Comentários de Citação sobre Números 19:2

It is a mitzvah to fulfill the commandment of the Red Heifer as it is written: "They shall take to you a red heifer..." (Numbers 19:2). The commandment of the Red Heifer is that it should be a female, three or four years old. And if it is older, it is still valid according to the Sages, as stated in Tractate Parah, where it is said that it can be either three or four years old. Since it is called a calf (עגלה), and a calf is two years old, as it is written: "A heifer of the cattle" (עגלת בקר), the Red Heifer can be three or four years old. As we say in the first chapter of the Mishnah in Parah, that a bull (פר בן בקר) is three years old, and even if it is two years old, it is not called a bull (פר בן בקר) unless it is at least three years old. Therefore, if the Red Heifer is four years old, it is also valid, and if it is older, it is still valid, as stated in the first chapter of Parah. And one does not take a calf and raise it, as it is written: "They shall take to you a heifer" (פרה), and not a calf (עגלה), as we derive from the Sifri Zuta. And this is what is stated in the Torah: "Without blemish" (תמימה תמימת), meaning without blemish of its stature, as we derive from the Sifri Parah. "I hear 'black' and 'white'" (שחורה ולבנה אני שומע), it is taught to say "a red heifer" (אדומה תמימה), meaning completely red, without blemishes. When it says "which has no blemish" (אשר אין בה מום), it includes cases of blemishes. But what does the Torah teach us by saying "without blemish"? It is to teach us to be completely without blemishes. And it is tested as valid, as we learn in the Mishnah in the second chapter and as we learn in the Mishnah in the chapter of blemishes: These are the laws regarding firstborns - those that are tested are disqualified in humans but valid in animals. If it had two black or white hairs within one patch, it is disqualified, as stated in the first Tanna of Rabbi Yehuda in the second chapter of Parah. And we also learn there: If there were two hairs within two cups and they touch each other and lean against each other, it is disqualified. The reason is that it is not completely without blemish in its stature, since the two black or white hairs are adjacent and thus visible. If its testicles are reddish and its head is black, or vice versa, everything depends on the main color, according to the Sages who disagree with Rabbi Meir in the Mishnah, who said that everything depends on the appearance, meaning the head color. But the Sages hold that it is not considered completely red unless its main color is red, and even if its head is shaven, it is not disqualified from being used for the sprinkling in the Temple, as it is only prohibited rabbinically to shave it. But in the case of the Red Heifer, which is rare, they did not decree such a prohibition, as it is stated in the Tosefta in the book of Numbers. And one does not need to be concerned about shaving it. And it is necessary that there remains a portion of the reddish color so that it can be plucked with a pair of hairs, as any hair that cannot be plucked with a pair is considered as if it is not there, as stated in the Mishnah in the chapter of Niddah. Therefore, if the two hairs are white or black and they cannot be plucked together as a pair, it is valid, as it does not disqualify two hairs unless they are long enough to be plucked together, as stated. If its horns or forehead are black, they should be cut off, as stated in the Mishnah in the second chapter of Parah and in the chapter of blemishes. "Za'iri" translates it as "the upper part of the male reproductive organ" that has two or three finger-like extensions that have no male reproductive function. If the black hairs do not reach the location of these extensions, they should be cut off. However, if they extend beyond this point, it disqualifies it. This is also taught in the Sifri and in the Tosefta. The eye, teeth, and tongue do not disqualify based on appearance, as stated in the Sifrei. If the pupil of the eye of the red heifer turns black, it is valid if its appearance is similar to the rest of the heifer. If not, it is disqualified. The reason is that they should not resemble the horns and extensions that require cutting, as mentioned earlier. Alternatively, it may be because the horns have a visible change in their appearance, unlike the eye, tongue, and teeth. If it has a growth or was cut, according to the Mishnah in the second chapter, Rabbi Yehuda disqualifies it, while Rabbi Shimon says that as long as a red hair was plucked from the place where the growth was removed, it is valid. This implies that according to Rabbi Yehuda, even if a red hair grows in the place where the growth was cut, it is disqualified. This is explained by the commentary of the Rabbeinu Avraham ben David (Ravad), who states that the reason is that it does not exhibit complete redness but rather has flawed red hair.

