Reconciling Opposites

Parah Adumah Helps Us Understand the Current Situation in Eretz

Yisroel
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
The following was written by Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis based on a drasha given by
Rav Moshe Sternbuch, Rosh Av Beis Din of the Eidah Hachareidis of Yerushalayim.
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UTILIZING ARROGANCE
Parah adumah is the chok of the Torah, for it simultaneously purifies the impure and
makes the pure impure. While even Shlomo Hamelech could not fathom the full depths of this
seemingly contradictory functioning, this mitzvah alludes to very deep concepts that even we can
appreciate.
In the application of the parah adumah, we find more opposites. The parah was first
burned and mixed with water, and then applied with the branches of a cedar tree (erez), hyssop
(ezov), and scarlet (tolas). The cedar tree is the tallest of all plants and hints to the attribute of
gaavah, haughtiness, while hyssop and scarlet are from the smallest of shrubs and are
reminiscent of anavah, humility.
Arrogance is extremely harmful, and is generally considered to be one of the worst
middos. However, in certain situations, there is a place for it, and it can be harnessed for the
good. If used properly, it can help elevate a person to the highest levels.
When a person starts learning Torah, there is a massive amount of knowledge in front of
him, but he knows almost nothing. Looking objectively at his own talents versus the challenges
that lie ahead of him could cause him to drop the whole endeavor and give up. At this point, a
person is allowed to feel a certain amount of haughtiness, for this can act as an impetus to push
him to become a gadol baTorah.
Once a person has acquired a certain amount of Torah knowledge and recognizes what it
means to be a talmid chochom, he should try to reverse his feelings. At this point, he should
work on humility and recognize how miniscule he is vis-à-vis his Creator and the rest of the
Torah that lies in front of him. This attitude will give him more siyata diShmaya and help him
achieve much higher levels of Torah understanding.
Using the above concepts, the Baal Shem Tov explained what is hinted to in the
seemingly contradictory nature of parah adumah. Arrogance has the power to purify the impure
at the beginning of their endeavor to become a talmid chochom. Overestimating one's abilities
will save a person from the feeling of despair that he will never achieve anything.
However, once a person has reached a level of understanding regarding what Torah is
really meant to be - once he has attained some purity - then haughtiness becomes a dangerous
attribute. At this point, the very same attribute that he initially used to elevate himself in his
Torah learning - to purify the impure - can now cause him to become impure and to plummet to
the lowest depths. He should try to swing to the opposite extreme and work on humility.
DANGER OR PROTECTION
We can understand the seemingly contradictory nature of the parah adumah in another
light. Chazal reveal that Torah can be a sam hachaim, an elixir of life, or a sam hamovess, a
deadly poison. When a person recognizes that Torah is the word of Hashem, and he uses his
learning to bring himself closer to his Creator, then Torah has life-giving qualities. Even
someone who is currently considered impure, as a result of transgressions, can be elevated to the
highest level.
However, if a person learns Torah as he would any other wisdom, Torah becomes
extremely dangerous. A person can use his knowledge to embarrass others and transgress in
various ways. Even a tzaddik can become impure as a result of learning Torah with corrupt
intentions.
Based on this, we can understand another difficult parsha of the Torah. Chazal tell us
that when Yisro offered Moshe Rabbeinu the chance to marry his daughter Tziporah, he made a
stipulation that their first child should become a priest to idol worship. After Yisro gave up a life
of idolatry, how could he request that his grandchildren follow the same path that he abandoned?
Yisro recognized the danger of learning Torah for the wrong reasons. He felt that one
should first try and grasp the futility of all other paths. Once a person comes to the understanding
that all other ways are wrong and that Torah is the way to properly live one’s life, then he could
embark on learning Torah with the correct attitude without running the risk of it being a sam
hamovess.
Although Yisro was correct in his perception of learning Torah for the right reasons, his
methodology was mistaken. First, a person must internalize “ain k'Elokeinu” - that there is no
other power in the world aside from the Almighty - and only then can he grasp “mi k'Elokeinu,”
the deeper understanding of His existence. A person who starts off his search for truth by trying
to negate all of the mistaken ideologies that exist in the world might be drawn after them in the
process and wind up actually more distanced from Torah.
DIFFICULT QUESTIONS
People who follow Yisro’s ideology and have not completely internalized “ein
k'Elokeinu” might ask, “Where was the Almighty during the Holocaust? How could He stand by
silently during the slaughter of millions of Jews, including women, children and cripples?” These
and other similar questions plague them and do not allow them to achieve complete emunah.
“His [the Almighty's] thoughts are not ours.” His thoughts are not on the same plane as
ours, and we cannot hope to fathom the depth of His intentions. We must realize that just as we
cannot comprehend the parah adumah, we cannot achieve a complete understanding of
Hashem's ways in this world.
The Chofetz Chaim compares this to an out-of-town guest who comes to shul for
Shabbos. He sees aliyos being handed out, and at first glance, he thinks it is random and
concludes that there is no reasoning behind this allotment. Why is a simple person receiving an
aliyah, while an esteemed rov is not honored?
The Chofetz Chaim explains that the confused guest does not realize the broader
spectrum of what is going on in that shul. Next week, the rov is making a bar mitzvah for his son
and will receive an aliyah then. The simple person has not been called up to the Torah in the past
six months and is therefore getting an aliyah this Shabbos.
So, too, explains the Chofetz Chaim, we are not in touch with the full gamut of what is
taking place in this world. We see life through our narrow perspective, but in truth, the picture is
much broader. Only by accustoming ourselves to recognize the limitation of our vision can we
hope to come to terms with life as we see it.
ERETZ YISROEL
In our days, we must also reconcile opposites and deal with difficult questions of
emunah. Jews come to Eretz Yisrael to seek out a life of kedushah vetaharah, and to try to give
their children the best possible chinuch of how a Jew should live his life. They are willing to live
simply in order to be able to serve Hashem in His home.
In the midst of this mesirus nefesh, they find that they are thwarted by the secular
government in achieving their goals. Last week, forty-three parents from Moshav Emmanuel
were thrown in jail because they desired a higher level of chinuch for their children. The secular
court system justified this verdict, claiming that halacha and the words of gedolei Torah must
bow in the face of their ruling.
In another incident, Rav Sternbuch was violently attacked by police officers who shot gas
directly in the rov’s face. The rov could not see for ten minutes and needed medical attention
even afterward, but, bechasdei Hashem, no lasting damage was caused. How can we understand
why in Eretz Yisroel, in the palace of the King, such atrocities take place?
Rav Mordechai Pogromansky said that right before the coming of Moshiach, the final
nisyonos will be regarding Eretz Yisroel. The Almighty will test whether the Jews living there
are completely given over to His will. Those who successfully overcome these challenges and
are faithful to Him will merit redemption.
Hashem’s eyes are not on those misguided individuals who are imposing these
restrictions. Rather, His eyes are focused on how we will strengthen ourselves under this
persecution and use these incidents to solidify our emunah.. May we see the implementation of
the true Torah leadership in Eretz Yisroel quickly.
•••••
Rabbi Travis is a rosh kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim, and is the author of
Shaylos U'Teshuvos Toras Chaim and "Praying With Joy - A Daily Tefilla Companion," a
practical daily guide to improving one's prayers, available from Feldheim Publishers. Rav
Shternbuch’s weekly shiurim on the parsha, compiled and edited by Rabbi Travis, are now
available as a sefer titled “A Voice in the Darkness.” For more information about his work,
contact dytravis@actcom.com.
TEASER

The secular court system justified this verdict, claiming that halacha and the words of gedolei
Torah must bow in the face of their ruling.