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Parah 2:5-3:1

Parah 2:5

If the red heifer had two black or white hairs growing from the same follicle, it is invalid; Rabbi Yehuda said even if they’re growing from the same circle of hair. If they grew in two circles of hair but their position and appearance makes it clear that they grew together, the cow is invalid. Rabbi Akiva says that even if there were four or five such hairs, if they’re scattered, they can be plucked; Rabbi Eliezer says that this is true even for 50 such hairs. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Baseira says that even if it had one such hair on its head and another one on its tail, the cow is invalid. If the cow had two hairs with black roots and red tips or vice versa, Rabbi Meir says that everything follows what’s visible (i.e., the tips); the Sages say that everything follows the roots.

Parah 3:1

Seven days before burning the red heifer, they would take the kohein who was to burn it from his house to a Temple chamber in the north-eastern corner that was called the Stone Chamber. They would sprinkle him all seven days with the purification waters that were there; Rabbi Yosi says that they only sprinkled him on the third and seventh days. Rabbi Chanina the deputy high priest said that they sprinkled the kohein who was to burn the cow all seven days, they sprinkled the one who was to perform the Yom Kippur service only on the third and seventh days.

Author: Rabbi Jack Abramowitz