דבר אחר:יהי לבי תמים בחקיך, זה חקת הפסח, וחקת פרה אדומה. למה? ששניהן דומין זה לזה. בזה נאמר: זאת חקת הפסח. ובזה נאמר (במדבר יט, ב): זאת חקת התורה. ואי אתה יודע איזו חקה גדולה מזו! משל לשתי מטרונות דומות, שהיו מהלכות שתיהן כאחת נראות שוות, מי גדולה מזו, אותה שחברתה מלוה אותה עד ביתה והולכת אחריה.כך בפסח נאמר בו חקה, ובפרה נאמר בה חקה, ומי גדולה הפרה שאוכלי פסח צריכין לה, שנאמר ( שם שם, יז): ולקחו לטמא מעפר שריפת החטאת. (שמות רבה יט:ב)
What is the comparison between the law of Pesach and the law of Parah, what is the question of which one is greater and why is the law of parah greater?
Rav Kook (Midbar Shor 35) says based upon the Cuzari that the sin of the agel was that Klal Yisrael wanted to serve Hashem properly through the agel, logically it was a sensible thing to do, but at the end of the day it was wrong. The lesson is that the ways of Hashem are beyond human logic and we at times must put aside our logic for G-dly logic. The parah atones for the agel for death is the opposite of the desire of G-d to give life but yet G-d gives death for somehow that leads to a greater life. This is beyond our comprehension to fathom. Hence, all those that are involved in the process of the taharah from the tumas meis are tamah, meaning they don't see the good that comes out of death, it is a tumah, a hester panim but at the end, only at the end of the process is there taharah, can one see the good. The lesson of the parah is the antithesis of the agel. The parah teaches that at times the goal, the taharah, the G-dly logic can only be recognized at the end of the process. The ends justify the means but the means don't justify the end. Pesach teaches that sometimes there needs to be a jump, one doesn't have to wait to the end ,the geulah came early, sometimes doing what appears to humanly be correct is correct. "נתגלתה השלמות הראוי' בסוף ג"כ באמצע. ואם היו כל ההנהגות כולן עפ"ז הדרך, שהמתגלה קודם גמר התכלית הי' נראה מחלק השלמות המכוון לרצונו ית', אז הי' מקום לבעל הדין לומר שיוסיף מצות ע"פ הנהגתו והשכלתו." There is a balance that one must have of these two approaches, of using logic to try to prefect implementations of the rules of the Torah but at the same time suspending our logic for G-dly logic when we want to implement change. It is ultimately the message of the of the parah that is greater for it only at the ends, not the means that one will be able to truly understand Hashem's plan.
Rav Solevetchik (sefer of Stam miluim) says the Midrash is discussing two forms of acceptance of the decrees of G-d. Rav Solevetchik (being a Briskor) says that the concept of a chok teaches us that we don't ask למה or מדוע but מה. A Jew doesn't ask why but what should we do. The defining moment of kabbalas haTorah is נעשה ונשמע, Klal Yisrael said what should we do, we will do. There are two ways that one is challenged in this acceptance of faith. Sometimes there are personal challenges that one must overcome, a person is temted to ask למה, why do I have to do this? For this question comes the lesson of the parah, we don't ask why we accept the chukim of Hashem what he says to do, we do. The lesson of pesach is that sometimes there are national calamities, when Klal Yisrael is challenged with difficult times and one is tempted to ask מדוע, why is this happening to us, for that we have the chok of Pesach. Despite the setbacks, we know the geulah will eventually come. The question of the midrash is which chok, which aspect of acceptance will be מטהר the person, will elevate the individual to rise above his egotistical, animalistic self? The answer is the parah, it is the internal acceptance of a person which is most necessary to elevate himself. After that one can be elevated further by the acceptance of the national fate and faith of Klal Yisrael.
The Rebbe (maamer Parah 5624) says the Midrash is debating what is better, the path of the tzaddik or the path of the baal teshuva. The chok of the pesach represents the forming of the nation of Klal Yisrael as pure tzaddikim like a newborn child. The chok of the parah comes after there is tumah ,after sin, when does teshuva to clean up the sin. The Midrash says that although the chok of pesach, the bath of no evil is of course great, no that we are in a world which does contain sin, that must be elevated and that is only possible through teshuva.
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