Are Desires Holy?

The law of the red heifer, taught in this week’s Torah portion, is the most mysterious law of the Torah. Somehow, the red heifer would purify one who contracted the most severe form of ritual impurity, that of coming in contact with a human corpse.

Life is synonymous with holiness, for G‑d is the source of life. The red heifer represents the power to purify even the most severe form of ritual impurity, represented by death, the antithesis of holiness and life.

Indeed, Chassidic philosophy explains that the red heifer captures the secret of the uniquely Jewish approach to purifying the negativity within each of us. It is the key to dealing with our inner passions, which overwhelm us with the force of their energy.

What were the requirements for the red heifer? The Torah tells us that the heifer must be red, it must be unblemished, and it must never have been burdened by a yoke. Red is the color of passion. The heifer represents the animalistic emotions within the human heart. A yoke represents the taming of the animal.

At times we look inside ourselves, and we experience the emotional intensity of our animalistic urges and cravings. We look at our inner red heifer and we fear that its raw, animalistic energy is too powerful for us to control; we see nothing but impurity.

The Torah’s insight into the red heifer is as profound as it is revolutionary. Purity is not achieved by suppressing or waging war against desire. The Torah wants us to understand that the heifer can be the most powerful agent of purity in our life. The power of desire, its incredible force and energy, is not evil. For while the external expression of the desire may be negative and must be burned, the ashes of the heifer, its inner essence, are the source of purity. When the ashes are mixed into the “living waters,” when the power of desire is directed toward a positive goal, the heifer itself will be an unbridled force that will provide spiritual and emotional purity.

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbat!

Candle lighting time (NYC): 8:13 PM