Rashi on TanakhNumbers 19

This is the statute of the Torah. Because Satan and the nations of the world taunt Israel, saying, “What is this commandment? What is the reason for it”? Therefore, the Torah referred to it as חֻקָּה, a statute. I have decreed it, and you are not permitted to question it.

They shall take to you. It will always be called by your name: ”The cow which Moshe prepared in the wilderness.”

Red, perfect. It must be perfectly red. If it had two black hairs, it was disqualified.

Elozor. The mitzvah was [performed] by the assistant [kohein gadol].

Outside the camp. Outside the three camps.

[He] shall slaughter it in his presence. The commoner slaughters while Elozor observes.

Directly facing the Tent of Meeting. He stands east of Jerusalem, and focuses his gaze on the entrance to the Sanctuary when sprinkling the blood.

[To] the camp. To the camp of the Shechinah, as no one ritually unclean was sent out of two camps except for the zav, the ba’al keri, and the metzorah.

The kohein shall be impure until the evening. Rearrange this and extrapolate: “He shall be impure until the evening, and afterwards, he may enter the camp.”

And place [it] outside the camp. He divided it into three parts. One was placed on the Mount of Olives, and one was placed in the “cheil” partition. That of the watches was outside the Temple courtyard, to supply the outlying city dwellers and all those who needed to be purified. That of the Mount of Olives, for the high priests to consecrate other cows. That of the “cheil” partition, placed as a keepsake by Scriptural decree, as it is said, ”It shall remain with the community of Israel as a keepsake.”

For sprinkling water. For water of sprinkling, similar to, “they cast a stone at me,” “to cast away the horns of the nations,” meaning to throw.

For purification. The word denotes cleansing, like its plain meaning. In its halachic sense, however, Scripture entitles it חַטָּאת, “sin-offering,” to teach that it is like a sacred object, and thus prohibited from personal benefit.

He shall cleanse himself with it. With [these] ashes [of the cow].

A corpse of a [human] soul. Which corpse? That of a human soul. This excludes that of an animal, whose ritual uncleanliness does not require sprinkling Another interpretation: “Of a [human] soul” refers to a quarter of blood.

Defiles the Mishkan of Adonoy. If he enters the Mishkan courtyard, even after ritual immersion, without having been sprinkled on the third and seventh [days]. His impurity remains. Even if he immersed ritually.

Anyone who enters the tent. While the corpse is inside.

Any open utensil. Scripture refers to an earthen utensil, which does not admit ritual contamination from its outside, but from its inside. Thus, if its seal is not properly and securely fastened, it is defiled, but if there is a seal fastened to it, it is pure.

Fastened. The word denotes attachment in Arabic. Similarly, “I have been joined by Godly bonds”— I have been joined to my sister.

In an open field. The Rabbis extrapolate, this includes the “gollel” and “dofek.” Its plain meaning is that in the open field, where there is no tent, the corpse conveys defilement through touching.

He shall purify him on the seventh day. This completes the purification.

A person who became ritually unclean, etc. If “Mikdash” was said, why was “Mishkon” said?. . .etc., as stated in tractate Shevuos.

One who sprinkles the sprinkling waters. The Rabbis say that the sprinkler is actually pure, and that this teaches that one who carries the purifying water becomes extremely defiled, so as to contaminate the garments he wears, unlike one who touches [the water]. The reason it is expressed as “the sprinkler” is to teach that they (the waters) do not defile unless they contain a sufficient amount for sprinkling.

One who touches, etc. shall remain unclean. But his garments do not require ritual washing.

Anything which the unclean person touches. [Which] this person who was defiled by a corpse [touches], shall become unclean.

And anyone touching. Him, the one defiled by the corpse.

Shall be ritually unclean until evening. Here we learn that a corpse is a “forefather” of defilement, and whoever touches it is the “father” of defilement, and defiles another person. This is the explanation according to its plain meaning and its halachic ramifications. Now I have transcribed the Midrash Aggadah from R’ Moshe Hadarshan’s basic commentary, as follows:

They shall take to you. From their own. Just as they removed the golden rings, for the [golden] calf, from their own, so shall they bring this from their own as atonement.

A red cow. This is compared to the child of a maidservant who sullied the king’s palace. They said, “let the child’s mother come and wipe away the filth.” Similarly, let the cow come and atone for the calf.

Red. To correspond with “If they [your sins] are as red as crimson. . .” Sin is described as red.

Perfect. To correspond with the Israelites, who were perfect, but then were blemished by it. This [offering] shall come and atone for them, and they will return to their perfection.

Upon which no yoke was laid. Just as they discarded the yoke of Heaven.

To Elozor the kohein. Just as they gathered against Aharon, the kohein, [and forced him] to construct the calf. And since Aharon constructed the calf, this service was not performed by him, for, the accuser cannot serve as the defender.

[He] shall burn the cow. Just as the calf was burned.

Cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson wool. These three species correspond with the three thousand men who perished because of the calf. The cedar is the loftiest of all trees, the hyssop the lowest of all, signifying that someone haughty who sinned with arrogance must humble himself like the hyssop and the worm to gain atonement.

A keepsake. Just as the transgression of the calf, which is preserved throughout the generations for punishment, as there is no reckoning which does not include an accounting for the calf, as it is said, “on the day of my reckoning, I will take into account . . . [the sin of the calf], And just as the calf defiled everyone involved with it, so does the parah defile everyone involved with it. Just as they were purified with its ashes, as it is said, “he scattered it on the water, etc.” so “they shall take, for the one defiled, from the dust of the burnt sin-offering, [and place, upon it, spring water.]