Parshas Vayeira
1. Our Sages, of blessed memory, say[1] that "in reward for Avraham our father saying, 'And I am dust and ashes,'[2] his children merited two mitzvos: the ashes of the [Red] Heifer and the dust of the sotah."[3]
It is known that the A-lmighty gives reward measure for measure.[4] It follows that in our case too,[5] the connection of the two mitzvos, "the ashes of the Heifer and the dust of the sotah," to Avraham's saying "And I am dust and ashes" is not only because of the similarity of the words[6] ("dust and ashes"), but because the content of these two mitzvos resembles the content of Avraham's conduct in the manner of "And I am dust and ashes" (ultimate humility and lowliness[7]). We therefore need to understand in what the connection in content between them consists.
Seemingly it is just the opposite: the (inner) content of the Red Heifer is the very opposite of Avraham's service:
Avraham's attribute is the attribute of kindness (chesed)—"Avraham who loves Me"[8]—and as is known, Avraham was generous with his money, his body and his soul,[9] to the point that "the attribute of kindness said, 'All the days of… Avraham, he stood in my place'"[10]—he took the place of the attribute of kindness.
The Red Heifer, on the other hand, is in its essence ultimate severity (gevurah), as stated in the Zohar[11] that the "heifer receives from the left side" (and especially according to what is explained in the writings of the Arizal,[12] that parah (heifer)—par with the addition of the letter hei—alludes to all five gevuros). Moreover, it is a "red (heifer)," and the color red also alludes to gevuros.[13] And more still: it must be "perfect in redness"[14]—gevuros in the ultimate degree.[15]
Furthermore, the Midrash says[16] that all four conditions of the Heifer—"red, perfect, which has no blemish, upon which a yoke has not come"—refer to the four[17] exiles.
Had the subject here been the purifying waters (mei chatas) (of the Red Heifer), there would be no wonder, since water (which descends from a high place to a low place[18]) is in the category of kindness[19] (and especially the mei chatas, which are "living waters"[20]). But the emphasis here is specifically on the ashes of the Heifer,[21] and the ashes[22] come from the Heifer itself.
2. The explanation of this can be said as follows:
It is known[23] that there are two modes of the attribute of kindness:
One mode is kindness "out of greatness."[24] As we see with a great king, or with a minister or an exceedingly wealthy man, that because of their sense of greatness they are in a stance of generosity with great expansiveness, to bestow "abundant goodness and kindness upon all creatures, small and great alike"[25] [from which there can come down, below, kindness of kelipah—the kindness of Yishmael[26]—which comes in Yishmael[27] from haughtiness and coarseness, "in order to show off his wealth and the glory of his greatness, and to have a name and glory for himself"[28]].
A second mode of kindness is the kindness of Avraham, a kindness which, on the contrary, is bound up specifically with self-nullification and lowliness, "And I am dust and ashes": because he considered himself smaller than everyone—"he regards himself as leftovers"[29]—therefore he bestowed kindness on everyone.
The achievement and superiority of this mode of bestowing kindness is not only that one who is utterly nullified and lowly in his own eyes, holding that all others "are more important than he," gives the other "of all that he has"[30] and supports himself "from the leftovers and the remainder" [whereas one whose kindness comes from greatness keeps the main part for himself and gives the other only the leftovers]—but more than this (as the Alter Rebbe says in Likkutei Torah[31]): "even if harm comes to him from doing the kindness," one does not hold back from doing kindness.
And as we find with Avraham, whose kindness came (as above) from his feeling himself to be "dust and ashes": not only was he ready to put the life of his body in danger[32] in order to help another
—as related in Parshas Lech Lecha[33] (where we find the first (explicit) account of Avraham's engagement in the attribute of kindness), that for the sake of redeeming captives[34] (which indeed, within kindness itself, is "a great mitzvah"[35]) Avraham put himself in danger[36] and waged war with mighty kings[37]—
but more than this: for its sake he also "gave away" of his spirituality. As related at the beginning of the sidrah,[38] when the "three men" came, Avraham our father said to the A-lmighty "to wait for him until he would run and bring in the guests."[39] That is, for the sake of hospitality to guests, Avraham thought it right to break off from receiving the Divine Presence—and as the Gemara[40] derives from this, that "hospitality to guests is greater (than[41]) receiving the Divine Presence."
