How can we purify ourselves, cleanse ourselves of negativity? The Zohar responds to the bizarre and purposely incomprehensible methodology in this week’s parsha – the red heifer. This was a cow that would be sacrificed and its ashes ground with clear water to be consumed to accomplish a purification. How would that work? Sages have been discussing it for millennia. The Zohar says that cow was the color of red roses and comments that cedar wood and hyssop and a red thread were part of the fire – cedar a giant tree to remind us not to be arrogant, hyssop the small leaf, to be humble, and the red thread to acknowledge our misguided behaviors. Another “wonder” of cleansing was Miriam’s rock from which pure water flowed in streams to each of the tribes. Neither the rock nor the heifer exist now, so we have a lot of work to do on our own.