Parshas חקת starts with the מצוה of פרה אדומה. The תורה states that the פרה אדומה must be taken מחוץ למחנה. The פסוק says,
ולקח אלעזר הכהן מדמה באצבעו והזה אל נוכח פני אהל מועד
The כהן sprinkles the blood of the פרה אדומה towards the אהל מועד. Chazal note that in the times of the בית המקדש, the פרה אדומה was prepared on הר הזיתים, also known as הר המשחה, the mountain which is right outside the walls of ירושלים, overlooking the בית המקדש. And from there, the כהן would sprinkle the blood, towards the בית המקדש.
What is the point of sprinkling the blood in the direction of the בית המקדש, while standing outside ירושלים?
Next week marks the begining of the days of בין המצרים. The פסוק in מגילת איכה notes,
כל רודפיה הישיגוה בין המצרים
The פשט in the פסוק is that the enemies of כלל ישראל have overcome us during this period. Many ספרים, however, note that there is also a רמז hinted here,
כל רודפי י-ה הישיגוה בין המצרים.
Those seeking Hashem will find Him during these days of בין המצרים. The נתיבות שלום explains that while logic dictates that it’s easier to come close to the רבש”ע during those times when He’s closer to us, such as יום טוב, or חודש אלול, it’s actually also an opportune time to come close to Him, specifically in times of ריחוק.
This can be compared to a person driving on the highway. As long as the roads are clear and there’s little disruptions, he can drive on cruise control, not giving much close thought to the road ahead. It’s only when there are disruptions and traffic on the road that the driver begins to slow down and give the road his full attention. Similarly, when things are running smoothly between כלל ישראל and Hashem, we may find ourselves coasting along in our עבודת השם, not necessarily giving it the effort and attention it deserves. But when Hashem chooses to distance Himself, such as during בין המצרים, we acutely feel that distance, which can potentially lead to increased feelings of yearning towards השם and improved עבודה on our part, in an effort to once again regain His closeness.
Taken in that context, the days of בין המצרים are actually days of closeness, not by Hashem coming close to us, but rather by us sensing the His distance, and doing our part to reverse it. And when the רבש”ע sees us seeking His closeness, He in turn does come closer. As חז”ל say, when describing חורבן בית ראשון ,
בשעה שנכנסו נכרים להיכל ראו כרובים מעורים זה בזה.
At the moment of חורבן, the כרובים were hugging each other, showing that Hashem’s love for כלל ישראל was ignited once again, during those moments of חורבן. That is the meaning of
כל רודפי י-ה הישיגוה בין המצרים.
By showing our desire to come close to Hashem, specifically during this time of ריחוק, we merit Him coming close to us.
We can now understand the meaning of sprinkling the blood of the פרה אדומה towards the בית המקדש , while standing on הר הזיתים. The פרה אדומה must be prepared outside the walls of ירושלים. But even there, from a distance, the goal remains to connect with the בית המקדש. And therefore והזה אל נוכח פני אוהל מועד. The כהן aims towards the בית המקדש showing that yearning for connection.
And that lesson is relevant even in our times. Even when we cannot be in ירושלים and the בית המקדש, we should nonetheless aim towards it, showing our yearning and desire to be there. And just like by the פרה אדומה, that yearning and drive is what ultimately leads to connection to Hashem even during these times.
We’ll conclude with a final thought. The days of בין המצרים open with י”ז בתמוז. Chazal note that it was on that day the משה רבינו came down from הר סיני and broke the לוחות, after witnessing the חטא העגל. The פסוק in פרשת כי תשא states that כלל ישראל became frightened the day before, when due to their miscalculation, they assumed that משה רבינו had died. After forcing אהרן to create the עגל, he declared,
חג לה’ מחר!
Hoping that משה would come down early in the morning, and there would be no opportunity for sin. אהרן declared that tomorrow, the day of י”ז בתמוז will be a יום טוב. In the end, by the time משה came down, the חטא העגל was well underway. Nontheless, that declaration that שבעה עשר בתמוז will be a ‘חג לה, is still relevant. As the נביא states,
צום הרביעי וצום החמישי, צום השביעי וצום העשירי, יהיה לבית ישראל לששון ולשמחה.
May it happen speedily in our times!