Shabbos Parah is a special Shabbos that was originated by our sages of blessed memory to prepare for Passover. Parah פָרָה means cow in loshen hakodesh and it refers to the red cow that was used to purify (טהר) people who had become defiled (טמא) through contact with a dead body. Its normal application would be for things like burying the dead and soldiers in combat. The Chumash forbids the ritually impure from going to the Temple or eating from a sacrifice including the Passover sacrifice. Being tumei (טָמֵא) did not greatly hinder ordinary activities. As a result many would wait to undergo the purification ritual until the approach of Pesach. Today this designation gets us in the mood for Passover, is a reminder of past glory, and a hope for the future.
There are a number of types of defilement, other than death. They include eating eating unkosher food like pork and shellfish, touching disgusting dead animals like a lizard or a rat, masturbation, and venereal disease, and leprosy. Normal activities like ordinary coition and menstruation also impart impurity. The shared element is that they all seem to have an element of disgust in them. There are different purification rituals. All of them involve water and bathing and is common. Purity also has sexual connotations. A person who has only had relations within the framework of marriage is considered pure, outside of marriage impure. From the standpoint of the Tanakh tumah (טֻמְאַה defilement) is a strong pejorative and taharah (טָהֳרָה - purity) is high praise and Israel is exhorted to become experts in distinguishing between the two of them.
The subject of the haftorah for parshas Parah unsurprisingly is defilement and its purification. It starts by saying that Israel defiled the holy land through their exploits and their ways. They are compared to a woman during her period especially in regards to religion. Specific crimes are the shedding of innocent blood and idolatry. For this they are judged, exiled, and scattered among the nations. This is considered a desecration of God's name because the gentiles say, “this is the nation of Hashem and from His land they have departed”, (Ezekiel 36:20). Because of this HaKadosh Baruch Hu says He will gather them, no for their sake, rather His own. Therefore He will sprinkle them with water to purify them, replace their heart of stone with a heart of flesh, give them a new spirit, and have them keep the faith. After that they will dwell prosperously in the land of their fathers. This will cause the people of Israel to regret their sins and disgusting deeds. Finally the land of Israel will change from a desolation to a paradise.
Among the messages of Passover is leaving the exile for the land of Israel. If a person is dirty they will be distant and cut off from the holiday. The haftorah is a little different in that it starts with the people of Israel in their own land and how they lose it. The process starts with the people doing things that are rude, dumb, and ugly. This coincides with a rejection of Jewish heritage and religious values. Torah and the connection to the patriarchs is the source of Israel's strength. Without it the national tendency is to turn to military might and police power, which degenerates into murder. At some point the people become totally sleazy and make everything they come in contact with sleazy especially the land of Israel. At that point HaKadosh Baruch Hu can’t stand the sight of them and their mess, so he throws them out of his land. The hint of Egypt is that tumah is part of the Jewish inclination towards evil and therefore must be guarded against.
The transition starts with becoming both physically and spiritually pure. After that there is a change of heart specifically becoming sensitive and not hard. The final step is accepting the Torah as a guide and regretting past misdeeds. The ideal characteristics to observe Pesach are beauty, intelligence, and charm. With these a person becomes fit to receive a flow of blessings from above.
לע"נ האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז ניסן תשנ"ח
העלון ניתן לקבל בדואר אלקטרוני וגם באתר http://dyschreiber.blogspot.com
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