בס”ד
This blog post is a summary of a powerful lesson on the significance of words, as explored in the parsha Chukat. It’s definitely worth watching the full lesson on YouTube for a deeper insight. Here, we share some key ideas and practical lessons on how we can use our speech in daily life to build rather than break.
WHAT NOAHIDES CAN LEARN FORM THE RED HEIFER
The Torah opens Parashat Chukat with one of the most baffling commandments in the entire corpus of Jewish law: the mitzvah of the red heifer (parah adumah).
What Is the Red Heifer?
The Torah describes the red heifer in Numbers 19:2. It must be:
- A perfect red cow,
- That has never been yoked,
- Slaughtered outside the camp,
- And its ashes are to be used for the ritual purification of those who have come into physical contact with the dead.
Not through symbolic or spiritual means—like a séance or a Ouija board—but through actual physical contact with a corpse.
The Paradox
Here’s the twist:
The person who prepares the ashes, the one facilitating purification for others, becomes impure in the process.
- The impure becomes pure,
- The pure becomes impure.
It’s the ultimate paradox. And even King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, admitted he could not grasp it. In Ecclesiastes 7:23 (Kohelet) he writes:
“I thought I could become wise, but it is far from me.”
Chazal (our sages), in Bamidbar Rabbah and Yalkut Shimoni, explain that he was referring specifically to this mitzvah as the prime example of a chok—a divine law that defies human logic.
What Are We Supposed to Do With a Law We Can’t Understand?
Even though Noahides are not commanded to perform this ritual, there is still deep spiritual wisdom in this mitzvah that speaks to all humanity.
Because the red heifer teaches a foundational truth:
G-d places obstacles in our path not to block us, but to build us.
These paradoxes—these moments that make no sense—are not divine accidents. They are carefully calibrated challenges, crafted to condition us for spiritual growth.
Resistance Builds the Soul
Think about it: just as physical resistance builds muscle, spiritual resistance strengthens the soul—when approached with the right mindset.
We often interpret suffering and confusion as a sign to retreat, to shrink, to protect ourselves.
But the lesson of the red heifer is the opposite:
These moments are a divine invitation to step up—to rise with more grit, more faith, and more humility.
When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
We’ve all faced moments like this:
- A loved one gets sick,
- A relationship shatters without warning,
- You lose your job for doing the right thing.
And you ask:
“Why?”
“What does G-d want from me?”
Here’s what the red heifer teaches:
Sometimes, there is no reason you can grasp. But that doesn’t mean there’s no purpose.
The Torah isn’t just a book of laws. It’s a book of spiritual formation. And sometimes, formation requires fire.
“The finest steel must go through the hottest fires.”
Pain That Purifies
Pain, especially the kind that feels irrational or unfair, shapes us. It humbles us. It purifies us.
As it says in Psalms 34:
“The L-rd is close to the brokenhearted.”
Not because pain is holy in itself, but because pain opens a space in us that comfort cannot.
Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch wrote that the parah adumah elevates man—both body and soul—into the eternal sphere of G-d. He says:
“Do not be misled by the sight of corpses and of death… Be the immortal master of your mortal body. In the midst of impurity, preserve your purity.”
We’re not supposed to run from the difficult parts of life—we’re meant to be transformed by them.
The Red Heifer and the Golden Calf
Chazal teach—both in revealed texts and the Zohar—that the red heifer atones for the sin of the golden calf, the Torah’s most cataclysmic moment of idolatry.
Think about it:
The same generation that heard the voice of G-d at Sinai… then melted their jewelry and worshipped a golden statue.
How is that even possible?
Because human beings are impatient. Easily swayed. Spiritually fragile. And yet, G-d gives us a path back.
The red heifer is the counterweight to that moment. It reminds us that:
- The world is not run by chaotic forces.
- Hashem is One.
- Atonement comes not from understanding—but from return.
In a Noisy World
Today’s world is deafening.
Algorithms reward extremity.
We’re bombarded with:
- Opinions,
- Outrage,
- Influencer culture.
And in all the clamor, the quiet voice of the soul gets drowned out.
The red heifer is a call back to spiritual center. A reminder to listen inward again.
Messianic Hope
Here’s the final twist:
According to the Rambam (Hilchot Parah Adumah, 1:1 and 3:4), the ritual of the red heifer:
- Was given to Moses at Sinai,
- Will be resumed in the Messianic era,
- And only nine red heifers have ever been prepared,
- The tenth will be brought by Mashiach.
The red heifer is not just a paradox. It’s a signpost pointing to redemption.
When You Don’t Understand — Grow Anyway
Some of life’s most painful challenges—especially the ones you can’t explain—are the very ones that:
- Give you new strength,
- Build empathy,
- Lead to mission.
As Viktor Frankl wrote:
“Man does not simply invent his mission—he detects it.”
The red heifer reminds us:
The mystery is not a flaw in the system—it is the system.
Real-Life Examples of the Red Heifer Principle
- Malala Yousafzai, shot by the Taliban, became a global leader for girls’ education.
- Bethany Hamilton, lost her arm in a shark attack, but returned to professional surfing and inspired millions.
- Viktor Frankl, survived five Nazi camps, and created a revolutionary therapy rooted in finding meaning in suffering.
These are stories of pain that became purification—for them and for others.
What Does This Have to Do with Noahides?
You might ask:
“If the red heifer isn’t part of the 7 Noahide laws, what does it have to do with me?”
The answer: everything.
Because the red heifer teaches a universal truth:
You don’t need full understanding to live with full devotion.
As Psalms 19:9 says:
“The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.”
You may not be commanded in every ritual—but you are still invited into the mystery.
And through that invitation, you participate in the journey toward redemption.
Final Thought
The red heifer doesn’t ask you to grasp it.
It asks you to grow through it.
And that’s something every human soul can do—whether you’re a Ben Yisrael or a Ben Noah.
This mysterious cow, perhaps the most enigmatic mitzvah in the Torah, may in fact be one of its most universal teachings.
By Rabbi Tani Burton
More shiurim of Rabbi Tani Burton
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