Parasha Thoughts
By Rabbi Yitzchak Ariel
This week’s Torah portion begins by explaining the process of the Para Aduma, or red heifer, used to purify one who has become ritually contaminated through attaining the impurity of a corpse. The way the Torah introduces this process seems quite odd. Instead of introducing the topic by saying “these are the laws of the Para Aduma,†the Torah alternatively says “This is the law of the Torah.â€
Why is the purification process of the Para Aduma presented as the “law of the Torah� Why is the Torah basing itself on this single mitzvah? The Ben Ish Hai explains that in the eyes of Hashem there is a perfectly logical explanation for each and every mitzvah, even the ones that may seem illogical to us. Why then, he asks, does Hashem not reveal those reasons to us? The answer is that Hashem wants to test us to see if we will listen to Him and perform His mitzvot even when we do not understand the reasons for them.
Based on this he explains why the mitzvah of Para Aduma was given to the Jews at Marah, before they received the Torah. Giving them such a mitzvah before receiving the Torah was a test to see if Bnei Yisrael were ready to accept the authority of Hashem and to follow his commandments even when they didn’t seem logical to them. This is why Para Aduma is introduced in the verse as “the law of the Torah.†Having the commitment to follow Hashem’s decrees even when they don’t seem to match our own judgement is a prerequisite and a foundation for the rest of the Torah. Hence the Para Aduma is “the law of the Torah.â€
Shabbat Shalom.