3. It is obvious that for Avraham, whose whole life was (not a life of the flesh, but) a spiritual life,[42] leaving "the reception of the Divine Presence" was a greater self-sacrifice—incomparably greater—than putting the life of his body at risk.
Moreover: For which guests did Avraham break off the state of "receiving the Divine Presence"? For such who (he thought) "(were Arabs who) bow down to the dust of their feet"[43]—not simply idol worshippers, but the very lowest (even lower, merely dust in relation to their feet) form of idolatry!
It follows that Avraham tore himself away from the highest levels in spirituality, such as "receiving the Divine Presence"
—for even at times when Avraham was not in the state of "receiving the Divine Presence," he was a chariot for G‑d all the days of his life, as the Alter Rebbe says[44] about the Patriarchs that "all their days they never ceased even for one moment" from being a chariot; one understands, then, the elevation at the time of "And G‑d appeared to him," the revelation in sight to Avraham—
in order to help those whose conduct is the complete opposite of "receiving the Divine Presence" (idolatry in its very lowest form)!
Where did such conduct come to Avraham from?
That Jews after Avraham conduct themselves this way is no novelty: there is an explicit instruction in the Torah that "hospitality to guests is greater (than) receiving the Divine Presence." But from where did Avraham learn it?[45]
It is only because Avraham was, as above, in a state of ultimate self-nullification, "And I am dust and ashes," that it was therefore settled in his mind that everyone, whoever he may be, comes before him, to the point that one must set aside even one's own spirituality in order to help another materially.
4. And this is the connection of Avraham's saying "And I am dust and ashes" to the two mitzvos of "the ashes of the Heifer and the dust of the sotah": the fulfillment of these two mitzvos is bound up specifically with the feeling of kindness as it comes from "And I am dust and ashes," as it was with Avraham—to sacrifice oneself spiritually in order to help another (which shows, as above, true self-sacrifice):
The law of the Red Heifer is that "all who are involved with the Heifer from beginning to end"[46] become impure. It is demanded[47] of the kohen,[48] whose role is holiness and purity and to serve in the Beis HaMikdash, that he descend from his level to the point of becoming impure (and thereby being unable to perform the service in the Beis HaMikdash) in order to be able to bring purity to another Jew.
And for which Jew must the kohen make himself impure? For one impure through contact with the dead, the "father of fathers of impurity,"[49] which in spiritual terms means:[50] when a Jew is attached to the A-lmighty, death and impurity do not apply, as it is said,[51] "And you who cleave to G‑d your L‑rd are all alive today." Impurity of the dead shows that one is, G‑d forbid, torn away from holiness, to the point of being at the level of the impurity of the dead. And for the sake of such a Jew, the kohen is required not to take his own spirituality into account and to make himself impure, as long as he helps that Jew receive his purity.
And similarly regarding "the dust of the sotah": the effect of the sotah waters is that "to make peace between a man and his wife, the Torah said that My Name, written in holiness, shall be erased upon the water."[52] There is no greater desecration of the holy, G‑d forbid, than erasing (with one's own hands) the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He[53]—and for the sake of making peace between a man and his wife, the Name is erased. And here we are speaking of a woman who conducted herself in a way entirely contrary to modesty—even after her husband's warning (kinui) she did not obey, and there was seclusion—and nevertheless the Torah says that even for the sake of (peace with) this woman it is worthwhile, and it is a mitzvah and a command, to erase the holy Name!
5. According to the above explanation of the connection of "And I am dust and ashes" to the Red Heifer, additional light will also be shed on a story in the Zohar (in connection with the Red Heifer):
The Zohar[54] relates that Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair asked Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai to say a "new word" on the passage "This is the statute of the Torah." Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai asked that his son Rabbi Elazar say "a word" (and Rabbi Elazar did so).
