The Almighty promised Moses that to him He would reveal the secret meaning of the Red Heifer; but only after Moses would initially accept it as a Divine decree
A life sentence for jaywalking? Twenty years for chewing gum in public? Singapore notwithstanding, surely that's over the top! Well, was it so different for Moses, who is punished and denied entrance to the Promised Land for the seemingly minor infraction of hitting a rock instead of speaking to it?
Do not look into your neighbor's tent to help decide what you should be doing. Your decisions in life should not be based on what other people are, or are not, doing.