the section of (dealing with Yom Kippur, which states was transmitted immediately after the death of Aaron's two sons), the section dealing with the drinking of wine by priests in the section of the lights of the menorah in , and the section of the Red Cow in Tractate Parah in the Mishnah and Tosefta interpreted the laws of the Red Cow in Rabbi Tanhum son of Rabbi Hannilai taught that was one of two sections in the Torah (along with on corpse contamination) that Moses gave the Israelites in writing that are both pure, dealing with the law of purity. Rabbi Tanhum taught that they were given on account of the tribe of Levi, of whom it is written (in ), "he [God's messenger] shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them." The Mishnah and Tosefta taught that if the month of Adar began on a Sabbath, then the section on the Red Cow in was read on the third Sabbath of the month (thus preceding Passover, so as to caution the people to purify themselves in preparation for eating the Passover sacrifice). Rabbi Joshua of Siknin taught in the name of Rabbi Levi that the Evil Inclination criticizes four laws as without logical basis, and Scripture uses the expression "statute" (, chok) in connection with each: the laws of (1) a brother's wife (in ), (2) mingled kinds (in and ), (3) the scapegoat (in ), and (4) the Red Cow (in ). In connection with the Red Cow, the Mishnah noted the paradox that the garments of all those who took any part in the preparation of the Red Cow became defiled, but the cow itself made garments ritually clean. And applies the term "statute" to the Red Cow. A Midrash taught that an idolater once asked Rabban Johanan ben Zakkai about the Red Cow, likening its procedures to witchcraft. Rabban Johanan asked the idolater what he had seen done for a man possessed by a demon of madness. The idolater explained how in such a case, they would bring roots, make them smoke under the madman, sprinkle water on the man, and the demon would flee. Rabban Johanan told him that the Red Cow dealt similarly with the spirit of uncleanness, as says: "And also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land." Rabban Johanan told him that