UNDERSTANDING THAT WHICH CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD
Dear Family
Hope everyone is well.
The Mazal Tovs this week are all in Sharon.
Mazal Tov to Reuven and Chana Lieba on their Anniversary today!
And to Sara, whose birthday is also today! Mazal Tov.
Wishing you all many simchos, especially one wedding should lead quickly to the next.
It was interesting that we finished Sefer Avodah of Rambam yesterday (Book 8), and in the very last halacha, the Rambam speaks extensively about CHUKIM in comparison to another area of Mitzvos called Mishpatim.
And this week's Sedra is also BECHUKOSAI
And one of the days in Hayom Yom this week also spoke about CHUKIM.
Rambam
Chukim are commandments Hashem gave us which we cannot UNDERSTAND.
Mishpatim are those mitzvoth where everyone can understand, and see their benefit for themselves, and for the world eg
1. Not to kill
2. Not to rob
3. Honouring ones father and mother etc
Most of Sefer Avoda deals with Sacrifices, and the Rambam says in the last halacha, that all the Sacrifices are in the category of CHUKIM (which we cannot understand)
'It is appropriate for a person to meditate on the judgements of The Holy Torah, and know their ultimate purpose.
If he cannot find a reason or motivating rationale for a practice, he should not regard it lightly.....
A person should not treat them (these mitzvoth) derisively because he does not understand their rationale...and the nations of the world also challenge them.
Which prompted Dovid Hamelech to say 'Wilful transgressors have stacked falsehood against me, but I guard Your precepts with a full heart'.....
And as it is said ' you shall heed My CHUKIM and MISHPATIM which a person performs, and live through them.'
Sedra and Hayom Yom
The Sedra starts 'Im bechokosai telechu', and the Rebbe points out a different angle to this by explaining the Sages interpretation of Im.
Im normally means 'if', but it can also mean 'if only'
In other words Hashem is pleading with us (as it were) to keep His Torah.
And moreover through this, the soul becomes a mehaleich ie it progresses,( from the word 'teleichu' - advances or walks.
So it should be possible to understand the value of keeping mitzvoth which we do not understand fully.
And it is their irrationality which gives us the greatest opportunity to advance.
Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos.
This weeks Rambam (5 minutes per week) was the last 4 Perakim in Sefer Avoda (Hilchos Meila) and the first 3 Perakim in Sefer Korbanos (Hilchos Korban Pesach)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zFsu7TC1IXA57FKtBGM5CJ0aAJZOJdvwb8IdU8dD 89c/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lYiYbJRR8ZYU3FEzbBJdZq9soOXZeYGi6cQCok2e s94/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18LCdtnMoOFsfxkxHjcW3nyVIjV-D3hX5S6oFAycC -cA/edit