Four Paradoxes

This week we read פרשת חוקת which is all about פרה האדומה, the Red Heifer. It is a חוק, a law we are not meant to understand, and is actually considered THE most difficult law in the Torah to understand.

Rav Elie Munk in קול התורה refers to פרה אדומה as a paradox. It is one of four paradoxes mentioned in the Torah. The paradox by פרה אדומה is that it purifies the unclean, but makes unclean the Kohein who handled the purification process.

A second paradox relates to the שעיר לעזאזל, known as the Yom Kippur scapegoat. On the one hand, the scapegoat atones for the sins of the Jewish people. But again, the one who throws the goat off of the cliff, becomes defiled.

Our third paradox involves the prohibition of שעטנז, wearing a garment that is a mixture of wool and linen. The paradox is that ציצית, which is the fulfillment of a Torah commandment, is allowed to have a mixture of wool and linen.

And the fourth paradox involves the מצורע, the leper. If even a small white spot is found on the body of an individual, he is declared a leper. Yet, if the skin of his entire body turns white, he is clean and even cured of his leprosy.

We are meant to recognize that the wisdom of the Torah is beyond our comprehension. We are expected to submit and surrender to its truth, despite the challenges and paradoxes.