Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 19:2/אבן עזרא על במדבר י״ט:ב׳
אזאת חקת. גם זאת הפרשה במדבר סיני נאמרה כאשר צוה השם וישלחו מן המחנה ובפסח היו טמאי מתים. ונסמכה זאת הפרשה בעבור שהיא לכהן:
1THIS IS THE STATUTE. This chapter was also1 stated at Sinai. It was given when God commanded that they put out of the camp…whosoever is unclean by the dead (Num. 5:2). There were also people who were unclean by coming into contact with a dead body when Passover2 arrived (Num. 9:6). This chapter is placed here3 because it relates to the kohen.4 played a major role in the ritual of the red heifer.
בפרה אדמה תמימה. שלא תהיה קטנה. אמר הגאון כי מי נדה כמו הדבש שיזיק לבעל המרה האדומה ויועיל לבעל הלחה ואין צורך:
2A RED HEIFER, FAULTLESS. The heifer is not to be small.5 (cow), not of an eglah (heifer). The Gaon6 says that the water of sprinkling (v. 13)7 is similar to honey, which is injurious to the one who has red bile8 but stimulates the one who has phlegm.9 However, there is no need for this interpretation.