boggling! The very object of purity brings impurity! It is the antithesis of logic, yet this is God’s decree!

The same paradox is found regarding Galus, our exiles. Hashem exposes us to terrible subjugation and much pain throughout our bitter exile. Yet at the same time, this Tumah, evil, and suffering is for the ultimate purpose of perfecting and cleansing us! The exile causes much Tumah, but its purpose is to clean us! Thus, the Red Heifer is directly associated with the four Exiles.

We may not understand how this works, indeed, the ultimate answers will only be fully understood at the time of Moshiach, but nevertheless our job is clear. We strive to maintain our Jewish goals and serve Hashem to the best of our ability. This is the ultimate purification!