There are lessons in Parashat Para that connect both to Emunah and to the passing of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, zl.
The pasuk in Bamidbar (perek kaf) says that the Jewish people to came to the Midbar Sin, where Miriam died and was buried, and right before this, it discusses Para Adumah/ The Red Heiffer.
Rashi asks what the connection is, between the passing of Miriam and the Para Adumah.
He says that it’s in order to teach us that just like the the Para Adumah brings atonement, so too, the death of Sadikim brings atonement. So Miriam’s passing was like a Para Adumah of sorts.
But how exactly does the passing of Sadikim compare to the Para Adumah?
One of the explanations our rabbis give is that just like the Para Adumah is something that we don’t understand, so too, we don’t understand why it is that great people pass away-people that should have lived longer, or that didn’t seem to have sins.
I saw a beautiful thought on this, in the sefer Panim Yafot Al HaTorah, which says that the Gemara in Masechet Megilah says,
“When a righteous man passes away, it’s the loss of his generation, because the Sadik protected them. As long as he was around, there was a bounty of goodness that came to the whole generation, like it says. “The whole world is satiated because of Rav Hanina ben Dosa.”
So too, in every generation.
And aside from bringing parnassa to the generation, the Sadik also brings tremendous kedusha to the people that want to become holier.
On the other hand, the passing of a Sadik protects the wicked people. The Zohar says that when a great Sadik passes away it brings kapara and saves the people from evil events that might have happened.
This is a seeming contradiction.
So too, with the Para Adumah and its famous oxymoron. The Kohen that is involved in the service starts off pure but becomes contaminated, and the man that was contaminated from the dead after the service becomes pure.
So one man gets worse from it, and one gets better.
Similarly, with Mitat Sadikim/ the passing of Sadikim: For those that were very close to him, it’s a great loss. But those that might have been more distanced from him benefit in a way, because they are being protected through the kapara that comes about through his death. It’s a bittersweet kapara with two aspects.
And it’s no coincidence that a great Adam Gadol passed away at this time of year. This loss has a tremendous impact on the world.
To the people that ask, “The person was old. Why are we crying? What’s the kapara?” They say that this one of the reasons why the lesson of Mitat Sadikim comes from Miriam. Miriam was at the end of her life. She had to die eventually. But even so, it brought a kapara.
There is yet another commonality between the Para Adumah and Mitat Sadikim:
Para Adumah is about Teshuva, in that the purification of Para Adumah is the purification of the sin of the Golden Calf.
The Para, the mother cow has to clean up the dirt of the baby cow.
The greatest events that happen, such as Yom Kippur and Korbanot require Teshuva.
Nothing happens without a person looking into his deeds and trying to get better.
Similarly, when a Sadik passes away, our job is to arouse ourselves in Teshuva. This has been the theme of our entire week.
B’ezrat Hashem, we will take advantage of all the things people are doing, of people being aroused and inspired, and commit ourselves to do something the great Sadik did.
The Yaarot Devash says that when a great Sadik passes away, his character traits are available for the public to take, so we have an opportunity. Rav Kanievsky was a tremendous matmid/ constantly learning, and he was also a tremendous Baal Chesed. These are things that we can be impacted by.
B’ezrat Hashem, we will bring ourselves to do Teshuva, with all the benefits that come with it.
Have a Shabbat Shalom.