"Living with the Parshah," adapting our contemporary experience to the lessons of the weekly Torah reading, is a motif which the Alter Rebbe ingrained within chassidim.
This week's Torah reading, Parshas Chukas, provides lessons that are distinctively relevant to our present time.
For the name Chukas refers to Divine decrees, matters which transcend our human comprehension.
And the subject matter of the Torah reading deals with purification and renewal of life.
Moreover, the conclusion focuses on the goal of our efforts, the preparation for the entry of the Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael.
May the study of the Rebbe Melech HaMashiach's teachings inspire us to further the goals to which he dedicated his life. And may we soon merit the coming of Mashiach who will lead our entire people to Eretz Yisrael. There he will offer the tenth Red Heifer, purifying the entire nation. (See Parah 3:5; Rambam Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Parah, the conclusion of chapter 3).
And we will continue to proceed in our Divine service to the age when the purification of the Red Heifer will no longer be necessary. For "[G-d] will swallow up death for eternity, and G-d, the L-rd will wipe away tears from every face," (Isaiah 25:8) with the Resurrection of the Dead."
3 Tammuz, 5754
Adapted from:
Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XVIII, p. 229ff
The category of chukim refers to mitzvos whose rationale cannot be grasped by human intellect.
Within this category, however, the laws of the Red Heifer stand out as unique.
Thus the Midrash [1] quotes King Shlomo (about whom it is written: [2] "And Shlomo was wiser than every man on the face of the earth"):
"I was able to comprehend all the [other difficult passages in the Torah], but with regard to the passage of the Red Heifer, I asked and I sought; "I said, 'I will become wise,' but I [saw] that it was far from me." [3]
Indeed, it was only with regard to Moshe, that the Midrash
[4] states: "The Holy One, blessed be He, told Moshe: 'To you [alone] will I reveal the rationale for the Red Heifer.'"
On one hand, these quotes imply that the laws of the Red Heifer do not transcend the realms of intellect entirely, for Moshe was granted comprehension of their rationale.
Nevertheless, this rationale obviously transcends ordinary knowledge, and thus it could not be perceived by Shlomo, nor did Moshe communicate it to others. [5]
Indeed, even Moshe's appreciation did not come as a result of own powers of comprehension.
As the Midrash states: [6] "It is a chukah, a decree which I have ordained. And no created beings are able to comprehend My decrees."
Why was Moshe able to grasp this rationale?
Because he was granted a unique gift from G-d.
G-d is omnipotent - able to fuse transcendence and limitation together - and it was by virtue of this omnipotence that Moshe was able to appreciate this rationale.
The question, however, arises: Why only to Moshe?
If appreciating the rationale of the Red Heifer would advance one's Divine service, why didn't G-d - or Moshe - share it with others?
The resolution of this question depends on insight into the nature of the Torah.
The Torah is one with G-d; [7] it is an expression of His essential will.
Therefore, just as His will is above intellectual comprehension, so too, the Torah.
Nevertheless, G-d gave the Torah to mortals, not because He desired their obedience, but rather, because He desired their welfare.
He wanted man to develop a connection with Him, and moreover, for that connection to be internalized within man's understanding, so that G-dly wisdom would be part of his inner makeup. And with that intent, He enclothed the Torah in an intellectual framework.
This intellectual dimension is, however, merely an extension of the Torah.
The Torah's essence remains transcendent G-dliness that cannot be contained within any limits - even the limits of intellect.
To relate to this essence, man must approach the Torah with a commitment that transcends his wisdom and logic.
To highlight this dimension, it was necessary for at least one aspect of the Torah to remain above intellectual comprehension entirely.
This is the message of the laws of the Red Heifer.
These laws which transcend our understanding attune us to appreciate the entire Torah in this light, and develop our sensitivity to its inner G-dly core.
Were the entire Torah to have been enclothed in reason, man would be motivated to follow his own understanding and would have difficulty in rising to a challenge that requires mesirus nefesh, self-sacrifice.
Indeed, limiting our spiritual commitment to the intellectual sphere would encourage man's natural material, inclination.
There would be a tendency to follow one's desires and to rationalize one's conduct even when it is lacking, finding explanations to justify one's spiritual failures. [8]
And without making a unlimited commitment to the Torah, man would not be able to relate to its unlimited truth.
