Parshiyot Chukat-Balak - 5759

Of the various puzzling and paradoxical aspects of the "Parah Adumah," the "Red Heifer" (or the "Red Cow"), I would like to discuss the significance of the color red.

The Planet Mars was in the news recently, because of the incredible events taking place there, due to the American ingenuity involved in sending a robot explorer millions of miles from Earth, to actually land on the surface of the planet, take and transmit photographs and perform scientific experiments. Mars is known as the "Red Planet" (perhaps we'll find out the scientific explanation of this now), and has therefore long been a symbol of war, because red is the color of blood. When Pharaoh said to Moshe, "Behold an evil Heavenly Messenger rising against you," (Shemot 10:10) RASHI explains this as a reference to the planet of blood, presumably or possibly, a reference to Mars.

The greatest enemies of the Jewish People have been associated with the color red. At the birth of Esav "ha-rasha," "the wicked," the Torah describes his complexion as "admoni," "ruddy." When Yaakov prepares a meal of lentils, Esav, coming exhausted from the field, asks that Yaakov give him "min ha-adom, ha-adom ha-zeh," "from this very red food;" the Bible remarks that this is the reason Esav is called "Edom."

"Edom" is also the name associated with the nation that did and that has done the most damage to the Jewish People; namely, the Romans. In the "family tree" of Esav, they destroyed the Second Temple and, after their national conversion to Christianity, continued to persecute the Jews throughout their Exile and throughout the Ages, well into our own century. They have been on the whole the unworthy descendants of Esav about whom one opinion among the Sages states that "it is a 'Halachah l'Moshe MiSinai,' " "a law given unto Moshe at Sinai," that, with rare exceptions, "Esav soneh l'Yaakov," "Esav hates Yaakov." 

Yet, there were many conversions to Judaism at the time of the ascendancy of the early Roman Empire and, paradoxically, one of our greatest national heroes, "David Melech Yisrael," "David King of Israel," is also described as "ruddy, with fair eyes, and with a nice appearance." He brought into the Jewish People the finest characteristics of the Moabite People in the person of Ruth the Moabitess, who had learned the Jewish ideals of "tzeniut," "modesty," and "chesed," "kindness," until they sank "into her bones," from her mother-in-law, Naami.

Blood is forbidden to Jews to eat possibly because murder, the wanton spilling of blood, is a capital crime; neither is the blood of animals to be spilled lightly. The blood of the "chayah," the "undomesticated animal," and of the "of," the "bird," have to be covered after their slaughter. Reddish gold was the color of the "Egel Ha-Zahav," the "Golden Calf," the great sin against G-d in which the Jewish People added sexual immorality and murder to the basic betrayal of G-d represented by that sin.

Yet, red has a very different aspect. It is an intense, beautiful color, with a long wavelength placing it at the very opposite end of the spectrum from the blue of the heavens; namely, the color of earth. The Hebrew word for "earth" is "adama," from which "Original Man," "Adam Ha-Rishon," was created. Red is indeed the color of blood, but it is "blood, which is the basis of life."

It is the color of the setting sun, of beautiful flowers with which the "Tzayar Ha-Olamim," the "Artist of the Universe," filled the world, such as the "Chavaztelet Ha-Sharon," the Rose of Sharon," of "Shir Ha-Shirim," the "Song of Songs."

It was the color of some of the hides used to cover the "Mishkan," the "Holy Tabernacle," which preceded the Temple. It is the color of the blood which, when sprinkled in the Temple on the Day of Atonement, brought "Kapporah," "Atonement," to the Jewish People. And it is the color of the Red Heifer whose very essence is to atone for the Egel and for all manner of impurity attaching to individual Jews.

We are fortunate that a number of Red Heifers are currently being raised in Eretz Yisrael, in preparation for the Restoration of the Temple, may that blessed event come speedily, and in our time.

In the second of this week's Parshiyot, we find the Prophet Bilaam saying to the messengers sent by the Moabite King, Balak, to hire him to curse the Jewish People, "Linu Po Ha-Laylah," "Pass the night here." In Megillat Ruth, Boaz, the great Judge and Leader of Israel, says also to Ruth, the Moabite Princess-turned-pauper, "Lini Ha-Laylah," "Pass the night (here)."

What were the agendas of each of these two nights? Bilaam said to Balak's messengers, "And in the morning I will tell you what G-d said to me." His agenda was death and destruction for the Jewish People. He wanted to find out whether the G-d of Israel would cooperate in the destruction of His People. The agenda of Ruth and Boaz, on the other hand, was survival and redemption. Boaz said, "And behold in the morning, if Tov will redeem you, well and good; but if he refuses, I will then redeem you, I swear by G-d."

After being plainly commanded by G-d, "Do not go with them. Do not attempt to curse that People, for they are blessed," Bilaam dares to repeat his question to G-d the following night. He defies the commandment of G-d, driven by a boundless hatred of the Jewish People. "Sinah M'kalkelet et Ha-Shurah," "Hatred drives a person beyond the bounds of common sense."

After the death of her husband, Ruth aligns herself with Naami, who has decided to return to the Land of Israel. Though advised by Naami of the difficulties of the Jewish Religion, she embraces the commandments of the Torah, which constitute the life-style of the Jews, and professes ultimate loyalty to the Jewish People and to their G-d, "Amech Ami, Ve-Elokayich Elokai," "Your nation is my nation, and your G-d, my G-d." For love does also drive a person beyond the bounds of common sense;" "Ahavah M'kalkelet et Ha-Shurah."

By the Principle of "Midah K'neged Midah," "Measure for Measure," which is the Principle of Justice by which we believe that ultimately, G-d conducts the World, the "reward" of Bilaam was personal destruction and complete disgrace. This was for his evil desires with regard to his prophecy, and his evil effect with regard to his advice to Balak to bring the People of Israel down by means of immorality with the daughters of Midian. This, ironically, despite the inclusion of some of his prophesies in the Jewish Prayer Book, because of the sublimity of their blessing, since G-d converted his curses to blessings.

By the same Principle, "Measure for Measure," the reward of Ruth, the modest and devoted convert to Judaism, was Majesty and Eternity, for she became the great-grandmother of King David, the "neim zemirot Yisrael," the "sweet singer of Israel," about whom we sing, "David Melech Yisrael Chai V'Kayam!," "David, King of Israel, lives forever!"

Rabbi Pinchas Frankel

Rabbi Frankel is an Educational Coordinator at the OU