Hamas Terrified That Israel is Importing the Para Adumah

 

 When Abu Obeida, a military spokesman for Hamas, began his televised speech marking 100 days since the October 7 attack last week, most of what he said followed the familiar mantra of praising Hamas’ military resistance and calling for all Muslims to rise against Israel. But as he began listing the motives for the October 7 massacre, he said that the aggression against “our path and Al-Aqsa” reached its peak with the “bringing of red cows.”

To much of the world, such a statement sounds strange, as they are not aware of traditional Jewish beliefs regarding the “Parah Adumah”, the red heifers used for purification.  The “bringing of red cows” which Obeida was referring to was the 2022 arrival of five red heifers to the Temple Institute, a Jewish organization focused on establishing the Third Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The heifers are quietly being groomed by the Institute for their ultimate goal.

The rare animal is the main component in a ritual purification ceremony for cleansing ritual impurity from proximity or contact with a dead body. Since the destruction of the Second Temple, all Jews today are considered ritually impure, thereby preventing the return of the Temple service and even entering the holy places on Temple Mount.

Securing a potential unblemished red heifer is key to the first steps of restarting the Temple service, which implies the removal of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Omar building, rebuilding the Temple, and, ultimately, the return of the Temple Mount to Jewish control. The mere fact that all Jews would be able to ascend to Temple Mount would create pressure to resume services there and rebuild the Temple. Some Jewish traditions maintain that the Third Temple will come down from heaven, but others say that the temple will like its predecessors be constructed by the Jewish nation.

The current effort to rebuild the Temple is not supported by Israel’s government or universally supported within Judaism, but the step toward performing the arcane red heifer ceremony doesn’t just imply a return to the Holy Temple service; it points to the nearness of Moshiach and the ultimate redemption of Israel. According to Rambam, nine red heifers were brought in previous times, the tenth red heifer will be presented by Moshiach himself.

Abu Obeida may not be versed in all Jewish traditions, but he does realize the ultimate threat to Hamas claims of Muslim superiority: The reconstruction of the Temple and the resumption of the holy services there.