Questions tagged [parah-adumah]
The parah-adumah tag has no usage guidance, but it has a tag wiki.
44
questions
0
votes
1
answer
33
views
Making tamei tahor and tahor tamei - Negaim
Chazal make a big deal out the fact that the ashes of the Parah Adumah are מטהר את הטמא and מטמא את הטהור. It is considered to be the thing that made Parah Adumah inexplicable even to Shlomo Hamelech.
...
- 3,090
1
vote
1
answer
81
views
The Shemen ha-Tov on the red heifer
This article cites a teaching of “the Shemen ha-Tov”. Can anyone help me find this source?
Many thanks.
- 2,361
1
vote
0
answers
96
views
Does anyone say this is the paradox of the red heifer?
I've always understood that the parah adumah, the red heifer, is the quintessential chok, decree of the Torah, because it has the following paradox: It purifies the impure, and it impurifies the pure. ...
- 19.6k
-2
votes
1
answer
95
views
The rite of the Red Heiffer and commentary by Moses Ben Maimon
The rite of the Red Heifer (Numbers 19:2-10) seems to me to be magic. Is my understanding incorrect?
Does Moses Ben Maimon have a comment on this topic?
Thank you
- 582
1
vote
1
answer
55
views
Diagram showing how the one sprinkling the blood of the Poroh Adumoh saw the Heichal entrance
Rashi on Bamidbor 19 (4) says:
אל נכח פני אהל מועד [HE SHALL SPRINKLE THE BLOOD] TOWARDS THE FRONT
SIDE OF THE APPOINTED TENT
He stands at the East of Jerusalem and must direct his gaze straight
...
- 47.2k
0
votes
2
answers
98
views
Is there מעילה on the para aduma and mei chatas? Was the para aduma hekdesh?
Is there meila on the para aduma and mei chatas and is it debatable if the entire avoda and tahara of the para aduma was a function of hekdesh? Is it possible that it's simply a communal process that ...
- 456
2
votes
0
answers
55
views
Original version of Parshas Parah
According to Rashi, quoting Chazal, the mitzvah of Parah Adumah was given at Marah and was included in the ספר הברית that Moshe wrote before Matan Torah.
In the Torah as it was eventually given, it's ...
- 9,116
1
vote
1
answer
34
views
Why is a Parah Aduma kodesh with קדושת בדק הבית?
See Gemara in Yuma 42a and Rambam Hilchos Parah 1:7.
If it's a korban, then it should have full kdushas korban, and if it's not, then why isn't it completely chullin?
- 456
0
votes
1
answer
74
views
Why does the man who guards the Red Heifer defile his clothes?
Bava Metzia 93a reads: "One who safeguards the red heifer renders his garments impure ... Rabba bar Ulla said: This is a decree, lest he move a limb of the heifer."
But... how does it deter ...
- 2,361
0
votes
0
answers
35
views
Sources that Parah Adumah shows love between Bnei Yisrael and Hashem
I'm looking for sources that Parah Adumah shows love between Bnei Yisrael and Hashem.
(I know that there are recent sources that say this. I'm looking for earlier sources, preferably Rishonim or ...
- 5,365
2
votes
0
answers
39
views
Is regular tahara implied by "b'makom tahor"?
Mishna Para 10:3 begins
קָלָל שֶׁל חַטָּאת שֶׁנָּגַע בְּשֶׁרֶץ, טָהוֹר. נְתָנוֹ עַל גַּבָּיו, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר מְטַהֵר, וַחֲכָמִים מְטַמְּאִים.
[The water inside] a chatas bucket that touched an ...
- 23.7k
1
vote
1
answer
151
views
Why didn't the Greeks spoil Red heifer ashes?
IIRC, as the Chanukkah story goes, the Greeks entered the Temple and defiled all the oil needed for lighting the Menorah.
Why didn't the Greeks spoil Red heifer ashes, as it, seemingly, is far more ...
- 25.7k
5
votes
1
answer
144
views
Until when were the red heifer ashes still in use?
Parah 7:6 describes how the Sanhedrin was ruling on practical matters related to creating mei ḥatat even after the destruction of the second Temple, and it follows that mei ḥatat was still being ...
- 9,777
5
votes
1
answer
57
views
Is it only sheep that have a 30-day period between their periods of acceptability as a korban?
