THIS IS THE STATUTE. This chapter was also¹ stated at Sinai. It was given when God commanded that they put out of the camp…whosoever is unclean by the dead (Num. 5:2). There were also people who were unclean by coming into contact with a dead body when Passover² arrived (Num. 9:6). This chapter is placed here³ because it relates to the kohen.⁴ played a major role in the ritual of the red heifer.

footnotes: ¹ Like the incident of Korah. See I.E. on Num 16:1. ² Celebrated by Israel in the second year after the Exodus. ³ Following the laws dealing with the tithes. ⁴ The kohen

A RED HEIFER, FAULTLESS. The heifer is not to be small.⁵ (cow), not of an eglah (heifer). The Gaon⁶ says that the water of sprinkling (v. 13)⁷ is similar to honey, which is injurious to the one who has red bile⁸ but stimulates the one who has phlegm.⁹ However, there is no need for this interpretation.

footnotes: ⁵ For the Bible speaks of a parah ⁶ Rabbi Saadiah Gaon. ⁷ Which cleansed the unclean but made the clean unclean. ⁸ In medieval medicine red bile was believed to cause a volatile nature. See I.E. on Ex. 23:25 (Vol. 2, p. 516). ⁹ An excess of phlegm. This causes a phlegmatic nature.

AND SHE SHALL BE BROUGHT FORTH. Someone shall bring her forth.¹⁰ is: and he shall bring her forth. However, since Eleazar did not actually slaughter the cow, I.E. believes that he did not bring it out. Hence his comment. Or it means he shall have her brought forth by his command.¹¹ The same applies to ve-shachat (and she shall be slain),¹² for Eleazar did not slaughter the heifer. The word le-fanav (before his face) proves the latter.¹³

footnotes: ¹⁰ The literal meaning of ve-hotzi otah ¹¹ In other words, it means he shall command that it be brought out. ¹² Which literally means: and he shall slaughter it. ¹³ If Eleazar did the slaughtering, then what point would there be for Scripture to say “and he [Eleazar] shall slaughter it before his [Eleazar’s] face.”

AND THE HEIFER SHALL BE BURNT IN HIS SIGHT. Ve-saraf et ha-parah (and the heifer shall be burnt)¹⁴ is: and he shall burn the cow. is to be rendered, and someone shall burn the heifer. The term le’enav (in his sight)¹⁵ proves the latter interpretation.

footnotes: ¹⁴ The literal meaning of ve-saraf et ha-parah ¹⁵ Eleazar’s sight.

CEDAR-WOOD. As in the case of a leper.¹⁶ I have hinted there at some secret.¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁶ Cedar wood was used in cleansing a leper (Lev. 14:4). ¹⁷ I.E. points out that there is a connection between leprosy and death. Hence cedar is employed in cleansing someone who has been contaminated by contract with a leper or a dead body.

THEN THE PRIEST SHALL WASH HIS CLOTHES. The kohen who burns it.¹⁸, the reference is to the cow. However, in view of the fact that the latter is stated in the next verse, some say that the reference is to the cedar. See Filwarg and Krinsky.

footnotes: ¹⁸ Prima facie

AND THE PRIEST SHALL BE UNCLEAN. The meaning of ve-tame ha-kohen (and the priest shall be unclean) is, and the kohen has already been unclean,¹⁹ has been made unclean by performing the ritual. According to this interpretation the vav prefixed to ve-tame means “and.” Hence the meaning of ve-tame ha-kohen is: and the kohen was unclean. or, as some say, the kohen shall be unclean.²⁰ is a future form meaning: and he shall be unclean. The vav is a conversive vav. Until the even refers to the eating of sacred food.

footnotes: ¹⁹ The kohen ²⁰ In this case ve-tame

A MAN THAT IS CLEAN. The reference is not to the kohen who burns the cow.²¹ does this (Krinsky). According to the Sifre on this verse, any clean person, even if not a kohen, may gather the ashes of the red cow. However, I.E. seems to believe that this task was assigned to a kohen.

footnotes: ²¹ Another kohen

A WATER OF SPRINKLING. The meaning of niddah (sprinkling) is distance.²² (water of sprinkling) means the water of the distant, i.e., the water to be used to purify the distant. Compare, me-naddekhem²³ comes from the same root as niddah. When one hates another person, he keeps his distance from him. (that hate you) (Is. 66:5).

footnotes: ²² The person who is unclean is distanced from the sanctuary. Thus me-niddah ²³ Me-naddekhem

AND BE UNCLEAN UNTIL THE EVEN. Once Scripture states that the gatherer of the ashes shall wash his clothes there is no need to mention that he shall wash in water.²⁴

footnotes: ²⁴ For Scripture earlier linked the two. See verse 7.

