Our parasha discusses the egla arufa- the calf that is killed in a ritual outside town, after someone has been murdered by an unknown perpetrator. This shiur compares this scenario with other rituals—the scapegoat of Yom Kippur and the para aduma (red heifer), which also occur outside the holy precincts. What is the inherent purpose and symbolism behind these seemingly strange and exceptional rites?

KMTT - August 2013