This week's parsha has the dubious "honor" of containing the death of two of Am Yisrael's most prominent leaders; as if the troubles and travails of the previous two parshiot weren't enough. The parsha starts, however, with something a little less traumatic, the parah adumah, the red heifer. In a parsha filled with so much death it seems only appropriate that the mitzvah of the parah adumah be introduced to start things off. It's almost as if Hashem were getting us ready for what was about to come. How can we cope with so much death without knowing that there will be a cleansing which only the parah adumah can offer?
The Talmud asks "Why is the death of Miriam placed adjacent to the mitzvah of parah adumah?" The Talmud answers, "Just as the parah adumah atones, so to does the death of the righteous atone." What is it the parah adumah atones for? The parah adumah atones for the sin of the golden calf. Interestingly enough the golden calf was a result of the people thinking that Moshe rabbenu wasn't coming down the mountain, that he was lost to them forever. In that moment of despair amongst the throngs of desperation of the loss of their leader Moshe, the people turned to idol worship. Curious it is then, that in our parsha the death of a leader is intentionally placed next to that which is specifically given as atonement for that idolatry.
So what does it mean that the Talmud states, that just as the parah adumah is atonement, so to the death of the righteous? In order to understand this we must first look at the events that occur as a result of Miriam's passing; that is namely that the nation runs out of water. The midrash states that the reason why the death of Miriam and the running out of water are placed next to each other is that due to the merit of Miriam the nation was continuously watered with a well. Is there a connection perhaps between the loss of water and the atonement that the Talmud states is being taught?
Just as the nation was alarmed and distressed about disappearance of Moshe (he who brought the people Torah which is likened to water) at Mt. Sinai, so to the nation appears to be quite perturbed about the loss of water as a result of Miriam's passing.
It is taught that through the merit of the righteous ones, the tzadikkim, our connection to Torah, to that which waters us continuously from the wellspring of life, is forged. When they are gone, it can appear that all is lost, our connection is gone, our link is severed. It is in those times when we may most despair. It is in our lowest hour that the light seems farthest away. However, it is specifically in those times when the most reflection is needed. Atonement provides us with the ability to return to the Source when we feel most disconnected, when we feel as if we are better off dead
The teaching of atonement through the link between the parah adumah, which purifies one from the touch of death, and Miriam's death teaches us most deeply that in our greatest moments of despair, in the hardest times is specifically when we are called upon to return, to seek out our place of disconnection and re-forge the link with life. We mustn't despair. We see that this only leads to further devastation (i.e. Moshe's inability to enter Eretz Yisrael, or the golden calf). Let us all learn to speak to the rock, to seek out new wellsprings of life and feel alive again.