My Red Heifer Moment

Death is not just physical. It’s a spiritual state, a feeling of hopelessness, of paralysis. It’s the voice that whispers, “What’s the point? Nothing really matters.”

When someone connects to the energy of despair, decay, and/or futility, they become spiritually blocked. One is then unable to step into the sacred spaces of vitality, purpose, and Divine connection.

Judaism insists otherwise.

The ritual of the Red Heifer, mysterious as it is, comes to cleanse that energy. It reminds us that no matter how heavy life feels, there is a path back to life, to meaning, and to holiness.

The mitzvah of the Red Heifer is known as the ultimate chok, a law that defies logic. The ritual purifies the impure while rendering the pure impure. It does not make sense. And that’s the point.

The Torah is teaching us something profound: not everything holy fits into human logic. Some things are done not because it makes sense to do so, but because they are true. Because they are Divine.

This past Sunday felt like our own Red Heifer moment.

We rejected despair and did something that defies logic. We created purity, hope, and connection in the form of a building.

This new space isn’t just brick and wood. It’s a bold rejection of cynicism. A statement of belief in life, in community, and in the power of the Jewish soul.

Some look around and see a world in decline. At the opening of Harford Haven, we saw the opposite:
Children laughing.
Neighbors connecting.
Souls lifted.

Who would have imagined, five or ten years ago, that our community would come together to build a center for Jewish life in Harford County? That families, individuals, volunteers, and supporters would give not just of their time and money, but their hearts?

Could anyone have logically predicted this? Probably not.

Yet, we felt it.
We believed in it.
We showed up.
We made it happen.

Is there still a large mortgage? Yes.
Is everything finished? Not yet.
But that’s exactly what chukat haTorah is about: Stepping beyond comfort zones. Choosing commitment over calculation. Purpose over predictability.

We’re not just avoiding decay, we’re choosing vitality. Choosing growth. Choosing to bring holiness into this world, one mitzvah, one moment, one brick at a time.

We did that and it paid off in joy, connection, and holiness.

Have you ever experienced a red heifer moment? 

Have an amazing Shabbos,

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman

P.S. If you are in town, join us at the new building for services 10:00 am

Kushi