Parah Adumah - A Unique Commandment The mitzvah of the Red Heifer (referred to in Judaism as Parah Adumah, literally “Red Cow”) is a peculiar command indeed. A couple of details make this mitzvah unique. To begin with, the participants are commanded to slaughter and burn completely this female cow without blemish. If you will recall from reading Vayikra, touching a dead animal’s carcass renders one tamei (ritually unclean). As we discover from our current portion at 19:7-22, the preparation of the ashes also rendered the individuals involved tamei. Yet the end result of their efforts produced a substance that possessed the supernatural ability to cleanse, as HaShem endowed it. True, the real healing always comes from HaShem, but in this case, the focal point of the healing (the ash mixture) began by defiling those who made the mixture. Peculiar indeed. Herein lies the secret of faith. To follow HaShem’s instructions to the letter was to act and live in an arena of trusting faithfulness. To do what the Torah asked sometimes required its participants to perform various rituals and functions that defy logic and common sense. Life from death? Only the Will of HaShem could produce such an effect. Particularly, we see this demonstrated graphically in Yeshua! The events surrounding his death defiled everyone involved. Remember that the handling of the sacrificial victim defiles the handler. Thus, everyone, from the prosecutors, to those who mocked him, to the executioner who drove the nails—everyone was made unclean. This includes you and me. We placed him there as much as any Roman or Jew involved directly in that century. Our transgressions caused him to become the sacrifice for sin. Therefore, we are also defiled. But the end result is what makes the significant difference! In the case of the Red Heifer, the resulting ash played the central part in the cleansing of those who were tamei. In the case of Yeshua, his shed blood plays a central part in our cleansing. Were it not for the blood, which was freely spilled, we would forever be in a state of spiritual tamei! Thanks be unto God, the blood was poured out! This brings out the importance of understanding the Torah and matters related to faith. If we reduce the Torah to legalistic misunderstandings, we cut short the miraculous workings of our Heavenly Abba, especially where matters of tamei and tahor (unclean and clean respectively) are concerned. While it is true that Yeshua brought about a transformation in the Levitical priesthood, and ritual uncleanness is no longer an everyday issue, the matter of spiritual cleansing is still a stark reality. We must avail ourselves of the spiritual cleansing made possible by Yeshua in order that we can be included in the community of the “called-out ones”. Only the ashes of an unblemished female cow would suffice for this special ceremony; only the blood of a sinless human—the blood of Yeshua, could effectively cleanse fallen humanity from spiritual defilement! He is our Red Heifer!