My father explains (in his notes on the Zohar[55]) the reason why Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair wanted a "new word specifically on the passage of the Red Heifer": it is because the aspect of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair "is like Avraham our father," and "regarding Avraham it is written, 'And I am dust and ashes'; because he said 'ashes,' his children merited the ashes of the Heifer," and therefore "he asked that he speak specifically on the passage of the Heifer."
At first glance this is not understood: Since the matter of the Red Heifer is connected with the aspect of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, why did he not himself say the "new word" on the passage of the Red Heifer?
And similarly Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai—whom Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair asked to say the "new word" because the matter of the Red Heifer is connected with the aspect of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (as my father explains there[56])—he too did not say it, but asked his son Rabbi Elazar to say it.
And according to the above—that the connection of "And I am dust and ashes" to the Red Heifer is by virtue of Avraham our father's conduct in the attribute of kindness in a manner of self-nullification—it can be said:
The simple connection[57] between Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair and the kindness of Avraham is that we find that Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair engaged in redeeming captives,[58] which, as above, is the first account in the Torah of Avraham's kindness—a kindness bound up with putting oneself in danger in order to save another.
And this very connection of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair to the kindness of Avraham (by virtue of which one merits the ashes of the Heifer) Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair wished to express in the matter itself (in bringing about a "new word" on the passage of the Red Heifer), and in the same manner—he therefore gave up the merit of revealing a "new word" in Torah—which is a wondrous merit[59]—in order to grant this merit to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai: self-sacrifice in spirituality for the sake of another Jew.
And similarly Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai gave up his merit so that his son Rabbi Elazar should have the merit (and it should be noted that my father explains that Rabbi Elazar saying the new word is "like the first Heifer, which was made by Elazar the kohen"[60]).
6. According to all the above it will also be understood why the reward for Avraham's service ("And I am dust and ashes") is connected specifically with the ashes of the Heifer (and not with its mei chatas):
The above mode of Avraham's kindness—that he gave away even his own spirituality in order to help another—is bound up with the fact that for the sake of kindness he also used his attribute of severity.[61] As is known, the explanation[62] of the verse[63] "For I have known him, so that he will command… to do charity and justice" is that Avraham's charity was bound up with justice: first Avraham judged himself, assessing how much he must have for himself, and about this he made a strict judgment (with severity and judgment), measuring that for himself he may take only "what is truly necessary for him," as above, and all the rest he gave away to charity.
This conduct too—that the attribute of severity assists kindness—is bound up with the trait of self-nullification ("And I am dust and ashes"): when kindness comes from self-nullification, then the kindness is not limited to one part of the person (kindness in the "form" of the attribute of kindness), but it permeates all parts of the person, until he transforms (nullifies) even his attribute of severity[64] (which in itself is the opposite of kindness), so that the attribute of severity too is used for the sake of kindness.
And this is the reason that "And I am dust and ashes" brought about "the ashes of the Heifer and the dust of the sotah": because the main achievement of "And I am dust and ashes" is expressed not in something that is kindness to begin with (the mei chatas, since water is kindness, as above), but in transforming severity into kindness.
This is the meaning of the burning (—nullification) of the Heifer—the sweetening of the gevuros—and from this come the "ashes of the Heifer" [as explained in Likkutei Torah,[65] that this is the meaning of "ashes" (efer): instead of parah—par plus hei (which alludes to the five gevuros, as above, section 1)—it becomes efer—alef plus par—where the alef "is severity as it is in its root," the sweetening of the gevuros in their root].
And similarly, this is the achievement of "the dust of the sotah," which transforms the "bitter waters," so that the "bitter waters" (gevuros) bring about an effect of kindness[66]—"she shall be cleared and shall conceive seed."[67]
(From talks of Shabbos Parshas Chukas, 5740, 5741 and 5744)
Key Lesson
True kindness comes from humility: one who sees himself as "dust and ashes" puts every other person first, even ahead of his own spiritual standing. Avraham left the Divine Presence to welcome lowly strangers, and the kohen becomes impure to purify another Jew. When kindness comes from such humility, it takes over the whole person, so that even his strictness serves to help others. We too should be ready to set aside our own comfort and even our own spiritual gain to help another Jew.