This is the Shabât preceding Shabât ha-Khodësh, commemorating the preparation for Pësakh required of all who had been contaminated by proximity to a corpse. An additional Torâh portion, bә-Midbar 19.1-22), is read in Beit ha-Kәnësët.
Shabât Pârâh "commemorates the custom of everyone who would participate in the khag (pilgrimage, the term from which the Arabic "haj" derived) Pesakh to Yerushalayim having to cleanse himself in due time… an unclean person couldn't celebrate the Pesakh Seider without first being purified by the consecrated water of the Pârâh Adumâh. The third of four special Shabatot (paraphrased from Ency. Jud. 14.13, 573).
(Note for advanced tal•mid•im′ : Because the îÇôèÄéø is not within the week's úÌåÉøÈä section, a second ñÅôÆø úÌåÉøÈä, previously scrolled to the îÇôèÄéø section, is brought out for the îÇôèÄéø. During the return of the 1st ñÅôÆø úÌåÉøÈä to the àÂøåÉï ÷ÉãÆùÑ and the bringing to the áÌÄéîÈä of the 2nd ñÅôÆø úÌåÉøÈä, úÌÀäÄìÌÄéí é"è is recited by the ÷ÀäÄìÌÈä.)
åäéúä ìáðé éùøàì åìâø äâø áúåëí ìç÷ú òåìí :19.10
According to the Sages, the next — and last — Pârâh Adumâh can only be prepared by the Mashiakh (Yad Pârâh Adumâh 3:4). Thus, while the Sages have remained universally baffled by the meaning of the Pârâh Adumâh, the revelation of the meaning in our day (cf. my paper, The Nәtzârim On: Pârâh Adumâh) corroborates the reinstatement of the nation of Israel and the regathering of the Jews from the four corners of the earth as heralding the days of the Mashiakh. The prophecies indicate unambiguously that the days of the Mashiakh are upon us. Why most are unaware of this, as in the days of Noakh (The Nәtzârim Reconstruction of Hebrew Matityahu 24.37-39), is cause for individuals unable to see to have their 'spiritual eyes' checked and treated.
That the provision of the Pârâh Adumâh was (and remains) "åìâø äâø" may be surprising to those unfamiliar with Judaism. The need for the provision of the Pârâh Adumâh was to remove contamination from an individual to enable him, or her, to once again enter the Beit ha-Miqdâsh. Thus, this pâsuq implies that, unlike the zâr / αλλογενης, the âø — one of the ten categories in Talmud comprising Yisrâeil (cf. Atonement In the Biblical 'New Covenant' pp. 17-24) — was granted entry to the Beit ha-Miqdash.
Tei•mân•i′ No•sakh′ Ba•lad•i′: The Ha•phƏtâr•at′ Tei•mân•it′ and Sәphârâdit is Yәkhëzqeil 36.16-36, not the Ashkenazit Yәkhëzqeil 36.16-38. The Haphtârâh for this special Shabât takes precedence over the Haphtârâh for the Pârâshat Shâvua.
Pâr•âh′ Ä•dum•âh′: vide ñÄîÀìÄéÌåÌú ôÌÈøÈä àÂãËîÌÈä (English).
Misojudaic Christians revel in reciting 36.26: "I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you; I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh…" They never pay attention to what follows: "and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you, and I will make it so that you will walk by My khuqot and you will guard My mishpatot and do them"!!! Those who have done a bit of Judaic study will relate immediately that khuqot + mishpatot are the Biblical terms for halakhah — Oral Law determined by a legitimate beit din, i.e., in the legitimate Jewish community!!!
A messianic prophecy here shouldn't be overlooked. Christians have always contradicted themselves with a "rapture" in which Christ comes and "every eye shall see him," yet, "as in the days of Noah," except for an elite few no one will be aware of the coming. They are addicted to irrational — pagan — supernaturality, rejecting the Perfect Creator of the real world of His Perfect and Immutable (though sometimes seemingly inscrutable) Laws.
