All right, I admit it. I went for an attention grabbing headline. I don't know why; I know that a lot of people read the lead tidbit each week. As long as you asked... there is a minhag - don't know where it originated - to serve an extra kugel on Shabbat when we take out a second Sefer Torah. And to have three kugels when we read from three Torahs. This, of course, assumes that you have kugel every Shabbat. Which is a common minhag in many homes. It is based on the fact that the G'matriya of kugel is the same as that of Shabbat. It isn't, you say? Kugel is less than Shabbat. So have another piece of kugel.

Old line. Will work with most Shabbat delicacies, but kugel is the original. Okay, le't get serious. (Blame the recent holiday of Purim for the tone of the opening paragraph.) Look at the interesting contrast between the opening portion of Parshat Tzav and the Maftir of Para.

Trumat HaDeshen, the disposal of the ashes from the fire of the Mizbei'ach was the first task of the day in the Beit HaMikdash. It was performed pre-sunrise, so that the first daily sacrifice could be offered with the rising of the sun. The task was performed by a young kohein, wearing the regular four garments of a kohein hedyot. He "lifted" the ash from the fires and piled near the ramp of the Mizbei'ach on its eastern side. He then changed into garments of lesser quality and value and removed the ash from the Beit HaMikdash area to a "ritually clean" place outside the camp. (The "special" garments for carrying out the ash were "kosher" for service in the Mikdash - they must be. But, as Rashi puts it - the servant does not where the same clothes when he is cooking for his master as he does when he serves his master wine.)

On the other hand, the Para Aduma is prepared outside the Mikdash area in the first place. The responsibility for this mitzva is usually taken by the Kohein Gadol (who wears only the four garments of a regular kohein) or his assistant. the ash is not discarded - the ash is the goal of the whole preparation of the Para. It is collected from the burning area and also placed in a "clean" place outside the camp, but no to discard it - to use it to make the Potion that will help purify those who are ritually defiled from coming into contact with a dead body.

Ash is the "waste product" of the sacred service in the Mikdash, while it is the desired end-product of the Para Aduma. Maybe the point is that we are dealing with elements that belong to the "go figure" category of mitzva, known as CHUKIM. Para Aduma is certainly one of those. So are Korbanot. This doesn't mean that we can't figure out reasons and symbolisms and the significance of certain facets of these mitzvot, but the bottom line is that we are dealing with Divine commands that don't have to fit our logic system. We do not do mitzvot because they make sense to us - even the ones that do. We do mitzvot because G-d commanded us, He is our G-d, and we are His People. When we have these two kugels side by side, our thoughts can wander to these topics.

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