Community Torah Corner, May 27, 2022

In this week’s sidra of Bechukosay the opening verse states: “If you will go in my Chukim/statutes and keep my commandments and do them." Rashi there states that, although chukim/statutes usually refer to a certain type of mitzvoth- i.e. the mitzvoth which are not well understood and kind of transcend reason- in this case it refers to the study of Torah in a very laborious manner, whereby one really exerts himself copiously in his Torah study. The reason for Rashi’s comment is that if it were referring to mitzvah observance, it would be repetitious since the next part of the verse states “and keep my commandments and do them." However, one may still ask, why not do the reverse: let the words “if you will go in my chukim/statutes” refer to mitzvah observance and then apply the words “and keep my commandments and do them” somehow refer to Torah study. The obvious answer is that somehow the words “if you will go in my chukim/statutes” lend themselves better to relate to Torah study than the words “keep my commandments." But how so?

The answer will emerge, based on the definition of the different categories of mitzvoth. The word “mitzvah” is a general word which means “command”  and is applicable to any of the Torah commandments, both negative and positive, the don’ts and the do’s. It also serves as a means of connection to the One Who gave the command.  The word “mitzvah” is actually connected to the Arameic word “tzavta” which means “connection”. All the mitzvoth are then subdivided into three categories:

 

In Hebrew, the holy tongue, all homonyms sharing similar consonants have some kind of linguistic connection. This applies to the case in point, the word chukim. The  singular of chukim is chuka, which shares similar consonants with the word chakika, which means “to carve”. The letters of a Sefer Torah are written and superimposed on it, while the letters of the 10 Commandments on the two tablets were carved out, as part and parcel of the stone tablets. This refers to the deeper dimension of Torah study, whereby the Torah letters and words become carved into the human brain in a deeper way.

Of all the three words used to define mitzvoth, therefore, the word chukim is the one which lends itself to also refer to Torah study. What remains to be understood is the connection between both meanings: (a) chukim as the suprarational mitzvoth (b) chukim as the deeper, carving dimension of Torah study.

As rational as many parts of Torah and the Talmud are—we have to remember that there is also the suprarational, esoteric dimension of Torah, sometimes referred to as the “soul of Torah”. This dimension is more reachable when the Torah is studied laboriously, with great effort, in a sense carving in the words of Torah into our brain. This is because Torah is G-d’s wisdom and totally united within G-d, as G-d is One. Ascribing specific separate parameters to the Divine wisdom, kindness etc… in effect takes away from the Divine Unity. Hence, as these Divine attributes of wisdom, kindness, severity, compassion etc…are totally included within the Divine unity, they too possess the Infinite Divine dimension.  As we approach Shavuot, the reenactment of Matan Torah, let us make a renewed commitment to indeed study Torah laboriously and thereby connect deeply with its infinite dimension, as reflected in the word “chukosay/chukim” in this week’s sidra.