Pasuq 33 requires that the rebuilding of the cities of Yisraeil, which we've seen in our generation, be made áéåí èäøé àúëí (be-yom tahari etkhem; in the day of the making èäåø tahor — pure, uncontaminated) of you. Thus, this pasuq requires that the process of making Yisraeil èäåø is already underway! In other words, the days of the Mashiakh are already here, and have been here for some time now, but the eyes of many still remain unable to perceive it — exactly as prophesied.
Last week a prospective student penned a concern which is constantly on the minds of every Jew, every geir and every prospective talmid to Torâh-observance in the Tәphutzâh.
Essentially, here is the concern of every person who would like to be a Torâh-observant and Pәrushim-heritage (Orthodox) follower of Ribi Yәhoshua, entering through Sha·ar ha-Tzar (The Constricted Gate; NHM 7.14): "My [spouse] is very much against it for one, my job has no respect for Torâh, the list just goes on and on from there it seems."
From keeping kâsheir to maintaining practices of family purity, Torâh-observance separates one from those around him or her.
Yet, this forced distinction and separation — consecration — from the pagans was no more accidental than the Displacement Theologies of the Christian adoption, between 135 C.E. and the 6th century C.E. and the introduction of Islam by Mohammed in the 6th century C.E., each displacing Torâh with a different day or worship, rituals and laws to distinguish them. Torâh-observance not only sets the Pәrushim-heritage (Orthodox) follower apart from the masses, that is one very basic purpose of Torâh-observance — fulfilling Shәmot 19.5-6!
òã-îúé àúí ôñçéí òì-ùúé äñòôéí
(ad-matay atem poskhim al-sheteiy ha-se·iphim; How long [lit. until when] will you hop between [lit. "on"] the two horns of the dilemma?)
ôñçéí (poskhim, the plural of ôåñç (poseiakh; he hops, skips), derives from ôñç (pasakh; he hopped, skipped). This is also the shorësh from which ôñç (Pësakh; hop-over, skip-over; corrupted to "Passover") is derived.
äñòôéí ( ha-sә·iphim; translated here as "the horns of the dilemma"), comprises the specifying prefix ä (ha-; the) + the plural of ñòéó (sa·iph; cleft, branch or bough). -ùúé (shtei-') is the masc. plural connective of ùúééí (shtaiim; two). "Hopping upon two branches" is a Hebrew idiom equivalent to the modern meaning of vacillating between two horns of a dilemma.
Thus, the call of Eliyahu ha-Navi to choose parallels the call of Yehoshua Ben-Nun to choose (Yәhoshua 24.15) is identical to the call of Yehoshua Ben-Dawid ha-Mashiakh to choose (NHM 7.14). By what authority can my call to you today be any different than these?
Don't leave yourself outside the demarcation of the "kingdom of Kohanim and a goy qâdosh" (Shәmot 19.5-6) from the ill-destined goyim — the demarcation which is non-selective Torâh-observance (as defined from antiquity exclusively by Batei-din of the Pәrushim-heritage (Orthodox) Jewish community).
"From the fruit the tree is known" (NHM 12.35). "Wherefore, by their fruits, in other words by their Ma·asëh [doings, practice], you shall recognize them. Not everyone saying 'Adoni' [sir] to me will enter the Realm of the heavens. Rather, he who does the wish of my Father who is in the heavens shall enter into the Realm of the heavens. In that day many will say to me 'Adoni, adoni, didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we throw out demonic-forces in your name? Didn't we do many signs for your name?' Then I will attest to them, 'I never knew you — (Tәhilim 6.9) Turn aside from me all doers of crookedness!'" (NHM 7.19ff, emphasis added).
There is an easier way that those who aren't Torâh-observant are already in by default — Sha·ar ha-Avadon (The Gate of Destruction, NHM 7.14)!
