“A completely red heifer which is unblemished upon which never came a yoke” (Bemidbar 19:2)
After studying the various laws that apply to the Parah Adumah, we can perceive the difficult path which lies before a person who desires to purify himself. The Torah insists that a red heifer, which is a very rare and expensive animal, be used for the purification process. We may derive from the Parah Adumah that in all areas of purification, the defiled individual is not cleansed until he has undergone much toil and sacrifice. Only after a person seeks purity and holiness as he would search for gold and precious jewels, can he achieve a clear perception of the meaning of fear of Hashem. We note that the heifer must beunblemished and may never have worked. This implies that in our holy endeavors there should not be an admixture of anything which is sacrilegious or objectionable. This concept is applied in the education of a child. If parents desire to raise their children in such a way that they follow in the path of Torah precepts, it is necessary to imbue in them a love of Torah and fear of Hashem in a pure way, undiluted by any form of objectionable material and influences which are non-Torah oriented. According to the effort and energy parents apply in instilling in their young children the desire for Torah study, to that degree will this desire blossom and develop as they grow older. (Peninim on the Torah)
