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This week parsha, Vayakeil-Pekudei, which describes the Mishkan, the vessels that are in it, and the garments that the Kohanim wore, is joined by Parshat Parah. Parshat Parah is one of the four special parshiot that we read leading up to Pesach. It describes law of the Red Heifer—the Parah Adumah.

There are two types of laws in Judaism: chukim and mishpatim. A chok is a law that is incomprehensible to the human brain, and a mishpat is a logical decree that we must follow, yet we can understand why we obey it. The Parah Adumah is not only a chok, but as possibly the most illogical mitzvah that we Jews have, it may be considered The Chok. But from it we can learn a lot about our religion, nonetheless. Hashem commanded us to essentially take a completely red cow, slaughter it in front of the Kohen and have the Kohen take some of its blood and sprinkle it toward the Mishkan. In case that was not enough, someone has to burn the cow in front of the Kohen. After this part is completed the Kohen must take wood and a crimson thread and throw them into the fire. This is how the Jews can become pure after coming in contact with a dead person. (The process does not end there, but you get the point.)

This ordeal makes little sense at fist glance but there seems to be a deeper meaning to it. In the introduction to this mitzvah, Hashem says this is the chok that I have commanded you. Just from that single word, one can see that Hashem knows this will sound illogical to a rational person, so He warns us that we are not going to understand what this is but we are obligated to follow it anyways. In Judaism contact with death brings about the greatest measure of spiritual impurity—one that can only be reversed by using the ashes of the Parah Adumah. This decree came from Hashem because only He can comprehend how spiritual impurity works and how one can be cleansed from it.

There are many things we can learn from this law. For one, not everything makes sense at first glance, but we have to study things and find deeper meaning to them.