English translation — חוקת א

Talk a<pg>127</pg>

A.

"This is the statute of the Torah etc. 'And they shall take to you a red cow etc.'"<sup>1</sup>,

And our sages, may their memory be blessed, said<sup>2</sup>

Regarding the reason for the precision "and they shall take to you"

(to Moses specifically)

"that all the cows are nullified and yours endures",

And this pertains

(not only to the cow of Moses,

but)

to all the red cows in all generations,

for in all of them the priests who performed the cow were sanctified from the ashes of Moses' cow<sup>3</sup>,

and therefore all the cows were called specifically by the name of Moses<sup>4</sup>.

And the special connection of the red heifer to Moshe Rabbeinu is also emphasized regarding the reason for this commandment,

for although even King Shlomo

[who "about all these

(all the statutes of the Torah)

I stood"<sup>5</sup>]

said about this commandment "and it is far from me"<sup>6</sup>

— nevertheless,

to Moshe Rabbeinu the reason of the [red] heifer was revealed,

as our sages, of blessed memory, [say]<sup>7</sup>

on these words "they shall take to you" — "to you I reveal the reason of the [red] heifer."

And one must understand — what is different about this commandment from all the commandments of the Torah,

that in it its connection to Moshe Rabbeinu is emphasized,

both in the manner of its fulfillment,

that the fulfillment of this commandment

(also for [future] generations)

is through the ashes of Moshe's heifer,

and in the manner of its study,

"to you I reveal the reason of the [red] heifer"<sup>8</sup>?

2.

And we must explain this by prefacing what our sages, of blessed memory, said⁹

(regarding the reason that the red heifer is female,

unlike all communal offerings which are male)

— "The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let a cow come and atone for the deed of the calf"

(and in Rashi's commentary on the Torah¹⁰

from the foundation of Rabbi Moshe HaDarshan,

also the details of the hints in the commandment of the red heifer regarding the atonement for the sin of the calf).

And the commentators explained¹¹

the connection between the atonement for the sin of the calf and purification from impurity of the dead

(the matter of the red heifer in its simple sense)

— based on the words of our sages, of blessed memory,¹²

that had it not been for the sin of the calf, there would not have been any matter of death among the children of Israel,

for they would have been "freed from the angel of death"

(as before the sin of the Tree of Knowledge,

for at the time of the giving of the Torah their contamination ceased¹³,

but through the sin of the calf their contamination returned¹⁴),

and it is found that the sin of the calf was the cause

(regarding the matter of the <pg>128</pg>

Death,

and consequently — also)

to impurity of a corpse; and this is the connection between the two matters of atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf and purification from impurity of a corpse — for the one depends on the other,

that through the atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf,

the matter of impurity of a corpse is nullified automatically

(through the nullification of the cause for impurity of a corpse — death in general).

And with this one can explain

(in the manner of the discourse)

the precise wording of the Rambam¹⁵

"And nine red heifers were made from when they were commanded this commandment until the Second Temple was destroyed,

the first was made by Moses etc. and the tenth will be made by the King Messiah" — for at first glance it is not understood: what reason did the Rambam need to write the number¹⁶

of the heifers that were made throughout all the generations?

Thus it was said: The Rambam was not satisfied with bringing the number of cows brought in the Mishnah¹⁷,

but adds¹⁸

"And the tenth the King Moshiach will make" — the Rambam brought in his book also a halacha for the Messianic era,

that then "all the judgments return..

as they were previously,

they offer sacrifices etc.'"¹⁹,

but why did the Rambam separate the tenth cow from all the matters and sacrifices of "the prince" — in the prophecy of Yechezkel²⁰,

and writes that the King Moshiach will make the tenth cow?

And according to the above it can be said — that in this the Rambam hints,

that the perfection of purity through the red cow in general will be only in the tenth cow that will be made by the King Moshiach.

For there is no complete atonement for the sin of the calf

(as it is written²¹

"And on the day of My visitation I will visit etc.")

until the future era,

and only then,

when the atonement for the deed of the calf is completed,

then will come the perfection of purity from the impurity of death,

for then the entire matter of death will be nullified

(as it is said²²

He will swallow up death forever),

which is the cause of the impurity of death as above²³.

And this is the hint in the hint that "the tenth will the King Moshiach make" — because ten is the complete number

(as is known²⁴),

and the completeness of the

(purity of)

red heifer will be only in the future to come,

in the heifer that the King Moshiach will make.

