Rabbi Nachman: The Red Heifer Teaches Us to Find Our Inner Good

The article presents a Hasidic interpretation of the Torah portion of Chukat, drawing on Rabbi Nachman and Rabbi Natan, to explain the mystery of the red heifer. It says the red heifer, which is both “red” and “perfect,” symbolizes the power of finding the good within oneself, the “good point,” and that this inner good purifies a person and lifts them from impurity to purity.

According to the piece, the world contains opposing forces of light and darkness, good and bad, and every person carries that tension. But the way to rise is not to focus on flaws or self-judgment. The author argues that people who highlight another person’s faults often cannot see the good in themselves, and that constant self-criticism leaves a person empty, unhappy, and unable to feel satisfied even after success.

The article quotes Rabbi Natan saying that someone who sees only the “not good” in himself must “soothe the judgment” by finding “some good point” within. It adds that even someone at the lowest level must find merit in himself so he will not fall completely, and that true repentance and purification come through this process. At the same time, the text warns against the opposite mistake, arrogance, quoting the sages: “Even if the whole world says you are righteous, in your eyes be like a wicked person.”

The central message is that a person should judge himself favorably, recognize that the soul remains pure even after sin, and remember that hidden goodness cannot be taken away. The article ends by saying God has not given up on anyone, and neither should a person give up on himself.