This week is Parashat Para.
The question is asked-how can it be that it says,
VeAhavta LeRe’echa Kamocha, Zeh Klal Gadol B’Torah/ Every Mitzvah in the Torah traces back to loving your friend like you love yourself.
How does the purification process of sprinkling ashes of the Para Adumah/Red Heifer connect to VeAhavta LeRe’echa Kamocha?
One of the rabbis answers that one of the idiosyncrasies of the Para Adumah is the fact that the Kohen, who is involved in the process, starts off pure, and becomes impure, whereas the person that walked in impure becomes pure.
(Incidentally, the Kohen’s impurity only lasts for one day, whereas the other fellow has a 7 day period of Tumah)
So the Kohen is willing to cause himself to become impure, in order to save his fellow brother, who needs to be purified. This is a classic case of VeAhavta LeRe’echa Kamocha. The Kohen takes the hit for his fellow Jew
There is another connection though, as Rav Chaim Palagi says, in the name of the Sefer Maaseh Sedaka (pg 128a, letter 41)
והיתה לכם לחוקת עולם, שענין פרה נוהגת לעולם ועד, בין בדיבור בין במעשה, הדיבור הוא לקרות פרשת פרה בציבור, והיא מצות עשה לקצת פוסקים, והמעשה שלם יהיה על ידי מצות הצדקה בערב שבת זו
Parah Aduma is everlasting mitzvah.
How so?
Firstly by reading it in shul ( as we do this week), and secondly by the action of giving Sedaka this Friday.
Furthermore, Rav Chaim Palagi says,
ואין דבר המטהר את האדם מן הקליפות שהם אבי אבות הטומאה דרגא דמותא, כמו מעשה הצדקה, כי אין עבירה מכבה מצות הצדקה, כמו שאין מכבה את התורה, ועל ידי זה הוא זוכה לפתוח את שער החמשים של חמשים שערי בינה. שבא משם הגאולה, עד כאן לשונו
There is nothing that purifies a person from these imperfections which are the sources of the worst possible Tumah (worthy of death) like giving charity.
When you do an Averah/sin, it does not extinguish the Mitzvah of Sedaka, whereas averot can temporarily extinguish other Mitzvot.
This is the power of Sedaka, which brings purification to this very day.
The Chida says that the Mitzvah of tzedaka opens up the gates of understanding, and is the source of the future Geulah.
Even in our times, without a Parah Aduma, we have a replacement: Tzedakah Tatzil MiMavet/ Sedaka saves one from death.
When you give Sedaka, the letter צ Sadi drops into the word מות/Mavet/death, and turns it into מצוות Mitzvot. That is the power of Sedaka.
Of course, there are many great causes, but at this time of the year, I am personally pushing Sedaka for Lev Chana, an organization that gives out clothing cards to families in need.
If you haven’t already done so, you can write a check made out to Lev Chana,
and mail it to
Lev Chana
c/o Rabbi David Sutton
1059 E. 10th St.
Brooklyn, NY, 11230.
To be billed, email me directly at rabbisutton@gmail.com
For Quickpay, use
rabbisutton@gmail.com
Or click on this link:
https://www.rayze.it/levchana/
JFC link:
https://jcfny.donorfirst.org/node/add/grant?orgid=1348332
Tizku lemitzvot
Have a wonderful day and a Shabbat Shalom.