8
votes
Accepted
Why didn't the Greeks spoil Red heifer ashes?
Most of it wasn't kept in the Beis Hamikdash and the part that was in the Bais Hamikdash was kept in hidden places.
The Rambam in Hilchas Para Aduma Perek Gimmel says
אֵין מַכְנִיסִין כְּלוּם ...
- 4,359
7
votes
In Parshas Chukas, why is first mention of Parah Adumah "פָרָה" instead of "פָּרָה"?
Generally, when a word ends in a vowel sound, without a pausal cantillation note on that word, the first letter in the next word loses its dagesh. Usually, the rule is stated in terms of the previous ...
- 47.4k
6
votes
Accepted
How Was the Red Heifer Water Administered in Israel?
Maseches Parah 3:11 points out that the ashes of each of the parah adumah were divided into thirds. One went to the temple (the Cheil, next to the ezras nashim), another to storage in har hazeisim (...
- 5,114
6
votes
What is the source that Parshas Parah is from the Torah?
I think that Tosfos in Berachos 13a is the source for where the idea of Parshas Parah being d'oraisa stemmed from.
If you look at the Tosfos below, you'll see that Tosfos lists the Torah portions ...
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5
votes
Until when were the red heifer ashes still in use?
Sefer Hatteruma addresses this issue (closely imitated in Hilchot Erets Yisra'el attributed to the Tur). They bring a few examples that prove that the ashes of the red cow were still in use after the ...
- 23.9k
5
votes
Accepted
Why was it so important that the Kohen preparing the Parah Adumah be a tevul yom?
I heard an explanation in the name of Rav Shimshon Pinkus ZTL, as to why the Chachamim (sages) chose the Para Adumah as one of the places to discredit the opinion of the Tzedokim.
Based on RASHI ...
- 6,899
5
votes
Accepted
Were Impure Vessels Sprinkled on the 3rd and 7th Days, or just once?
Rambam Parah Adummah 11:1 (English)
כיצד מטהרין טמא מת במי נידה: לוקח אדם טהור שלושה קלחין של איזוב, ואוגדן אגודה אחת, ובכל בד ובד גבעול אחד. וטובל ראשי גבעולין במי נידה שבכלי, ומתכוון ומזה על האדם ...
- 96.3k
5
votes
Accepted
Why make the Kohen burning the Para Aduma rabbinically impure?
The Ritva asks this very question on Yuma daf 2a and answers it.
לפיכך בשעת שריפתה היו נוגעין בו כדי לטמאו: ואף על גב דטומאה זו אינה אלא מדרבנן הא אית בה הכירא לצדוקין שיודעין היו דלדידן טהרת ...
- 11.3k
5
votes
Accepted
The Shemen ha-Tov on the red heifer
The reference is to Rabbi Dov Ze'ev Weinberger's Shemen Hatov, Parashat Chukat, pp. 286-287 (in Hebrew). Here's the quote:
"זאת חקת התורה אשר צוה ה' לאמר וכו'. ברש"י לפי שהשטן ואומות העולם ...
- 23.7k
4
votes
Why was the parah aduma found in 2002 disqualified?
Since the link in Gershon Gold's answer no longer works and I have been unsuccessful at finding any other information online, I decided to email the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. This is a quote from ...
- 24.5k
4
votes
Accepted
Red heifer ashes
Rambam Parah Adumah 9:8 says that once the water has been mixed with the ashes, no further water can be added to further dilute the mixture. Once it has been made, an additional Parah Adumah is ...
- 42.7k
4
votes
The rite of the Red Heiffer and commentary by Moses Ben Maimon
Moses Ben Maimon discusses the laws of the red heifer in detail in his code of law, in the section “Laws of the Red Heifer”. In Guide for the Perplexed Part III he discusses the theological/...
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3
votes
Accepted
how much wood, dung, hyssop, and red string can be added to the red heifer fire?
The mishnah in Parah 4:4 says that you can keep adding wood until the cow turns to ash. The implication is that you can add as much as you want.
- 9,037
3
votes
Why was it so important that the Kohen preparing the Parah Adumah be a tevul yom?
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains in his commentary to Chukas that this command was chosen for the discrediting because it was such a public ceremony. The kohen was defiled deliberately before the ...
- 73.6k
3
votes
What do we learn from Miriam's demise being juxtaposed to the Red Heifer?
See Tanya Iggeres HaKodesh Epistle 28. As summaries in Lessons In Tanya:
To revert to the question concerning the juxtaposition of the two passages, the Alter Rebbe explains that an offering connoted ...
