One of the strangest religious practices of the ancient Israelites was the rite of the Red Heifer, which had the purpose of purifying those who were contaminated through contact with the dead. Essentially the law provided that one must take a red heifer and have the priest slay it outside the camp. Afterward the animal was burned with cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet added to the pyre. The ashes were then dissolved in fresh water which was to be sprinkled upon the defiled individual.
How and why these procedures were used to attain purification is one of the great mysteries of our faith. Tradition says that even the wise King Solomon did not understand this rite. The eminent sage, Johanan ben Zaccai, exclaimed: "The dead man does not make impure neither do the ashes dissolved in water make pure; but the law concerning the Red Heifer is a decree of the All-Holy whose reasons for issuing the decree should not be questioned by mortals." Thus, the law of the Red Heifer is a prime example of those Biblical statutes whose meaning was not understood but which Jews observed simply out of a desire to remain obedient to God's word.
The most fascinating provision of all in the law of the Red Heifer is the statement that "it purifies the impure and at the same time renders impure the pure." What that means is that while the rite of the Red Heifer removed defilement from those who were unclean, it simultaneously defiled those pure individuals who were in any way associated with preparing the ashes and the water of purification. That may seem paradoxical, yet it suggests a very important historical truth. For the annals of mankind are replete with examples of movements and personalities who set out to purify society of terrible social wrongs and abuses, but in the very process of trying to do good, some of these worthy institutions and leaders themselves suffered defilement and brutalization. Thus, the French Revolution of 1789 marked the overthrow of Bourbon tyranny in an effort to create a social order based on "liberty, equality and fraternity." However, Robespierre, one of the great leaders of the Revolution, in the name of the principles of that noble social movement, introduced a Reign of Terror which exceeded in horror and depravity the worst crimes of the Bourbon monarchs.
The same paradoxical processes can be observed from a study of Jewish history. King David, for example, was the greatest king of Israel, a man of piety who composed the Book of Psalms which forms the basis of our religious liturgy. Yet, the fulfillment of his military duties as king had so stained his hands with blood that God forbade him from carrying out what had been his greatest dream - to build the Temple of the Lord. The process of brutalization helps us to understand as well how a man of David's eminence sank to the depths of depravity in arranging the death of Uriah the Hittite so that he could carry out his sexual designs upon Uriah's wife, Bat Sheva.
Lord Acton alluded to this truth when he wrote: "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The history books are full of stories about people who inspired others to live lives of holiness and sacrifice at the same time that they became egotistical and hard-hearted tyrants. Unfortunately, even the most selfless and idealistic human beings can sink into greed, inhumanity and brutality. That is why our Sages warned us against self-righteousness and the weakness of the will.
The paradox of the Red Heifer reminds us of the paradox of the human personality. Even the noblest dream can change into a nightmare. The utmost purity can become a source of defilement. Therefore, self-scrutiny is always in order; most important of all is to heed the Talmudic counsel: "Don't believe in yourself until the day of your death!"