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ùáú ôøä (Shabat Parah; "Shabât of the cow"), the third of four special Shabatot and the Shabât preceding Shabat ha-Khodesh (Shabât of the Month), i.e., of the first month of the year on the Hebrew calendar. A Maphtir is read from Torâh, bә-Midbar 19.1-22, whose theme is the purification via the water of purification made with the ashes of the red cow (popularly "heifer").
This purification was required in the time of the Beit-ha-Miqdâsh for any Jew who had been defiled by being in the proximity of a corpse. Shabat Parah commemorates the custom of all the Jews who would participate in khag Pësakh to Yәrushâlayim, having to purify themselves. (Ency. Jud., 14.573).
:36.17 éçæ÷àì
ëèîàú äðãä
The sages have pondered why Yisrâ·eil is likened here to a ðãä. The answer is logically implied, and straightforward, from the context:
:36.25 éçæ÷àì
îéí èäåøéí åèäøúí
The mystery which remained an enigma to everyone, including all of the great Sages, throughout all of the ages lasted until the publishing of my paper, The Symbolism of the "Red Heifer", in 1992. No mention of this solution exists in the literature until, if at all, after this 1992 paper. (You can order The Symbolism of the "Red Heifer" in the Nәtzârim Judaica Shoppe, in the Mall of the 'Nәtzârim Quarter,' this web site.)
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Through the ages the sages have largely regarded the symbolism of the 'Red Heifer' a mystery. No overall or consistent symbolic structure is found in the literature. Yet, the keys to relating to the meaning of this rite of purification have long been known.
It is well established that the ashes of the 'Red Heifer' were mixed with cedar, crimson and hyssop to produce a reddish water used for the purification of persons and objects which had been defiled through contact or association with death.
The Sages also noted that this reddish water closely resembled that used in the purification of the recovered leper. In the former the cedar, crimson and hyssop were mixed with water while in the latter the cedar, crimson and hyssop were mixed with the blood of a dove. In each case the vehicle of purification was a reddish solution resembling blood.
This blood-like solution in the case of the 'Red Heifer' is called mei nidâh (lit. "waters of menstruation," bә-Midbar 19.9, 13, 20, 21, 23). This phrase was intended as a key to understanding the meaning.
While this in itself suggests association with the woman who is nidâh there are other connections as well. It is a well established principle in Judaism that the proximity of topics in Torâh often suggest a relationship between them. This is the case with the recovered leper and the woman who is nidâh (wa-Yiqrâ 14-15). There is good reason for this proximity.
While we have noted the connection between the leper and the 'Red Heifer,' the connection of these with the woman who is nidâh is more subtle. This connection is to be seen in the type of defilement common to all three — defilement associated with death.
This purpose is given for the case of the 'Red Heifer.'
In the case of the leper, a leper is accounted as dead, "as it is written, '[And Aharon looked upon Miryam and, behold, she was leprous. And Aharon said unto Moshëh,'] let her not be as one dead.'" (Nәdarim 64b; based on bә-Midbar 12.10-12).
But how is the woman who is nidâh associated with death, thus tying the three together? Menses is the only phenomenon in nature which appears to wash away death (the dead egg). It was recognized that the onset of the woman's menstrual cycle somehow signalled the death of a potential human life. Today we would characterize this as the expelling of a human egg. Yet, the idea essentially holds nevertheless. It was not her flow of menstrual blood that defiled the woman. On the contrary, just as the mei nidâh of the 'Red Heifer' cleansed the person or object who had become defiled by contact with death so, too, the mei nidâh of the woman cleansed her of her contact with the death of that potential human life.
In all three cases, contact with the dead required seven days of purification by similar rituals and similar mei nidâh.
This suggests that the purification ritual of the 'Red Heifer' for objects and persons who had become defiled by contact with death, and the purification ritual for the recovered leper who was as dead, were patterned after the natural purification of the woman.
These purification rituals can then be readily understood as a symbolic washing away of the tokens of death in the mei nidâh.
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