Restoring Our Pledges: Chukat.22

 Restoring Our Pledges: Chukat.22

By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman

July 6, 2022

For a number of reasons, the Ritual of the Red Heifer has always loomed huge and mysterious in my mind. Of all the sacrifices that the Torah ordains, this is the most exceptional. The greatest rabbis and commentators have given up trying to explain it or how it supposedly works. The great philosopher and codifier of the 12th century, Maimonides, explains that the ritual was performed a total of 9 times before the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, with the 10th time reserved for the coming of the Messiah.

The ceremony, most certainly predating Judaism, was meant “to purify” anyone who, in one way or another, had become “contaminated” by coming in contact with death. This enigmatic ritual had the power to “heal” a person following such an encounter, enabling them to return to a more regular and well-ordered life. 

The Ritual of the Red Heifer is described in this week’s Torah portion, Chukat (“The Law,” Numbers 19:1—22:1), set in context of the most difficult challenges that the Israelites have yet had to face. As ordained by God, the generation that had left Egypt is beginning to die out. In this portion, Miriam and Aaron both die. Moses himself experiences a deep crisis of faith—for which he will be punished by being permitted to see the Promised Land from afar, yet without being granted the right to enter it.

It was for just such a time that the Ritual of the Red Heifer was ordained—to rebuild and restore.

I’m thinking that perhaps we need something like this ritual today.

America has been going through a seismic crisis in the past few years. Politically and culturally, our nation is torn apart. The pandemic, climate change and deep societal fractures have resulted in loss of confidence and faith in the direction our country is going. Deadly mass shootings have become an almost daily event, targeting the establishments and institutions that Americans hold sacred—schools, houses of worship, grocery stores, political rallies and demonstrations, and now a July 4 parade. 

We ask ourselves what we can do to stop this horrific series of tragedies. We try to understand the reason or purpose that would provoke an individual to perpetrate such attacks. And while there are some common underlying motives, the symbolism behind a mass shooting happening on July 4, Independence Day, the most American of all our holidays, is clear and obvious. Whether carefully chosen or random, these attacks are against America itself, meant to tear the delicate weave that characterizes our diverse nation.  

So what can we do to change things?

We don’t offer sacrifices today, so the Ritual of the Red Heifer is out. However, what we can do is renew our sacred vows—those pledges and oaths that we’ve taken to maintain and defend a nation built on the foundation of the highest values: freedom, equality and justice for all. Today we are seeing these ideals wavering. Yet we can still restore America, if we start demanding that crooked politicians and greedy corporations show their allegiance to our sacred principles not only in talk but also through action.

In its time, thousands of years ago, the Ritual of the Red Heifer may have been effective. Today, however, we know that change isn’t brought about by magic and superstition, but rather through our unified and loud voices, and through the power of the vote. Today more than ever it’s up to us to ensure that the sacred bonds that keep this nation united and strong are not shattered by the actions of madmen, misguided judges and weak and corrupt politicians.

The power to restore America and ensure that it lives up to its highest ideals is in our own hands today. We must not fail to use it.

© 2022 by Boaz D. Heilman