In Parah 1:3, we read:
כְּבָשִׂים, בְּנֵי שָׁנָה. וְאֵילִים, בְּנֵי שְׁתַּיִם. וְכֻלָּם מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם. בֶּן שְׁלשָׁה עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ אֵינוֹ כָשֵׁר לֹא לְאַיִל וְלֹא לְכֶבֶשׂ. רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן קוֹרֵהוּ ...
- 9,777
4
votes
0
answers
122
views
Which of the 9 Parah Adumahs that have existed was from Dama ben Nesina?
Kiddushin 31a teaches us the famous story of Dama ben Nesina, ie a gentile who refused to sell the Chachamim a precious stone for the ephod since doing so would wake up his father.
The gemara ...
- 12k
1
vote
1
answer
111
views
Parah Adumah water: different names used in the Torah ("mei niddah") and Chazal ("mei chatas")
When discussing the mixture of the Parah Adumah ashes & water, the Torah calls it "mei niddah" (see: Numbers 19:13, Numbers 19:20, Numbers 19:21).
However Chazal use a different phrase ...
- 12k
3
votes
1
answer
169
views
In Parshas Chukas, why is first mention of Parah Adumah "פָרָה" instead of "פָּרָה"?
The first mention of the Parah Adumah in Parshas Chukas (Numbers 19:2) is:
דַּבֵּ֣ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֣וּ אֵלֶיךָ֩ פָרָ֨ה אֲדֻמָּ֜ה
Instruct the people of Israel to bring you a red cow ...
- 12k
4
votes
1
answer
114
views
The amount of Parah Adumah ashes and water ("mei chatas") required to purify a person
This week's parsha teaches us all about the Parah Adumah and how it can purify a person.
Namely, that in order for a person who was ritually impure via a dead body to become pure, said person ...
- 12k
4
votes
0
answers
113
views
Colors of the Parah Adumah
Consider the following opinions of what adumah can or does in fact mean.
Sadia gaon writes that Aduma of the Parah Adumah is 'Tzafra'. The footnote from Rav Kapach in the Mosad Rav Cook edition ...
- 33.4k
5
votes
1
answer
77
views
Explain Rashi quoting Mechilta on Shemot 24:3
In Shemot 24:3, regarding the term mishpatim (logical laws), Rash"i citing Mechilta includes a list of items. Among them, he includes parah adumah (the laws of the red heifer.)
This is puzzling. The ...
- 70.1k
3
votes
2
answers
131
views
Why was it so important that the Kohen preparing the Parah Adumah be a tevul yom?
Mishnah Parah 3:7 (with translation/explanation from Sefaria):
וּמְטַמְּאִים הָיוּ אֶת הַכֹּהֵן הַשּׂוֹרֵף אֶת הַפָּרָה, מִפְּנֵי הַצְּדוֹקִים, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ אוֹמְרִים, בִּמְעֹרְבֵי שֶׁמֶשׁ ...
- 41.8k
0
votes
0
answers
77
views
pouring mey chatat on a tattoo
The Mishnah in Parah 8:2 teaches that if the mey chatat (parah adumah water) gets poured on someone's shoes or clothes, that water is not fit to be used for the parah adumah anymore. However, if it ...
- 795
2
votes
1
answer
92
views
how much wood, dung, hyssop, and red string can be added to the red heifer fire?
The Torah says to add these items to the fire when burning the red heiffer. To maximize the ash yeild, can I put in enormous quantities of this non-rare material?
- 7,675
5
votes
1
answer
237
views
Red heifer ashes
People in biblical times frequently came in the presence of dead bodies. So they must have needed a lot of the spring water mixed with red heifer ashes. But the Mishna says only 9 heifers were ...
- 20.8k
1
vote
0
answers
139
views
What does the Red heifer supposed to mean?
I've seen references to the importance of the Red Heifer as an eschatological sign of the coming Messianic Age. What is it supposed to mean?
- 119
12
votes
2
answers
268
views
Where did the first parah adumah come from?
The first mishna in Parah talks about the age that a cow can be and still be valid as a parah adumah:
רבי אליעזר אומר עגלה בת שנתה ופרה בת שתים וחכ"א עגלה בת שתים ופרה בת שלש או בת ארבע ר"מ ...
- 9,116
1
vote
1
answer
83
views
What if you miss the time of the sprinkling?
In parshat chukat it says that if you become tamei due to a dead body, you become pure again by being sprinkled with red-heifer ash-water on the third and seventh day of your impurity, but if you don'...
- 692
3
votes
0
answers
52
views
Using a robot "puppet" for matters requiring purity
Based upon an exchange in this question, we require complete purity in the drawing of water for the purposes of mei chatas. The setup described in Maseches Parah was essentially a ritualistic clean ...