- 31.7k
3
votes
Accepted
What do we learn from Miriam's demise being juxtaposed to the Red Heifer?
According to R' Samson Raphael Hirsch's commentary on these sections of the Torah,1 the Red Heifer and the death of the righteous both accomplish the same spiritually educational mission: curing ...
- 47.4k
3
votes
Do modern-day Jews have waters of separation?
No such thing exists today for a few reasons
There would need to be a red hefer that does not have two consecutive non red hairs and has not had any type of burden placed on it or preformed any sort ...
- 4,121
3
votes
What do we learn from Miriam's demise being juxtaposed to the Red Heifer?
The Baal Haturim points out that Shom, there, is mentioned twice. Miriam died there and was buried there. The gematria of Shom is 300+40 = 340, the gematria of atones mechaper is 40+20+80+200 = 340.
...
- 31
3
votes
Is there מעילה on the para aduma and mei chatas? Was the para aduma hekdesh?
The Mishnah in Masechet Parah 4:4 states
“לעלם מועלים בה” that the parah is always subject to the issur of meilah. This is true until it is burnt to ash. See the Bartenura that states meila applies ...
- 655
2
votes
Accepted
Red Heifer Sprinkling and Missing a Day
Rambam Parah Adummah 11:2 (English)
מי שנטמא במת, ושהה כמה ימים בלא הזיה--כשיבוא להזות, מונה בפנינו שלושה ימים; ומזין עליו בשלישי ובשביעי, וטובל בשביעי ומעריב שמשו.
במה דברים אמורים, בעם הארץ שבא ...
- 96.3k
2
votes
Dama ben Nesina and the red heifer
Similar to the last answer but a little more. The parah adumah is called "Zos Chukas Hatorah" not "Chukas Haparah" to show that like all Mitzvohs in the Torah - they are not done ...
- 167
2
votes
Dama ben Nesina and the red heifer
To demonstrate that although we see good rational reasons for kibbud av, we still must treat it as a chok and show unconditional observance even when it may not seem logical. This may be why it is ...
- 21
2
votes
Why has the poro aduma no reason
The more philosophically-inclined rishonim apparently didn't think this commandment was not understandable. For instance, Rambam explains it in Guide for the Perplexed 3:47:
The red heifer is called ...
- 48.7k
2
votes
Where did the first parah adumah come from?
Perhaps the law only kicks in when it's given (i.e. at Marah and/or at Sinai) and is not retroactive, such that all red cows at the time of matan torah are eligible even if they worked the day before. ...
- 17.5k
2
votes
Where did the first parah adumah come from?
I remember an aggada in which a gentile sold a Para Aduma to the Sanhedrin and put a yoke on it just before he delivered it. The chachamim were able to tell that he had done so because it broke ...
- 42.7k
2
votes
What if you miss the time of the sprinkling?
if you miss days 3 and 7 ... are you tamei forever?
No. you need to count 3 days 3 to begin, the rule is to begin when you go to Cohen. this may by at day day 4, 5...
So day(2nd sprinkling) >= day(...
- 22.5k
2
votes
Why does the man who guards the Red Heifer defile his clothes?
It’s not to deter him from moving a limb. If he moves a limb, he is impure mideoraita.
We worry that perhaps the guard inadvertently moved a limb, rendering himself impure. Due to this worry, the ...
- 40.4k
2
votes
Is there מעילה on the para aduma and mei chatas? Was the para aduma hekdesh?
Is it possible that it's simply a communal process that was performed by a kohein but really wasn't part of kodshim?
That wouldn't be dependent on whether there is meila or not. Kodshim Kalim are not ...
- 4,359
1
vote
Is it only sheep that have a 30-day period between their periods of acceptability as a korban?
The Artscroll Yad Avraham commentary to this Mishna only discusses lambs and rams regarding this "indeterminate status". In addition, at no point in their commentary to the mishna in 1:1 (which ...
- 44.7k
1
vote
Parah Adumah water: different names used in the Torah ("mei niddah") and Chazal ("mei chatas")
Rashi Bamidbar 19.9
"למי נדה" - למי הזייה כמו (איכה ג) וידו אבן בי (זכריה ב) לידות את קרנות הגוים לשון זריקה
"חטאת הוא" - לשון חטוי כפשוטו ולפי הלכותיו קראה הכתוב חטאת לומר שהיא כקדשים להאסר ...
- 22.5k
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