SHENI TOLA'AT

Metzorah - a physical ailment from a spiritual disease. And a cleansing ritual involving certain substances. One of which is an intense red derived from a bug.


SHENI TOLA'AT

Oak bug red, Mediterranean cochineal. The name is descriptive: tola’at is a worm or larva (here actually indicating a product of the creature), sheni is an intense dye stuff. As the animal (Coccus Ilicis) is minute, and was usually traded dried and finely ground, it was not apparent at that time that this was in fact dubious origin.

While the cedar can be easily understood as a precious aromatic (see mention of kedar libnan in the Shir Ha Shirim), that is not the reason why hyssop (eizov) and sheni tola’at are added. Hyssop can be considered purifying, and sheni tola’at was precious.

Additionally, the transformation of the red dye stuff to white ashes by the fire represents the cleansing of sin - which may explain the permissibility of including tola’at sheni in the first place, as the incineration and its symbolism would serve to purify it.

Sheni tola’at is also called kermes, from which the word crimson derives, though originally kermes was the name of type of oak on which it lived. Kermes was traded extensively, and was known by variations of that name throughout the Middle East and central Asia (crimson is the English spelling of kirmizan = Arabic for scarlet-like, scarlet hued).

Note that American cochineal (from a bug native to Mexico, not the same as the Mediterranean oak bug) is still often used as a food colouring (both intense orange and fiery red), rendering tamei mamesh everything of which it is part (best read the label on that refreshing beverage carefully).
Annato (Bixa Orellana) seeds yield a kosher substitute food coloring, which has minor health-giving properties (antioxidants) besides.

A term related to kermes, kermil, gives the word carmine, and the reputed verminous origin of the colouring matter yields the word vermillion, which is actually cinnabar (mercury sulfide and mercury oxide), used by the Chinese as ink for signature seal impressions and as a magical ingredient in potions for longevity (strongly disadvised! Several emperors shortened their lives and lost their minds because of such potions).

Mercury oxide was also used topically for chancres and certain lesions. Sometimes the cure is worse than the ailment.


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LITTLE BLUE ADDENDUM

Many readers at this point will be reminded of techeiles (techelet); twisted ocean-blue wool, the dye for which was derived from a sea-snail (chilazon - Murex spp.). This is the colour that one thread of the Tzitzit (fringes of the prayer shawl) was supposed to have, but the exact method of manufacturing the dye has been lost.

It is written in Bamidbar (Numbers) 15:37 "Va yomer Adonai el Moishe, lemor: " (And the LORD spoke to Moishe, saying:)
15:38 "Daber el benei Yisrael ve amarta aleihem ve asu lahem tsitsit al kanfei vigdeihem le dorotam ve noatnu al tsitsit ha kanaf petil techelet," (Speak to the children of Israel and order them to make fringes on the corners of their garments, for all generations, and that in fringes there be a thread of blue);
15:39 "ve haya lachem le tsitsit u reitem oto u zechartem et kol mitsvot Adonai, va asitem otam, ve lo taturu acharei levavchem ve acharei eineichem asher atem zonim achareihem" (And it shall be to you for a tsitsit, so that you may look at it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them, and that you do not go after your heart and your eyes, which you use to go off-course);
15:40 "lema'an tizkeru va asitem et kol mitsvotai, v' ihyitem kedoshim leloheichem" (so that you remember and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your G_d).
15:41 "Ani Adonai Eloheichem asher hotseti et-chem me erets Mitsrayim l'ihyot lachem l'Elohim - Ani Adonai Eloheichem!" (I am the LORD your G_d, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your G_d - I am the LORD your G_d!).