The laws of the Red Heifer, however, imbue a person with an awareness of the unlimited nature of the Torah, pushing him forward, and stirring him to devote himself entirely to the Torah, both to its observance and its study. [9]
Becoming conscious of the inner G-dly nature of the Torah awakens the inner G-dly nature of our souls, enabling us to develop a complete bond with Him.
To underscore this unique dimension contributed by the laws of the Red Heifer, the Torah refers to them as chukas haTorah ("the decree of the Torah"), [10] rather than chukas haporah ("the decree of the [Red] Heifer"). [11]
Using this term emphasizes that our connection with the entire Torah is dependent on commitment which transcends intellect.
This explanation, however, leads to a further question.
If leaving the laws of the Red Heifer as a chok is essential to our approach to the Torah, why did G-d reveal their rationale to Moshe?
According to the above, this would detract from Moshe's commitment.
The resolution of this question revolves upon the idea that the rationale for the laws of Red Heifer is not an intellectual concept which Moshe understood.
Instead, the intent is that G-d's essential will was revealed within Moshe's thought.
That which cannot be understood became the cornerstone of his intellectual powers.
To explain:
Moshe represented the personification of the attribute of Chochmah, usually translated as "wisdom."
There is, however, a difference between our ordinary conception of wisdom and Chochmah.
All conceptualization is made up of two elements:
- the intellectual idea itself, and
- the process of opening oneself up to appreciate that idea, letting go of one's previous way of thinking and stepping beyond.
Chochmah relates to the second element, and thus Chochmah is identified with bittul, selfless existence.
[12]
This bittul makes Chochmah an appropriate vessel for the Ein Sof, G-d's Infinity, to rest. [13]
And this spiritual process - that the Ein Sof rests within Chochmah - is reflected in G-d's making known to Moshe the rationale for the laws of the Red Heifer.
For this reason, knowing the rationale for the laws of the Red Heifer did not detract from Moshe's commitment.
Moshe's selflessness enabled him to be identified totally with G-dliness.
Unlike other mortals, he did not have a separate, individual self-image; he saw himself only as a medium for the expression of G-d's truth.
Mesirus nefesh, self-sacrifice, was his fundamental nature, and hence it could never be diminished.
In the Era of the Redemption, Mashiach will offer the tenth Red Heifer, purifying the entire nation. [14] And we will continue to proceed in our Divine service to the age when the purification of the Red Heifer will no longer be necessary. For "He will swallow up death for eternity," [15] and G-dliness, the source of all life, will be overtly revealed throughout all existence.
Notes:
- (Back to text) Bamidbar Rabbah 19:3.
- (Back to text) I Kings 5:11.
- (Back to text) Ecclesiastes 7:23.
- (Back to text) Loc. cit.:6, Midrash Tanchuma, sec. 8.
- (Back to text) Moreover, we find that pilpulei d'oraisa, the process of didactic reasoning through which the Oral Law is elucidated was also given to Moshe as a gift from G-d.
In this instance, however, Moshe taught this method of study to the entire Jewish people (Nedarim 38a).
The fact he did not teach the rationale of the Red Heifer to others, thus indicates that he was unable to do - that it represents an intellectual plateau that is unaccessible to others.
- (Back to text) Koheles Rabbah 8:1 (5).
- (Back to text) Zohar I, 24a.
- (Back to text) See the commentary of the Ramban (Leviticus 19:2) which speaks about the possibility of being "a degenerate with the Torah's license."
- (Back to text) See the essay in this series entitled "Real Growth" which explains how Bechukosai - the appreciation of the dimension of chukim in the Torah - inspires one to "labor in Torah study," to apply oneself arduously, beyond one's ordinary limits.
- (Back to text) Numbers 19:2.
- (Back to text) In reference to the laws of the Paschal sacrifice, for example, it is written (Exodus 12:43): "This is chukas haPesach (the decree of the Paschal sacrifice)."
- (Back to text) See Tanya, ch. 3.
- (Back to text) Tanya, ch. 35.
- (Back to text) Parah 3:5; Rambam Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Parah, the conclusion of ch. 3.
- (Back to text) Isaiah 25:8.
Korach 5754