Ask the Rabbi

קטגוריה משנית
undefined
Question
Before reading Parshat Para, the rabbi or gabbai often announces that it's a "safek d'oraita", perhaps even being a mitzva from the Torah. According to this opinion, where is the source in the Torah to read this paragraph about Para Aduma every year?
Answer
Answer: Great question. This opinion is found the Shelchan Aruch (Or. Ch. 685, 7) citing Tosafot (Brachot 13a, "Lashon") but he doesn't cite his source. The Aruch Ha Shulchan (ibid 7), asks your question, and explains that a source for reading Para from the Torah can be found in the Sifre (chazal's Midrash Halacha on Bamidbar (19, 10) that Parshat Pera Aduma will be an "everlasting statute". Accordingly, today when we don't have the ashes of that red cow (without getting into the question of identifying that type of cow, for today there are species which may qualify, or through genetic engineering can possibly be found) and there is no Temple, the way to fulfill it being "everlasting" is by specially read it every year. The Aruch HaShulchan stresses the Sifre's point even more, through the repeated emphasis again at the end of that passage (v. 21) " an everlasting commandment." Nevertheless, it's clear that the Aruch HaShulchan knows that his answer is innovative! According to the Gra, the real answer is that (as always) one should check the original source! In the printed Tosfot in our edition of the Talmud, it's written that Parshat Zakhor is m'd'oraita, but P. Para is not mentioned! On the other hand, they are both mentioned in the edition of Tosfot haRosh there, which was also the text of one of the ba'alei haTosfot which R. Yosef Karo (author of the Shulchan Aruch) cites there in his Beit Yosef. The Gra writes explicitly that it's a mistaken edition, and should only say: Zachor (not Para). Nevertheless, there are others, like the Rashba there and Ritva (Megilla7b) who also write that it's d'oraita. [R. Moshe Shternbuch innovatively suggests that in Yoma 5b it's brought that whenever a service was done in the Beit HaMikdash, that paragraph in the Torah was also recited, and so it must have been during the Para Aduma service. He continues that today, the rabbis continued that Torah reading, so it has a "source" in the Torah...]. In any event, once the Shulchan Aruch cites this opinion as accepted (also in 146, 2), it's difficult to ignore, but nevertheless, one can accordingly surely be more lenient, like the Gra, when it's difficult to hear Parshat Para, as opposed to Parshat Zachor! (how much more so for women who everyone exempts from Question: Before reading Parshat Para, the rabbi or gabbai often announce that it's a "safek d'oraita", perhaps even being a mitzva from the Torah. According to this opinion, where is the source in the Torah to read this paragraph about Para Aduma every year? Answer: Great question. This opinion is found the Shulchan Aruch (Or. Ch. 685, 7) citing one of the ba'alei Tosafot (Brachot 13a, "Lashon") . The Aruch Ha Shulchan (ibid 7), asks your question, and explains that a source for reading Para from the Torah can be found in the Sifre (chazal's Midrash Halacha on Bamidbar (19, 10) that Parshat Para Aduma will be an "everlasting statute". Accordingly, today when we don't have the ashes of that red cow (without getting into the question of identifying that type of cow, for today there are species which may qualify, or through genetic engineering can possibly be found) and there is no Temple, the way to fulfill it being "everlasting" is by specially read it every year. The Aruch HaShulchan stresses the Sifre's point even more, through the repeated emphasis again at the end of that passage (v. 21) "an everlasting commandment." Nevertheless, it's clear that the Aruch HaShulchan knows that his answer is innovative! According to the Gra, the real answer is that (as always) one should check the original source! In the printed Tosfot in our edition of the Talmud, it's written that Parshat Zakhor is m'd'oraita, but P. Para is not mentioned! On the other hand, they are both mentioned in the edition of Tosfot haRosh there, which was also the text of one of the ba'alei haTosfot which R. Yosef Karo (author of the Shulchan Aruch) cites there in his Beit Yosef. The Gra writes explicitly that it's a mistaken edition, and should only say: Zachor (not Para). Nevertheless, there are others, like the Rashba there and Ritva (Megilla7b) who also write that it's d'oraita. [R. Moshe Shternbuch innovatively suggests that in Yoma 5b it's brought that whenever a service was done in the Beit HaMikdash, that paragraph in the Torah was also recited, and so it must have been during the Para Aduma service. He continues that today, the rabbis continued that Torah reading, so it has a "source" in the Torah, but isn't exactly m'doraita.]. In any event, once the Shulchan Aruch cites this opinion as accepted (also in 146, 2), it's difficult to ignore, but nevertheless, one can accordingly surely be more lenient, like the Gra, when it's difficult to hear Parshat Para, as opposed to Parshat Zachor! (how much more so for women who everyone exempts from Parshat Para.) With Love of Israel! Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)
את המידע הדפסתי באמצעות אתר yeshiva.org.il