Parshas Parah: This Shabbos
This Shabbos we read Parshas Parah (at the beginning of Parshas Chukas). Parshas Parah discusses the preparation of the Parah Adumah, the Red Heifer, which was burnt at this time of the year by the Jews in the Midbar (desert), to be sprinkled with its ashes and be cleansed from impurity in order to be eligible to join in the Korbon Pesach (Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 685:1).
There is a machlokes amongst the poskim whether the reading of Parshas Parah is a Torah obligation today. To be mindful of the opinion that it is Min HaTorah, one should concentrate during the reading to be yotze this mitzvah. According to all opinions, women are not obligated in this mitzvah (Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 685:7, Moadim U’zmanim 2:168).
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