Why is a cow so important?
Let’s find out!
One of the most enigmatic mitzvahs in the Torah is the parah adumah, the red heifer, which was used for ritual purification. Here is an overview of the mysterious red heifer, which left even King Solomon, the wisest of all men, scratching his head in wonderment.
Once someone is ritually unpure, one could not enter the Holy Temple or partake of the sacrificial offerings or other sacred foods. In order to be purified, one had to be sprinkled with a special mixture of spring water and ashes from the burned remains of the red heifer.