ענוגה Tender. It is an adjective similar in form to אדומה red (Num. 19:2)

The Holy One wrote hukat, because it is a law and a command from God to keep. Some sages say that the red heifer was commanded by God so that it should be expiation for the Golden Calf that they made in the wilderness. It is a parable. The son of a maid made himself unclean in the palace of the king. The king has the mother called that she should clean up the child that has made himself unclean. In this way the cow should come and should be expiation for its child. This is the Golden Calf. Since they made the Golden Calf, and all of Israel gave their earrings and nosebands, out of silver and gold, to make the Golden Calf, therefore, all of Israel has to give money to make a red heifer. The red heifer was red because Israel committed a sin with the Golden Calf and sins are red. It was completely red, because Israel was this, completely whole and without blemish. When they made the Golden Calf, they became blemished in their souls, and with the red heifer they again became whole. Therefore, Eleazar the priest dealt with the red heifer, since all of Israel had gathered around Aaron the priest to make the Golden Calf. Since Aaron had made the Golden Calf, he did not prepare the red heifer, but his son Eleazar. The red heifer was burned, just like the Golden Calf had been burned. They took a stick of acacia wood, a red silk thread and an herb called hyssop. These three were for the three thousand men who died in the sin of the Golden Calf. The acacia tree is the tallest tree of all trees. The person who commits the sins comes to hold himself high and is arrogant. Therefore, he has to hold himself humble and lowly. The ashes were kept forever, just as the sin of the Golden Calf is eternal, because it was a foreign god. The Holy One pays Israel for this sin in all generations. Just as the Golden Calf made Israel impure, so too the one who prepared the red heifer had to become impure. Just as the Golden Calf was burned and the ashes were spread on the water, the same was done with the red heifer. King Solomon said about the red heifer. I thought that I was very wise, but I cannot understand the wisdom of the red heifer. Even though Scripture wrote about King Solomon that he was wiser than the ancients whose wisdom was from the constellations in heaven, and did clever things with the birds that fly in the heaven. He was wiser than the Egyptians and their wisdom. King Solomon wanted to build the Temple. King Solomon sent to the king of Egypt that he should send him workmen who knew how to build walls. What did the king of Egypt do? He gathered all of his astrologers and they saw which people were supposed to die in that year, and he sent them to King Solomon. As soon as King Solomon saw them coming, he said that these were all dead people. He saw this prophetically and had shrouds made for them, and sent them back to the king of Egypt. He sent a message; did you not have enough shrouds to bury them? He was smarter than Adam. When the Holy One wanted to create humanity, he first consulted the angels. The angels said: what good is this sinful person? The Holy One answered: he is smarter than you are. The Holy One assembled all the domestic and wild animals, and the birds. The Holy One asked the angels: what should we call the creatures? They did not know how to respond. Then he created the person and asked him what they should be called. He gave each one a name and this pleased the Holy One very much. The Holy One asked him, what should you be called? He responded: my name should be Adam, because I was created from the earth. The Holy One responded: what should My name be? He responded: Adonai, since You are the Lord of the whole universe and all the worlds. King Solomon was smarter than Abraham Our Father, Moses Our Teacher, and more than the righteous Joseph. When Joseph was supposed to become a king, they had seventy letters written in seventy languages, and he could read and understand them all, including Hebrew, which the Egyptians could not understand, and Joseph understood them all. The Egyptians had seen that he was not the king, but the Holy One had sent Gabriel and he had taught Joseph the seventy languages. King Solomon was smarter than all of them and yet he could not understand the reason for the red heifer.¹Bahya, Numbers, 19:2.

A blemish disqualifies it - as is written regarding the red heifer, "in which there is no defect" [Numbers 19:2].