This week, we read Parshas Parah. Rav Moshe Wolfson says it is the last parsha of the Hebrew months of the year, since Shabbos ushers in the new week. Next Shabbos will usher in the month of Nissan, which starts the new year. What’s so special about Parshas Parah that we close out the Hebrew year reading it?

Rashi in Parshas Beshalach says that when Klal Yisrael camped in Marah, Hashem gave them a few mitzvos: Shabbos, various monetary laws and Parah Adumah (Red Heifer.) Why was it necessary for these mitzvos to be given before the Torah itself? Rav Eliyahu Boruch Finkel explains that these specific laws were given before Kabalas HaTorah because they are prerequisites to the acceptance of the Torah. For example, law and order (in business) is needed for a civilized society, and Shabbos is equal to all mitzvos. But why was Parah Adumah needed to be given in advance?

Rav Finkel explains the uniqueness of Parah Adumah is that it is a chok, a law without logic, as the Torah states: “Zos chukasa haTorah,” this is the chok of the Torah. Parah Adumah is a paradox—its ashes make pure those who are defiled, yet defile those who are administering the purification process. All the other mitzvos given at Marah were logical. Even the mitzvah of Shabbos has a certain logic, as Hashem created the world, an enormous task, and directed that we rest on the seventh day. But Parah Adumah is a chok—a law without apparent logic.

The greatest prerequisite to accepting the Torah is the concept of accepting Hashem’s laws even when we don’t understand the reason. We obey the Torah’s laws just because Hashem directs that we do so. This even applies to keeping kosher. The Toras Kohanim says that a person should not say to himself that he will refrain from eating non-kosher food because it’s unappetizing; rather, he should say that he would like to eat it, but he won’t because Hashem says it’s prohibited.

We now have a greater insight into Hashem offering the Torah to the other nations before offering it to Klal Yisrael. The nations all asked what the Torah says and refused to accept it without knowing in advance. But Klal Yisrael immediately responded, “Naaseh v’nishma”—we will do and we will hear. Although Klal Yisrael already had a sneak preview of some of the mitzvos, which had some logic, they also had been commanded regarding the Parah Adumah, which is a chok, without apparent logic. Therefore, they had no idea what to expect of the other mitzvos, which could also be chukim. This laid the foundation for their complete acceptance of Hashem’s will—a great accomplishment!

Rashi in Parshas Chukas says that the Parah Adumah was a tikun (repair) for the Cheit Egel (sin of the Golden Calf). Yet, isn’t this contradictory to the Rashi above that says the mitzvah of the Parah Adumah was given prior to Kabalas haTorah?

The Beis Halevi says that the sin of the golden calf was committed with good intentions: the Jewish nation was looking for a replacement for Moshe as an intermediary, since they were afraid of facing Hashem’s great presence directly. Their sin was that they charted their own path on how to serve Hashem.

Hashem once again gave the mitzvah of Parah Adumah, as its observance remedies where the Jewish nation went wrong. They followed their own rationale of how to serve Hashem, rather than waiting for Hashem’s direct commandments.

We celebrated Purim this week and there is a concept within Purim that we celebrate it until we reach the level of “ad d’lo yada,” until we lose our own power to reason—we observe Hashem’s laws because He says so. Rav Moshe Wolfson explains that on Purim, we do reach the level of ad d’lo yoda, since Parshas Parah, which includes the laws of Parah Adumah, always comes after Purim.

May we always be ready to follow what Hashem says, regardless of any rationale we think lies behind it. It’s a testimony that we are perfect servants of the Creator and believe that whatever He has us do, and what He does for us, is always for the best.

Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim is the associate rosh yeshiva of Passaic Torah Institute (PTI)/Yeshiva Ner Boruch. Rabbi Bodenheim can be reached at [email protected]. For more info about PTI and its Torah classes, visit www.pti.shulcloud.com