Published March 04, 2010
This week, as every year, we review in maftir the Laws of Para Aduma (red heifer). The purpose is to prepare for individual purity which would allow each person to participate in the sacrifice of the Pesach offering, even if now we are currently impure. That ritual reminds us annually of the defining moment of national freedom and binds us again as a single unified nation under G-d.
The Haftara for Parshat Para is taken from Sefer Yechezkel. It also deals with impurity and the way to remedy it. The impurity dealt with, however, is a spiritual impurity not related to touching dead bodies or impure animals. The haftara deals with the impurity of the People of Israel and the Land of Israel, not the impurity of individuals.
The spiritual impurity of the People of Israel caused the land to become impure, which in turn caused the expulsion of Bnei Yisrael from its land. The dispersion of the Jewish People among the nations is seen as a desecration of G-d’s name. G-d decided to redeem his people in order to stop this disgrace of His Name - his people living in the Diaspora, outside of G-d’s holy land.
The plan for redemption is then set in place.
He will sanctify us by gathering us from all the countries and bring us to our land.
He will throw water upon us and purify us of all the defilement.
He will give us a new heart of flesh and not stone and a new spirit.
He then will help us keep his commandments.
We then accept the responsibility of settling the land and becoming his people.
First, groups of individuals return to the land. Then, the return to creativity and initiatives of a refounded nation, which acts in unity of purpose and rebuilding. Only then comes the acceptance of the purpose of nationhood - the mitzvot and moral leadership as the people of G-d. Only at the next stage do we inhabit the Land and receive the mantle of “G-d’s People” and He, the role of being our G-d.
The script is clear - we as individuals and as a people must stop the desecration of G-d’s name which is caused by living in the Diaspora.
We must accept the responsibility of peoplehood under the guidelines of the Torah, and then come together as a single nation, in the Land of our forefathers, promised to us by G-d as an inheritance and a heritage.
Am Yisrael, b’Eretz Yisrael, al pi Torat Yisrael.
Only here can we become a free nation, undivided, under G-d.
Akiva Werber, Project Director, Olim from English-speaking Countries, J’lem Municipality
TORAH THOUGHTS as contributed by Aloh Naaleh members for publication in the Orthodox Union’s ‘Torah Insights’, a weekly Torah publication on Parshat HaShavu’a
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