- 5,124
5
votes
2
answers
292
views
Do modern-day Jews have waters of separation?
In the Torah it says (Numbers 19:17-19)
An unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the heifer
burnt for purification from sin, and running water shall be put on
them in a vessel. A ...
- 51
-4
votes
1
answer
145
views
Why was the law about Para Aduma given in Mara? [closed]
Why out of all the 613 mitvot was the para aduma chosen to be 'given' in Mara? 'Shom som lo 'chok' umishpat'. Chok refers to para aduma and why is it only mentioned so late in the torah after Korach....
- 101
6
votes
4
answers
520
views
What do we learn from Miriam's demise being juxtaposed to the Red Heifer?
What precisely does the demise of righteous people atone for, and who gets the atonement?
Background:
In Parshat Chukath - במדבר פרק-כ - we learn from Rashi that the demise of the prophetess Miriam ...
- 42.8k
2
votes
1
answer
81
views
Red Heifer Sprinkling and Missing a Day
Numbers 19 discusses administering of the Red Heifer's ashes by way of sprinkling water. People who become impure from contact with the dead must be sprinkled by the water on the third and seventh ...
- 8,210
2
votes
1
answer
113
views
Were Impure Vessels Sprinkled on the 3rd and 7th Days, or just once?
Numbers 19 discusses administering of the Red Heifer's ashes by way of sprinkling water. In verse 14, we see that vessels as well as humans can be impure from the dead. In verse 18, we see that ...
- 8,210
4
votes
1
answer
133
views
How Was the Red Heifer Water Administered in Israel?
Numbers 19 discusses administering of the Red Heifer's ashes by way of sprinkling water. From verses 11 through 21, it seems that impurity contracted by the dead is dispelled by sprinklings on the ...
- 8,210
3
votes
1
answer
83
views
How can a parah adumah be validated?
This question links to a post from the Temple Institute that mentions that a red heifer was born in Israel in 2002 and that a couple of rabbis had traveled to check the cow and verified that it was ...
- 24.7k
3
votes
2
answers
163
views
If a ger is like a newborn, are they tahor? Can they prepare the para aduma?
If a ger (convert) is considered like a newborn are they tahor? If this is the case then if we were able to find a red cow then shouldn't the ger be able to to prepare the para aduma? Normally the ...
- 4,313
8
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Dama ben Nesina and the red heifer
Kidushin 31a brings the story of Dama ben Nesina and his amazing Kibud Av V'Aim which cost him a huge fortune. He was rewarded for his amazing Kibud Av V'Aim by one of his cows giving birth to a red ...
- 139k
2
votes
2
answers
192
views
Why not dump the ashes of the para aduma into a huge body of water?
The way I understand it one of the reasons we no longer have the ashes of the para aduma to purify people is because they were used up. I'd like to know if it would have been theoretically possible ...
user5092
3
votes
1
answer
216
views
Why make the Kohen burning the Para Aduma rabbinically impure?
The Gemara says that we make the Kohen burning the Para Aduma (the red heifer) impure and then dip him in the Mikva.
The reason given is that there is an argument between the Rabbis and the Sadducees ...
- 40.3k
17
votes
2
answers
470
views
Why was the parah aduma found in 2002 disqualified?
In 2002, various news sources reported that a red heifer was found and the Temple Institute in Israel declared it kosher. Many of these sources later reported that the parah aduma was disqualified ...
- 24.7k
2
votes
2
answers
211
views
Why has the poro aduma no reason
Why has hashem given us a mitsva without a reason and one which is impossible to understand. All the others even the 'chukim' at least Solomon understood. This one even he didnt that shows it is ...
- 281
14
votes
3
answers
971
views
Would a genetically engineered red heifer be usable?
Assuming that a non-Jew chose to create a genetically engineered parah adumah (red heifer) and further assuming it met all the halachic requirements --no two black hairs, hadn't been used for work etc....
user2110
22
votes
4
answers
632
views
What is the source that Parshas Parah is from the Torah?
I have read in many places that Parah could be a biblical requirement to read.
Why is that? Zachor makes sense (as it says so in the Torah here). Why Parah?
3
votes
1
answer
122
views
Parah Adumah and Trefios
In Parshas Chukas it says they took out the Parah Adumah to Schecht(ritually slaughter) the Targum Yonsan says and they checked it for Treifos (illness or wounds that would render the animal un-...
- 33.1k