As Heard From Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT”L

“Everyone that comes into the tent, and everything in the tent shall be unclean seven days.” (19:14)

The enormous impression created by death is especially powerful upon the minds of those who are in the same tent. Therefore, they become defiled by the phenomenon of death which contaminates the mind with the materialistic attitude that death is the end. If Life ends so completely, it loses its value. For why strive for excellence and virtue if it all ends in the grave?

Therefore the ashes of the red heifer, mixed with “living water,” are sprinkled on the unclean to purify them. The perfectly red heifer is a rarity and is therefore extremely costly (Kiddushin 31A), yet only after being slaughtered and burned into ashes does it gain the power to purify.

So also is a Jewish life the most precious of all creations in the Universe. Yet it is only after being subjected to death and becoming “dust and ashes” (Beresheet 18:27) that it achieves its great purpose of existence in the Afterlife.

“And the clean man shall sprinkle upon the unclean one.” (19:19) This symbolizes the process of achieving purification. The “living waters” of Torah truths must be sprinkled upon the minds of men that seek purification and this sprinkling should be done by “the clean man” who has been purified by Hashem’s teachings and is capable of purifying others.

By dint of repeatedly hearkening (”on the third day, and on the seventh day”) to the Torah teachers, men become purified from flaws of character and from errors. Thus they become ready for the final purification when they shall be worthy of appearing before Hashem. Similarly, the Cohen Gadol must first atone “for himself and for his own house” (Vayikra 16:17)
and afterward he atones “for all the congregation of Israel.” (ibid.)

Quoted from “Journey Into Greatness” by Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT”L

Shabbat Shalom

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