AND UNTO THE STRANGER THAT SOJOURNETH AMONG THEM. For the Land of Israel is holy because God’s glory is there.²⁵

footnotes: ²⁵ Hence even a stranger (a non-Jew) must abide by this rule.

EVEN ANY MAN’S DEAD BODY. Be it the body of a Jew or a non-Jew.

MAN’S…BODY. Not the body of an animal.

SHALL BE UNCLEAN. The meaning of ve-tame is, shall be unclean. It is a future form, for the vav changes the verb²⁶, a third person perfect. from a perfect to an imperfect. However, I believe that ve-tame is in the past tense.²⁷ being conjunctive. Thus the meaning of ve-tame is: and he was unclean. The import of our verse thus is: and after being unclean for seven days he shall purify himself. See I.E. on verse 7 and the notes thereto.

footnotes: ²⁶ Tame ²⁷ Its vav

THE SAME SHALL PURIFY HIMSELF THEREWITH. The meaning of hu yitchate vo (the same shall purify himself therewith) is, he shall remove his sin therewith.²⁸ means sin. Hence I.E.’s interpretation. On the other hand, the word yitchate (shall purify himself) is similar to the word techatteni (purge me) in Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean (Ps. 51:9).²⁹ means purify. Those who are acquainted with the secret of numbers know that the number three is like the number seven.³⁰

footnotes: ²⁸ That is, by undergoing this ritual he will remove the potentiality of entering the sanctuary in a state of impurity and thus sinning. The word chet ²⁹ In other words, yitchatta ³⁰ The number seven has mystical significance in that seven days make up a lunar quarter. The number three is close to half of the number 7. See I.E. on Gen. 34:25 and the notes thereto (Vol. 1, p. 330).

BECAUSE THE WATER OF SPRINKLING. Some say that that me niddah (the water of sprinkling) has the same meaning as me niddah (water of sprinkling) in it shall be purified with the water of sprinkling (Num. 31:23).³¹

footnotes: ³¹ In other words, both refer to water mixed with the ashes of the red heifer. Num. 31:23 deals with the purification of utensils captured from non-Jews. I.E. prefaces these remarks with “some say” because, according to the rabbis, Num. 31:23 refers to water in which a menstruant immerses herself.

WAS NOT DASHED. The word zorak (dashed) refers to the water.³² is singular and me (water of) is plural.

footnotes: ³² Even though zorak

IS YET. The word od (is yet) means continuously.³³ Compare, od (while) in While the earth remaineth (Gen. 8:22).

footnotes: ³³ He is continuously unclean until sprinkled.

IN A TENT. A house has the same law as a tent. Scripture mentions a tent because Israel then lived in tents. That killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp (Lev. 17:3) is similar.³⁴

footnotes: ³⁴ The law laid down in Lev. 17:3 applies equally to a town. Scripture speaks of a camp because Israel then lived in tents in a camp.

AND EVERY THING THAT IS IN THE TENT. Garments.³⁵

footnotes: ³⁵ For the next verse deals with vessels.

COVERING CLOSE-BOUND. Two coverings.³⁶ (close bound). According to I.E. each one of these terms refers to a covering. The tzamid goes over the opening, while the petil goes round about the above covering and the rim of the utensil (Krinsky). Others claim that I.E. believes that the cover is made of two parts. See Krinsky, Filwarg, and Weiser.

footnotes: ³⁶ Scripture reads, tzamid, petil

OR A GRAVE. Of a human being.

AND FOR THE UNCLEAN THEY SHALL TAKE. See, Scripture explains how one who comes into contact with the dead shall purge himself.³⁷. However, it did not describe the procedure. Now it does.

footnotes: ³⁷ Earlier, in verse 12, Scripture had said, the same shall purify himself therewith

A CLEAN PERSON. The reference is most probably to a kohen.³⁸ are acquainted with the laws of purification.

footnotes: ³⁸ For kohanim

BUT THE MAN THAT SHALL BE UNCLEAN. Scripture has already mentioned, Whosoever toucheth the dead…that soul shall be cut off from Israel (v. 13). It now warns the one who touches a bone or a grave [not to defile the sanctuary].

SHALL BE UNCLEAN UNTIL EVEN. And shall not become clean until he washes.

AND WHATSOEVER THE UNCLEAN PERSON TOUCHETH SHALL BE UNCLEAN. The reference is to one who has become unclean by touching a dead body, a bone, or a grave.

SHALL BE UNCLEAN UNTIL EVEN. And washes.³⁹

footnotes: ³⁹ Verse 7.