09 Jul PARASHAT HUKAT: THE UNIQUE RESPONSIBILITY OF KEDUSHA

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 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 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.