3.

Based on this, one can also explain the connection of the red heifer "to you" to Moshe Rabbeinu:

The foundation of purity of the red heifer is not only the nullification of impurity in practice,

but the nullification of the cause of impurity from the outset — the matter of death.

And therefore one needs for this the power of Moses²⁵

— because among the special matters of Moses is the matter of eternity,

as is explained in Chazal²⁶

that the works of the hands of<pg>129</pg>

Moses are eternal

(and as we find in our subject,

the red heifer itself,

that the ash of his heifer is from the beginning of the matter,

and also — endures forever),

and so too regarding Moses himself,

even though it is said "and Moses died there"²⁷

they said about him²⁸

"Moses did not die..

just as there he stands and serves, so too here etc.'"

And therefore the purity of every heifer depends on the ash of the heifer of Moses — because the power of purity of the red heifer is connected with the matter of eternity of Moses our teacher²⁹.

And to note,

that although the matter of purification from the impurity of death in its completeness will not be attained until the future when death will be swallowed up forever

(And until then the heifer purifies from the impurity,

but it does not have the power to nullify the cause of the impurity)

— this is only regarding an individual,

but regarding the public — through Torah,

which Moshe received from Sinai and transmitted etc.,

the reality of the public is made,

that "the public does not die"³⁰,

that in the public of the children of Israel the matter of death does not apply.

D.

And behold "the Torah is eternal"³¹

in every time and in every place.

From this it is understood,

that although now we do not have the ash of the heifer,

nevertheless,

the content of the matter of the purification of the red heifer,

which includes the ash of the heifer of Moshe,

exists in the spiritual service of each and every one of Israel.

Explanation of the matter:

The drawing down of the eternality of Moses was through his being in absolute self-nullification to the Holy One, blessed be He

("faithful servant"³²),

the matter of self-sacrifice,

that he is ready to give over his entire existence for Him, blessed be He.

And it can be said that therefore the works of Moses' hands are eternal — because self-sacrifice is above changes,

for the entire matter of self-sacrifice is — the strength to do His will, blessed be He, in a manner that nothing in the world can change it.

And therefore purification from impurity of death is through the power of the ashes of the heifer of Moshe: Impurity of death indicates separation from holiness,

for when "you cling to Hashem your G-d

(you are)

alive all of you today"³³

(death does not apply,

and consequently not impurity of death)

; and in order to nullify completely the "death" and separation from holiness,

that there be the ultimate clinging to Hashem your G-d — this is through the person arousing in himself his self-sacrifice for Hashem³⁴.

And just as the eternality in the ashes of the heifer of Moshe came in two matters —

(a)

that it itself endures forever³⁵,

(b)

all the heifers were required<pg>130</pg>

the cow of Moses³⁶

— this is so in spiritual service,

that in the awakening of the power of self-sacrifice there are two matters:

(a)

the awakening of the essence of the power of self-sacrifice,

(b)

that the power of self-sacrifice gives strength and might in all matters of divine service that they be as they should,

and as explained in Tanya³⁷,

"that the fulfillment of the Torah and its commandments depends on this, that he always remember the matter of self-sacrifice to God..

that it be fixed in his heart constantly, truly day and night, he shall not remove it from his memory, for with this he can stand against his evil inclination to conquer it always, at every time and at every hour."

And in the service of man day by day — this is the difference between the service of prayer and the other matters of divine service throughout the entire day:

During prayer a person must awaken his love for Hashem that is hidden in his heart,

the meaning of this love

(as explained at length in the Tanya&lt;sup&gt;38&lt;/sup&gt;)

— the will and desire to cleave to Hashem the One, up to the point of self-sacrifice

[And this love is implanted in the heart of every single Jew,

his soul being "literally a part of G-d above"&lt;sup&gt;39&lt;/sup&gt;,

that "Hashem is One" shines in the part in a revealed manner; but it is hidden in his heart,

and the work of man,

to awaken this love and bring it to revelation]

;

And afterwards,

throughout the entire day,

when a person is not occupied with the work of self-sacrifice

(as such),

but rather "in the fulfillment of the Torah and its mitzvos",

nevertheless even then there must be a remembrance of "the matter of self-sacrifice to Hashem",

through which "he will be able to stand against his evil inclination to conquer it always, at every time and at every hour" — in constant and eternal attachment to Hashem,

and then — "you are all alive today".

(From the talk of Shabbat Parshat Chukat 5723)