The Holy Rebbe was stingy with his words. He would speak in cryptic sentences and his Chassidim would sit for hours after he spoke to figure out what he meant.

The secret of the Parah Adumah – the Red Cow – is Loving Others.

The Chassidim pondered for hours, but they could not figure out what their holy leader was trying to teach them.

They had no choice but to ask their master for an explanation.

The Cohen who purifies the impure with the ashes of the Parah becomes impure. He allows himself to become impure in order to help another. That is true love for someone else.

The secret of the Parah Adumah – the Red Cow – is Loving Others.

And, there’s more…

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

John Wheeler, who learned quantum mechanics from its creators, liked to summarize the two schools of thought on the question of reality. He gives the example of three umpires at a baseball game discussing the finer points of baseball. In making a decision, the three umpires say:

Umpire 1: “I calls ‘em like I see ‘em.”

Umpire 2: “I calls ‘em the way they are.”

Umpire 3: “They ain’t nothing till I calls ‘em.”

To Wheeler, the second umpire is Einstein, who believed there was an absolute reality outside human experience, an “Objective Reality.” The third umpire is Bohr, who argued that reality existed only after an observation was made.

What happens when the Torah shatters our image of reality? This week we will read the portion of the Parah Adumah, the Red Heifer (Numbers 19), that is the paradigm of contradictions and a reality beyond our comprehension. We can’t, as Bohr would choose, observe the “reality” of Spiritual Purity, and there is none of Einstein’s “Objective Reality,” for that which purifies the impure, impurifies the pure.

We will also read the story of Nadav and Avihu (Leviticus 10), who, seized by the passion of “I calls ‘em like I see ‘em,” bring their fire to the Altar only to suffer the burning of their souls from their bodies because they were limited by what they observed. They could not discern the “reality,” that was beyond their ken. Imagine how they would have handled the Red Heifer! I am reminded of Chesterson’s wry comment, “The poet only asks to get his head into the heavens. It is the logician who seeks to get the heavens into his head. And it is his head that splits.” Nadav and Avihu were desperate to get the heavens into their heads, “They saw the Lord of Israel, and under His feet was the likeness of sapphire brickwork, and it was like the essence of heaven in purity (Exodus 24:10),” (Talk about Objective Reality!) and their heads certainly split.

We stand everyday before the challenge of the Parah Adumah, the tugs of war between reality and the heavens, wondering how to understand everything happening in the world and our lives; how to get our head into the heavens. We stand everyday as did Nadav and Avihu searching to elevate our actions into meaning, desperate to ‘make a difference,” trying to get the heavens into our heads. I picture myself observing the offering of the Red Heifer, trying to make sense of its laws, and finding my sense of peace in the fact that this offering is not made inside the Temple, but from a distance. It is not a regular part of our service of God; it stands outside the boundaries of our immediate world. I do not picture myself at that moment as trying to get my head into the heavens, or getting the heavens into my head, but enjoying my reality, right here in this world, practically applying what I know and learn to my life, actions and attributes. I love the “secrets” of Torah only as they inform my immediate development. I cherish what I have yet to learn, I thrill when confronted by that which I have yet to understand, because they promise that there is so much more right here, to my life and aspirations. I do not need to bring any “strange fires (Leviticus 10:1),” to my service; the fire already burns within me, right here on earth.

Author Info:
Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

“I will sanctify My great Name that is desecrated among the nations, that you have desecrated among them; then the nations will know that I am God, the Word of the Lord, God, the Lord, when I become sanctified through you before their eyes (Ezekiel 36:23).”

“Then I will sprinkle pure water upon you, that you may become cleansed; I will cleanse you from all your contamination and from all your idols (Verse 25).”

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh (Verse 26).”

“I will put My spirit within you, and I will make it so that you will follow My decrees and the guard My ordinances and fulfill them (Verse 28).”

From the text of this week’s Haftarah, we see that Parshat Parah discusses more than purity and impurity, it also discusses sanctification and desecration, a new heart and a new spirit, and, eventually the gift of God’s Spirit being placed within us.

From the midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 19:8), the Talmud (Moed Katan 28a), and the Rambam (Laws of the Red Heifer 1:9) we know that there is another element to the Parah Adumah; that of atonement.

It seems to me that we can use all these elements of the Parah Adumah as part of our Shabbat, Parshat Parah:

Friday Night: Sanctification

Ezekiel describes sanctification coming before cleansing and purification. Therefore, we must use the sanctity of Shabbat, specifically Kiddush, to access this area of Divine Influence on this Shabbat.

One: We should have special Kavanah for the Friday night kiddush that we merit this special gift of sanctification available on this Shabbat.

Two: we should make sure to expend every effort to sanctify this Shabbat in all of our actions and speech.

Three: Use the Friday night meal to discuss and describe your most powerful experiences of sanctity.

Four: Have extra Kavanah when reciting the blessing of Keddusha in the Friday night prayer.

Five: Focus on the special gift of Sanctity offered on this Shabbat when reciting the prayer, “Ata Kidashta,” “You sanctified.”

Shabbat Morning: Purification

Ezekiel describes cleansing and purification following sanctification. We should therefore, use the Shabbat morning prayers to focus on purification.

One: Have Kavanah, especially during Pesukei d’Zimrah and the Blessings of the Shema, to use the words of your prayers to purify each aspect of creation described in the prayers from any impurity caused by our actions, words, and thoughts.

Two: Have the following Kavanot in the Morning Amidah:

• “Moses rejoiced;” focus on the purity necessary for Moshe to stand before God on Mount Sinai, the extraordinary level of purity necessary for him to hold the Luchot in his hands, how a “faithful servant” must have a certain level of purity to serve the King, and, how only one with a very high level of purity can merit to where, “A crown of splendor.”


