Chukat- Para Adumah and Korban Pesach
By Rav Yehoshua Weitzman
A deeper perspective on the word
This week’s parasha begins with the following pasuk1:
“זאת חוקת התורה אשר ציוה ה’ לאמור...”
“This is the ordinance (chukat) which Hashem has commanded”.
After such a basic opening zot chukat, what would one expect the Torah to describe – Shabbat, festivals, Kashrut? Yet the Torah begins to explain the details of the parah adumah. Chazal compare the phrase “zot chukat” that is written with regard to the para adumah to the phrase “zot chukat” which is written with regard to the korban Pesach2, the Passover sacrifice3.
“Let my heart be sound in thy statutes” (translate). These are the laws (chukat) of Pesach and the laws of the para adumah. These issues are similar because of the common word chukat, yet which one of these issues is greater? This can be likened to two women of similar appearance who went together on the way. Which one is greater? The woman who is escorted home by the other women is greater. So too, pertaining to Pesach and the para adumah. The para adumah is greater because those who want to be purified in order to give the Pesach sacrifice must be purified by the waters of the para adumah in order to do so.
The Midrash’s question, which is greater, is not clear. Why should one mitzvah be greater than another, and if one is greater, what does this come to teach us? The same question that is asked about the pasuk “zot chukat hatoarh” is also relevant to the pasuk “zot chukat haPesach”. Instead of describing laws of the general concepts of Pesach and the exodus from Egypt, the Torah focuses on the law “no stranger shall eat of it”. It seems that the opening law of chukat haPessach, “no stranger shall eat of it”, teaches us that Pesach represents the holiness of Am-Yisrael. For Pesach is the celebration of the formation of Am-Yisrael as a nation.
The laws of para adumah represent the divine depth of the Torah. King Solomon the wisest of all men, was able to find meaning for all the mitzvot except para adumah. Regarding this mitzvah he stated, “I said, I will be wise; but it is far from me”.
The question posed by the midrash, which is greater, is in essence a question of Am-Yisrael and Torah – which is greater? Is the ultimate greatness found in the Torah, which represents the will of Hashem being brought down into the world, or is it found in Am-Yisrael, who bring to fruition Hashem’s will.
This can be understood by a simple example. In a democratic society which is greater; the citizens or the law? Because the citizens must obey the law, maybe the law is greater? Or perhaps because the purpose of the laws is to protect the citizens, the citizens are greater?
This same question was posted to Eliyahu hanavi, as recorded in the book Tana de’vey Eliyahu4.
Once I (Eliyahu Hanavi) was walking along the way and I met a man who was learned in chumash but not in the mishna. He said to me, Rebbi, there are two things in this world that I love with all my heart, Torah and Am Yisrael, yet I do not know which one of them is greater. I responded to him, the people of the world would answer you that the Torah is great for regarding the Torah it says, “Hashem created me as the beginning of his way”. Yet I’ll tell you that Am Yisrael precedes the Torah as it says regarding Am Yisrael “Yisrael is holy to Hashem, the firstfruits of his increase”.
Eliyahu’s answer needs clarification; who is right? Maybe neither of them are right or maybe they both are? We also see that Eliyahu quotes psukim to prove both points. If so, there must be truth in both opinions.
Torah represents ultimate G-dliness, while Am-Yisrael represent the manifestation of (this) G-dliness. These two pillars, Torah and Am-Yisrael, can be compared to the written Torah and the Oral Torah, Torah shebi’chtav and Torah shebe’al pe. Torah shebi’chtav is completely Divine – the handiwork of Hashem. Never altered by the hand of man, the Torah is a flawless entity. Torah shebe’al pe represents the aspect of the Torah that evolves in this world, something that is rooted in the depth of humanity in general, and in Am-Yisrael in particular.
Rav Kook expanded this idea in his book Orot HaTorah5. He writes that the revelation of Torah shebi’chtav is more exalted than that of Torah shebe’al pe. Torah shebe’al pe itself is rooted in the Torah shebi’chtav. Without the Torah shebi’chtav, Torah shebe’al pe would have no foundation. yet on a deeper level, the Torah shebe’al pe, which is a representation and a manifestation of Am-Yisrael, is loftier than the Torah shebi’chtav. The Torah shebi’chtav itself was given to Am-Yisrael only because of the fact that they are Am-Yisrael – because Hashem wanted to bestow his most precious gift to his beloved children, Bnei-Yisrael! If so, the essence of the Torah shebi’chtav is found in Am-Yisrael, which is represented by the Torah shebe’al pe.
With this in mind, the midrash quoted earlier can be understood in a new light. The midrash answers that the para adumah, which symbolizes Torah, is greater, because Bnei-Yisrael are dependent upon it to be purified. Yet, it is possible to conclude that because the para adumah comes to act as a means by which Am-Yisrael is purified, then in truth Am-Yisrael is greater – they are the reason that there is a need for the para adumah. The midrash comes to show the complexity of this issue. On one hand the Torah is greater yet after looking under the surface, Am-Yisrael are greater.
Both Chazal in the midrash and Rav Kook come to teach us that it is not sufficient to only look at the peripheral level of both Torah, and life. One must look below the surface, and by doing so, will be able to come to a deeper outlook on life and the world.