Parashat Hukat begins with the command of the Para Aduma, the red cow which was slaughtered and then burned into ashes. These ashes were mixed with water that would be used to purify people and objects that had become impure through contact with a human corpse.
The Torah introduces this Misva with the words “Zot Hukat Ha’Torah” – “This is the statute of the Torah.” Curiously, the Torah does not write, “This is the statute of the red heifer,” or “This is the statute of impurity and purification,” but rather, “This is the statute of the Torah.” Why is the law of the Para Aduma referred to as “Hukat Ha’Torah”?
The Or Ha’haim Ha’kadosh (Rav Haim Ben-Attar, 1696-1743) explains this introductory verse by noting the Halacha established by the Gemara (Nazir 61b), and codified by the Rambam (Hilchot Tum’at Met, chapter 1), that the status of Tum’a (impurity) is unique to Am Yisrael. A gentile who touches a corpse, or is under the same roof as a corpse, is not Halachically affected in any way. Although a human corpse generates Tum’a, it is only Am Yisrael that can be affected and rendered Tameh (impure) through contact with a corpse. The reason, the Or Ha’haim explains, is that Am Yisrael received the Torah, through which we became sacred. The forces of impurity are attracted to sources of sanctity because they can thereby “feed” off the Kedusha to sustain themselves. Therefore, these forces are attracted specifically to the Jewish Nation, which stood at Mount Sinai and received the Torah, thereby becoming sacred.
The Or Ha’haim draws an analogy to the situation of two containers that are placed outside – one filled with sweet honey, and the other filled with dirt and refuse. The one filled with honey quickly attracts countless flies and insects, whereas only a few creatures are drawn to the container filled with trash. Similarly, the Or Ha’haim writes, our acceptance of the Torah makes us susceptible to the forces of impurity, and for this reason, only we can attain the status of Tum’a through contact with a human corpse.
The Or Ha’haim explains on this basis the phrase, “Zot Hukat Ha’Torah.” It means that the laws of Tum’a are a function of the Torah, a consequence of our having accepted the Torah, whereby we became a special, sacred people, a status which makes us susceptible to impurity.
The Or Ha’haim adds that this answers the question of why Hashem did not command Beneh Yisrael to purify themselves before offering the Korban Pesach in Egypt on the night of the Exodus. In preparation for this sacrifice, G-d issued two commands relevant to this offering: the law excluding from this sacrifice men who had not received a Berit Mila, and the exclusion of idolaters. However, G-d did not present the rule that those who are Tameh may not bring the sacrifice, a rule which applies to all sacrifices. Beneh Yisrael were not required to undergo purification before offering the Korban Pesach in Egypt. The reason, the Or Ha’haim explains, is that there was no Tum’a before Matan Torah. It was only after our ancestors received the Torah at Sinai that they rose to the level where they were susceptible to ritual impurity.
The practical lesson for is that our unique status of Kedusha makes us spiritually vulnerable. Specifically because we have committed ourselves to Torah, a commitment which infuses us with holiness, we are fragile, and can be tarnished through exposure to Tum’a. We must be cognizant of the special status of Kedusha that we have attained through our dedication to Misvot, and understand the great responsibility that comes with this status, the obligation to carefully and vigilantly protect our souls from contamination.