Chukat, Aliyah 2 חקת, שני

וחטאו ביום השביעי. הוּא גְמַר טָהֳרָתוֹ (עי' ספרי):

He shall purify him on the seventh day. This completes the purification.

ואיש אשר יטמא וגו'. אִם נֶאֱמַר מִקְדָּשׁ לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר מִשְׁכָּן? כו' כִּדְאִיתָא בִשְׁבוּעוֹת (דף ט"ז):

A person who became ritually unclean, etc. If “Mikdash” was said, why was “Mishkon” said?. . .etc., as stated in tractate Shevuos.

ומזה מי הנדה. רַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ שֶׁהַמַּזֶּה טָהוֹר, וְזֶה בָא לְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַנּוֹשֵׂא מֵי חַטָּאת טָמֵא טֻמְאָה חֲמוּרָה לְטַמֵּא בְגָדִים שֶׁעָלָיו, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בַּנּוֹגֵעַ, וְזֶה שֶׁהוֹצִיא בִּלְשׁוֹן "מַזֶּה", לוֹמַר לְךָ שֶׁאֵינָן מְטַמְּאִין עַד שֶׁיְּהֵא בָהֶן שִׁעוּר הַזָּאָה (נדה ט'):

One who sprinkles the sprinkling waters. The Rabbis say that the sprinkler is actually pure, and that this teaches that one who carries the purifying water becomes extremely defiled, so as to contaminate the garments he wears, unlike one who touches [the water]. The reason it is expressed as “the sprinkler” is to teach that they (the waters) do not defile unless they contain a sufficient amount for sprinkling.

והנגע, יטמא. וְאֵין טָעוּן כִּבּוּס בְּגָדִים:

One who touches, etc. shall remain unclean. But his garments do not require ritual washing.

וכל אשר יגע בו הטמא. הַזֶּה שֶׁנִּטְמָא בְּמֵת, יטמא:

Anything which the unclean person touches. [Which] this person who was defiled by a corpse [touches], shall become unclean.

והנפש הנגעת בּוֹ: בִּטְמֵא מֵת:

And anyone touching. Him, the one defiled by the corpse.

תטמא עד הערב. כָּאן לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהַמֵּת אֲבִי אֲבוֹת הַטֻּמְאָה, וְנוֹגֵעַ בּוֹ אַב הַטֻּמְאָה וּמְטַמֵּא אָדָם; זֶה פֵרוּשָׁהּ לְפִי מַשְׁמָעָהּ וְהִלְכוֹתֶיהָ. וּמִ"אַ הֶעְתַּקְתִּי מִיסוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן וְזֶהוּ:

Shall be ritually unclean until evening. Here we learn that a corpse is a “forefather” of defilement, and whoever touches it is the “father” of defilement, and defiles another person. This is the explanation according to its plain meaning and its halachic ramifications. Now I have transcribed the Midrash Aggadah from R’ Moshe Hadarshan’s basic commentary, as follows:

ויקחו אליך. מִשֶּׁלָּהֶם, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהֵם פֵּרְקוּ נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב לָעֵגֶל מִשֶּׁלָּהֶם, כָּךְ יָבִיאוּ זוֹ לְכַפָּרָה מִשֶּׁלָּהֶם: [רש"י בשם ר' משה הדרשן]

They shall take to you. From their own. Just as they removed the golden rings, for the [golden] calf, from their own, so shall they bring this from their own as atonement.

פרה אדמה. מָשָׁל לְבֶן שִׁפְחָה שֶׁטִּנֵּף פָּלָטִין שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ, אָמְרוּ תָּבֹא אִמּוֹ וּתְקַנֵּחַ הַצּוֹאָה, כָּךְ תָּבֹא פָרָה וּתְכַפֵּר עַל הָעֵגֶל (תנחומא): [רש"י בשם ר' משה הדרשן]

A red cow. This is compared to the child of a maidservant who sullied the king’s palace. They said, “let the child’s mother come and wipe away the filth.” Similarly, let the cow come and atone for the calf.

אדמה. עַל שֵׁם "אִם יַאְדִּימוּ כַתּוֹלָע" (ישעיהו א'), שֶׁהַחֵטְא קָרוּי אָדֹם: [רש"י בשם ר' משה הדרשן]

Red. To correspond with “If they [your sins] are as red as crimson. . .” Sin is described as red.

תמימה. עַל שֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהָיוּ תְמִימִים, וְנַעֲשׂוּ בוֹ בַּעֲלֵי מוּמִין, תָּבֹא זוֹ וּתְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם וְיַחְזְרוּ לְתַמּוּתָם: [רש"י בשם ר' משה הדרשן]

Perfect. To correspond with the Israelites, who were perfect, but then were blemished by it. This [offering] shall come and atone for them, and they will return to their perfection.

לא עלה עליה על. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁפָּרְקוּ מֵעֲלֵיהֶם עֹל שָׁמַיִם: [רש"י בשם ר' משה הדרשן]

Upon which no yoke was laid. Just as they discarded the yoke of Heaven.

אל אלעזר הכהן. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנִּקְהֲלוּ עַל אַהֲרֹן, שֶׁהוּא כֹּהֵן, לַעֲשׂוֹת הָעֵגֶל; וּלְפִי שֶׁאַהֲרֹן עָשָׂה אֶת הָעֵגֶל לֹא נִתְּנָה לוֹ עֲבוֹדָה זוֹ עַל יָדוֹ, שֶׁאֵין קַטֵּיגוֹר נַעֲשֶׂה סַנֵּיגוֹר: [רש"י בשם ר' משה הדרשן]

To Elozor the kohein. Just as they gathered against Aharon, the kohein, [and forced him] to construct the calf. And since Aharon constructed the calf, this service was not performed by him, for, the accuser cannot serve as the defender.

