It’s all about the livestock this Shabbat. There are two different cows that make an appearance in our lessons this week. The first is the golden calf. In the Torah portion Ki Tisa we learn that when Moses went up the mountain to meet with God and receive the Ten Commandments, the Israelites, under Aaron’s governance, got all out of sorts and started to lose faith. They asked for a human-made god (lower case intentional!) to follow. Aaron instructed them to give gold and silver, and he turned it into a golden calf. Once it was done, the Israelites celebrated, danced, and brought sacrifices. (Exodus 32:1-6) Essentially, they created a golden calf to be their god; it was desecration and idol worship.

The second cow comes in the form of the red heifer which is read on Shabbat Parah. This Shabbat falls after Purim and is one of four special Shabbatot before Passover. This time, the cow is there for purification. The Israelites are instructed to take a red cow with no blemish or defect, sacrifice it, and gather all the ashes. The ashes are kept outside of camp in a pure place to be waters of lustration. Individuals who are impure can be cleansed with these special waters. (Numbers 19:1-10)

Is there a connection between both cow stories? Kitzur Ba’al HaTurim commentary uses Gematria, an ancient practice of assigning a numerical value to a Hebrew letter to derive meaning. In this case we learn that פרה אדומה ‘red cow’ in gematria is about the sin of a (golden) calf: (Ex. 32:4).” So, one cow leads us astray, and a second brings us back.

This combination of the two cows brings a human nature element to our lives and reminds us that we can be ourselves. On the one hand, the story of the golden calf demonstrates that the Israelites weren’t perfect, just as we aren’t today. Making mistakes is a part of life. There are times when we go off course, make mistakes, and even lose faith. Fortunately, that’s not the end of the story; it’s a bump on the road. After Moses saw the golden calf and instructed the Israelites to clean up the mess, he took a breath, went back up to God and came down with the Ten Commandments. They were allowed to purify and start again. We are allowed to purify and start again when we embrace our red cows of purification. Two strange rituals to be sure, but a lesson in giving ourselves grace to make mistakes and be human.

What are your rituals to give yourself grace after making a mistake? 

What do we need cleansing from today?   

In anticipation of Passover, how can you start to prepare?