• “And the Children of Israel shall keep the Shabbat;” focus on the “guarding” of the the Purity of this specific Shabbat. Just as there were boundaries marking different levels of purity necessary to a approach the Mishkan, so too, we must have, especially on this Shabbat, very clear boundaries guarding its purity; determining before the Shabbat meal, which speech will be allowed at the table, and which will not.


• “You did not give it, God, our Lord;” to anyone other than those prepared to live a life of purity. “I will make an extra effort to maintain my internal purity so as to merit the gift of Shabbat.”


• “Our Lord and the Lord of our forefathers;” emphasize the phrase, “Purify our heart to serve You sincerely.”

Three: Wash your hands before the Ark is opened focusing on the purity necessary to stand in the Presence of God.

Four: Wash your hands before touching the Torah, focusing on the purity necessary to a approach Torah.

Five: Make a special effort to stand during the Torah reading in a state of Spiritual purity.

Mussaf: A New Heart and a New Spirit

The Mussaf, or Additional Service, is a time when things are added; things such as a New Heart and Spirit. Therefore, the prayers that allow us to segue from Shacharit and the Torah Reading to Mussaf must be used to prepare for the Additional Gifts we are about to receive, on this Shabbat specifically a New Heart and Spirit.

• “Yikum Purkan;” focus on the community as a whole receiving the New Heart and Spirit offered on this Shabbat.


• “Ashrei;” a good part of this prayer focuses on what will happen: “I will exalt You,” “I will bless Your Name for ever and ever.” “Every day I will bless You,” “Each generation will praise Your deeds to the next.” We are describing what can and will happen, especially when the we aspire to pray with the New Heart and Spirit that we will receive on this Shabbat.


• Psalm 29: The The Ari haKadosh rights of many Kabbalistic allusions found in this Psalm and teaches that when it is recited with intense devotion it causes profound spiritual benefit in the Heavenly realms. Recite this Psalm with intention that we should all merit, through our New Heart and Spirit, to seeing this Psalm with the power described by the Ari.


• “And when it rested,” the verses sung when the Ark was returned to its place; picture in your mind how we are different after learning Torah, having a New Heart and Spirit, then we were when we first took the Torah out.


• “Those who delight in it will inherit eternal honor, those who savor it will merit life and also those who love this speech that befits it have chosen greatness.” Focus on the New Heart and Spirit that is possible on this Shabbat.


• “They shall rejoice in Your kingship, those who observed the Shabbat and call it a delight. The people that sanctifies the Seventh, they will all be satisfied and delighted from Your goodness.” Concentrate on the “delight” of a new heart and spirit, and the higher level of satisfaction and delight only possible with the new heart and spirit.

Mincha: Receiving God’s Spirit

if we have properly used all the previous steps; Sanctification, Purification, the gift of a New Heart and Spirit, we will be properly prepared to receive the gift of God’s Spirit. Therefore, this prayer demands preparation, specifically that of reifying all that we have learned and experienced since the beginning of this Shabbat. We should review any new insights, and any powerful experiences of this Shabbat, and adding them to this prayer. The goal is to pray as if animated by God’s Spirit.

Seudah Shilishit: Yom Kippur

It is at this point of Shabbat that we access the special gift of Atonement, as if we had just experienced Yom Kippur, which is why the Parah Adumah shares so much in common with the Yom Kippur service. This meal should be eat-in just as we eat the meal immediately after Yom Kippur. We should have the same sense of joy of having achieved total Atonement.

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

Just get in line joining all the others who are blaming me for this morning’s snow. I warned Debbie: I told her, when she asked me to put away the snow shovel and the salt, that as long as the shovel and the salt were out it would not snow, but if I put them away; it would definitely snow. She laughed! Well, I listen to my wife. I put the shovel and the salt away. Of course, we woke up this morning, after a few days of summer weather, to snow. It’s my fault!

Do I really believe that my actions control the weather? Well, let’s put it this way: I knew that if I put the shovel away it would snow, and it did. A few years ago, when there was a drought in New York City, I offered my skills to save the city: whenever we bathe our dog, comb him and make him all nice and clean, we know for a fact that the next time he steps outside, it will rain. I offered to bathe our dog every day, and the drought would end. In fact, I am willing to move to Israel and bathe Pip every day so that there will be no more water shortage. Does anyone take me seriously? For some odd reason, no.

So, again you ask; do you really believe you control the weather? No! I don’t. But I do know that there are things I do that guarantee the weather will change.

Isn’t that contradictory, you may ask. Definitely! But I live with contradictions. Just look at the portion of Parah; it’s all about living with contradictions.

How many of us pray, declaring our conviction that prayer works, yet we remain doubtful whether a specific prayer will be affected? How many of us live a religious or spiritual life with a strong the belief that what we do truly matters, and yet pray or perform a mitzvah without really believing that this specific prayer or mitzvah matters?

I received an e-mail yesterday informing me that if I were to contribute to a specific fund, that many of the leading rabbis of the generation promise that I would receive great blessings. Now, I love blessings. But why would I need a Rabbi, no matter how wise and holy, to promise me a blessing if I believe that simply fulfilling a mitzvah will bring me blessing? Just another one of the regular contradictions in our lives.

So perhaps the first lesson we have to take from Parshat Parah is to acknowledge and pinpoint the contradictions in our lives. I’m working on my list. The first item of course will be my snow shovel and Pip. I’ll get back to you about the rest of my list.

Author Info:
Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.