The prime example of a “chok”, a mitzvah we cannot understand is this week’s parsha of Parah Aduma (Bamidbar 19, 2). Why? Because not only is it difficult to understand, but it seems at first even illogical that the kohanim who were pure and help the impure person become pure, they themselves become impure through those very actions! The kabbalistic explanation is that all forms of tum’ah are a “lack of life”, while tahara is life. The Torah teaches us that we don’t believe in absolute death. Red symbolizes life, as does the adult female Parah (cow), as does the halacha that she should never have worn a yoke, that she was never even tired from work! But then she is slaughtered, and even burned and crushed to ashes, symbolizing (apparently) the epitome of death! But then the ashes are added to Mayim Chaim, flowing water, which as opposed to a mikveh (=stagnant water), symbolizes coming back to life, subsequently sprinkled on the tameh, and bringing him “back to life”. Even that which at first appears to be death, really brings life anew.
Like Rav Sa’adya Gaon depicts twins (=”womb-mates”!), discussing what happens “after life” in the womb, where we are then born into this world, and similarly upon death in this world, we are born into the world to come. “כל ישראל יש להם חלק לעולם הבא”. Hashem is called “מלך חפץ בחיים”, and accordingly his beloved Am Yisrael is also eternal. Only Amalek, which symbolizes סופיות, finality, is the direct opposite of נצח ישראל, the term used upon finishing off Agag king of Amalek (Shmuel I 15, 29 , see there that the term “The Eternal Israel” is actually referring to G-d, showing that His eternity is connected and expressed through the eternity of Israel). Haman celebrated when the Pur lot to obliterate Yisrael fell on Adar, the final month, where he thought he could end us, just as even Moshe Rabbenu died in Adar, but he didn’t know that Moshe was also born in Adar (into this world and the next). And even though one seemingly is born BEFORE he dies, the idea is that even when Jews die in this world, they never really die, and simply continue eternally into the next world.
Rav Kook explains that Kohanim are forbidden to contact death, for as opposed to other religions who mainly turn to the clergy before and during the process of death, we don’t want our holiest people to be associated in our minds with death, but rather life. Similarly he explains the kabbalistic custom that some women don’t enter the cemetery, for they are all like Kohanim, who should be preoccupied with conceiving and raising life, tahara, and not the opposite! Even though “death” is seemingly “part of life”, all of Yisrael are called ממלכת כהנים וגוי קדוש (Shmot 19, 6), likened to Kohanim, because Am Yisrael lives forever and is preoccupied with tahara, life, the Living Torah.
The past year has seen many enemies who, like Amalek, spoke of death to Israel, but they are the ones doomed to finality, to being obliterated, not Israel. They are to be hung on the poles they intended for us. This war is fittingly called “Am KaLavi”, a nation of lions rising from a 2,000 year slumber. Yes. we got surprisingly slapped on Oct. 7th, but after that initial staggering, Hamas has been “on the run” and hiding like mice in their tunnels. The Hizballa got “zetzed” and are still reeling from it. This enabled the Lion of Judah to shock the world and soundly defeating the regional anti-aircraft and Iranian nuclear plan which was meant for us! As opposed to 2,000 years of exile, where we just went from one exile to another, from one Tisha b’Av to the next, we are told that in the Geula process there will be temporary setbacks, but they are just a “ירידה לצורך עלייה”. Just like we bend our knees down in order to jump to a higher stage, and the lower one presses a spring the higher it will rise, we were told from the start that the occasional setbacks we see will always be a preparation for the next advancement in the Geula process (Vilna Gaon, Kol HaTor 1, 13, Rav Kook, Ma’amarei HaReiya, p. 360).
One thing is always certain, Am Yisrael Chai, and even if chalila a soldier or hostage may occasionally die, the Eternity of Israel is back and kicking, and on central stage of the world, and should not be messed with! 🇮🇱 Shabbat Shalom! Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)