ושרף את הפרה. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנִּשְׂרַף הָעֵגֶל: [רש"י בשם ר' משה הדרשן]

[He] shall burn the cow. Just as the calf was burned.

עץ ארז ואזוב ושני תולעת. שְׁלֹשָׁה מִינִין הַלָּלוּ כְּנֶגֶד שְׁלֹשֶׁת אַלְפֵי אִישׁ שֶׁנָּפְלוּ בָעֵגֶל, וְאֶרֶז הוּא הַגָּבוֹהַּ מִכָּל הָאִילָנוֹת וְאֵזוֹב נָמוּךְ מִכֻּלָּם, סִימָן שֶׁהַגָּבוֹהַּ שֶׁנִּתְגָּאָה וְחָטָא יַשְׁפִּיל אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּאֵזוֹב וְתוֹלַעַת וְיִתְכַּפֵּר לוֹ: [רש"י בשם ר' משה הדרשן]

Cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson wool. These three species correspond with the three thousand men who perished because of the calf. The cedar is the loftiest of all trees, the hyssop the lowest of all, signifying that someone haughty who sinned with arrogance must humble himself like the hyssop and the worm to gain atonement.

למשמרת. כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֶּשַׁע הָעֵגֶל שָׁמוּר לְדוֹרוֹת לְפֻרְעָנוּת, וְאֵין לְךָ פְּקֻדָּה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ מִפְּקֻדַּת הָעֵגֶל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וּבְיוֹם פָּקְדִי וּפָקַדְתִּי" וְגוֹ' (שמות ל"ב), וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהָעֵגֶל מְטַמֵּא כָּל הָעוֹסְקִים בּוֹ, כָּךְ פָּרָה תְטַמֵּא כָּל הָעוֹסְקִין בּוֹ, וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁנִּטְהֲרוּ בְּאֶפְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיִּזֶר עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם" וְגוֹ' (שם), כָּךְ "וְלָקְחוּ לַטָּמֵא מֵעֲפַר שְׂרֵפַת הַחַטָּאת" וְגוֹ": [רש"י בשם ר' משה הדרשן]

A keepsake. Just as the transgression of the calf, which is preserved throughout the generations for punishment, as there is no reckoning which does not include an accounting for the calf, as it is said, “on the day of my reckoning, I will take into account . . . [the sin of the calf], And just as the calf defiled everyone involved with it, so does the parah defile everyone involved with it. Just as they were purified with its ashes, as it is said, “he scattered it on the water, etc.” so “they shall take, for the one defiled, from the dust of the burnt sin-offering, [and place, upon it, spring water.]

כל העדה. עֵדָה הַשְּׁלֵמָה, שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ מֵתֵי מִדְבָּר וְאֵלּוּ פֵרְשׁוּ לַחַיִּים:

The entire community. The entire, perfect community. Those who were to die in the desert had already perished, and these were set apart to live.

ותמת שם מרים. לָמָּה נִסְמְכָה פָרָשַׁת מִיתַת מִרְיָם לְפָרָשַׁת פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה? לוֹמַר לְךָ, מַה קָּרְבָּנוֹת מְכַפְּרִין, אַף מִיתַת צַדִּיקִים מְכַפֶּרֶת (מועד קטן כ"ח):

Miriam died there. Why is the portion concerning Miriam’s death adjacent to the portion of the parah adumah? To teach you that, just as the sacrifices bring atonement, so do the deaths of the righteous bring atonement.

ותמת שם מרים. אַף הִיא בִנְשִׁיקָה מֵתָה, וּמִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נֶאֱמַר בָּהּ "עַל פִּי ה'"? שֶׁאֵינוֹ דֶּרֶךְ כָּבוֹד שֶׁל מַעְלָה, וּבְאַהֲרֹן נֶאֱמַר "עַל פִּי ה'" בְּאֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי (במדבר ל"ג):

Miriam died there. She, too, died by the Divine kiss. Why, then, is it not said, concerning her, “by the mouth of God”? Because this would be lacking in reverence toward the Supreme Being. Concerning Aharon, however, it is said, “by the mouth of God,” in “these are the journeys.”

ולא היה מים לעדה. מִכָּאן שֶׁכָּל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה הָיָה לָהֶם הַבְּאֵר בִּזְכוּת מִרְיָם (תענית ט'):

The community had no water. From here [we derive] that all forty years they had the well in Miriam’s merit.

ולו גוענו. הַלְוַאי שֶׁגָּוַעְנוּ:

Would that we had died. We wish that we had died.

בגוע אחינו. בְּמִיתַת אַחֵינוּ בַּדֶּבֶר, לִמֵּד שֶׁמִּיתַת צָמָא מְגֻנָּה מִמֶּנָּה:

By our brothers’ death. By our brothers’ death from the plague, as death from thirst is more dreadful.

בגוע. שֵׁם דָּבָר הוּא, כְּמוֹ בְּמִיתַת אַחֵינוּ, וְלֹא יִתָּכֵן לְפָרְשׁוֹ כְּשֶׁמֵּתוּ אַחֵינוּ, שֶׁאִם כֵּן הָיָה לוֹ לִנָּקֵד בִּגְוֹעַ:

By . . . death. This is a noun, like בְּמִיתַת אַחֵינוּ, “by our brother’s death.” But it is incorrect to interpret this as “when our brothers died,” for, if so, the vocalization should have been בִּגְו‍ֹעַ .