The Essence Of A Mitzvah

Dedicated By Yishai Kohen and Shlomo Mermelstein 

In honor of the Aleph Institute, for all of their great work. 

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In this week's parsha, Chukas, we read about the para aduma, the red heifer. It begins, "This is the statute of the Torah," the Midrash on these words, brings the verse, "Who can take out a pure thing from an impure one." And it brings several examples of paradoxes that exist in the laws of purity and impurity. For example, Tzaraas, if it is the size of a lentil, the person is impure, however, if it spreads over the entire body, he is pure. The Midrash continues, "Who commanded so? Who decreed so? Is it not the Unique One of the world... Hashem said, 'I stated My statute, I decreed My decree, you don't have the right to go against My decrees.'" 

Being that the Midrash on the words, "This is the statute of the Torah," brings the examples of paradoxes from all over the laws of purity and impurity, shows that the red heifer is the primary example of all the laws of purity and impurity. In other words, this is the quintessential law of all the laws of purity and impurity. There is something about the red heifer, that is symbolic of all of the different types of purity and impurity, and that is learned from "This is the statute of the Torah." 

Meaning, that there is a decree aspect to the red heifer, as our sages say, "The dead doesn't defile, and the water doesn't purify, it is just that Hashem said, 'I stated my statute, I decreed My decree...' as it says, 'This is the statute of the Torah.'" And this decree aspect of the red heifer, is not simply a detail in the laws of the red heifer, but a general rule that applies to all the laws of purity and impurity. In the words of the Rambam, "It is a thing that is clear and revealed, that impurities and purities are a decree of the Torah, they are not something that the understanding of man dictates, and they are categorized as decrees." 

Everything in Torah is eternal, and even the mitzvahs that we only kept when we had the Beis Hamikdash, although we don't keep them physically, but on a spiritual plane we have them eternally as part of our lives. These laws of purity and impurity, are mostly not kept today, but spiritually, they are very much a part of our lives. These general ideas apply to every single Jew, even to the simplest person who doesn't have the ability to understand much. It doesn't mean that the details of the law apply to him, that may be too much for him to comprehend. However the general idea of, "This is the statute of the Torah," applies to him too. We know this, because when the simplest person reads this verse in the Torah, he is obligated to recite the blessing for learning Torah. On the other hand, when he reads the oral Torah, like Talmud, if he doesn't understand what he is saying, he is not obligated to recite the blessing. So the general concept of, "This is the statute of the Torah," applies at all times and to every person. 

What are we meant to learn from the verse, "This is the statute of the Torah?" 

To understand this, let us take a deeper look at this verse. There is a famous question on this verse. If we are talking about the red heifer, why does it say, "This is the statute of the Torah," and not, "This is the statute of the heifer?" 

Because the decree of the red heifer, has something that applies to the whole Torah. And the red heifer is the decree of all decrees of the Torah. As King Shlomo, the wisest of men, was able to understand the reason for every decree, but about the red heifer he said, "I tried to understand, yet it is far from me." 

To explain. Every mitzvah is the will of Hashem, and that is the true reason for a mitzvah, because that is what Hashem wants. That is what we say in the blessing before mitzvahs, "He commanded us." And we don't say the logical reason behind the mitzvah. When we do a mitzvah, we should truly do it because that is Hashem's will, and not because of its logic. 

You may ask: The whole study of Torah, is to understand the logic and the details of the mitzvahs, so how could you tell me that it is not the reason? When a mitzvah makes its way down into the world, it is wrapped in logic, however, in its essence, it is the will of Hashem, and the logic is an addition. It doesn't mean that the logic isn't important, obviously it is, it is Torah, but there are different parts of a mitzvah, and in its essence, it is the will of Hashem, and we should have that as the essential reason for the mitzvah. 

Now we can understand why the red heifer is the decree of the Torah. Because we have no reason for doing it, other than that it is Hashem's will. And that is also the reason for all the mitzvahs and the whole Torah. In other words, "This is the statute of the Torah." 

The difference between will and understanding, is that when it comes to understanding, there are all kinds of divisions. First in understanding in general, everyone has a different level of understanding. Then in the particulars of the thing you are trying to understand, it is broken down into many details and you can understand part of it well, while you don't understand another part of it. 

Will, on the other hand, is what it is, and there are no divisions. You don't want something a little, you either want it or not. 

So at the level of understanding there can be questions whether or not? Because reason can take you in either direction. But when it comes to will, you do it because it is what Hashem wants, there are no questions. 

We see how the decree of the red heifer expresses itself in all types of purity and impurity, in a few ways. 

First, according to the Torah, it is not possible to be partially impure, even if the impure thing touches one part of the person's body, his whole body becomes impure. 

Second, the smallest connection with the impure item makes him completely impure, just as if he consumed it. 

Third, it doesn't matter his intentions, whether he came in contact with it on purpose or by mistake, whether he wanted to or not, he becomes impure. 

These three, are how the impure item effect the person who comes in contact with it. The fourth is the consequences of becoming impure. No matter how he became impure, he is forbidden to come in contact with holy things, meaning, he can't go to the Temple, he can't partake in any of the Temple offerings, and if he is a Kohen, he can't eat Teruma. 

In all of these four, there are no half measures, you see the will of Hashem, in which there are no divisions, it is all or nothing. 

This is the meaning of what our sages say, "You shouldn't sit and weigh the mitzvahs of the Torah,"  "And you should be careful with a lenient mitzvah, as you would with a strict one." A person should keep all mitzvahs equally, as if they have the same importance. 

You may ask: How could I be expected to keep a lenient mitzvah as I keep a strict one? The Torah itself suggest that some are stricter than others. Even the statement, "You should be careful with a lenient mitzvah, as you would with a strict one," suggests that there are mitzvahs that are more important than others. 

This is the lesson we are meant to take from the laws of purity and impurity. When it comes to our understanding, there are differences between mitzvahs, there are more strict and more lenient. But when it comes to the essence of every mitzvah, that they are Hashem's will, there are no differences between mitzvahs, they are equally Hashem's will. 

With regard to the person doing the mitzvahs, there are differences. The worse the blemish caused by breaking the mitzvah, the stricter it would be. But when it comes to the essential function of a mitzvah, that it connects us with Hashem, there is no difference between one mitzvah and another, they all connect us equally. 

This message, that we should be careful with a lenient mitzvah, as you would with a strict one, applies to every Jew, and acting this way, connects the essence of your soul, which is higher than understanding, with the essence of Hashem, His will. 

How is one to maintain such a high level of devotion on a constant basis, it seems impossible? Doesn't our service to Hashem follow order and understanding? 

Yes. But if you can reach this level of devotion once in a while, and make it a point to go there at certain times, this attitude will seep into and effect all of the mitzvahs you do, and your entire service to Hashem will be raised to a higher level. 

This is also a lesson in bringing a Jew closer to Hashem. One might make the mistake of thinking, "it is enough that I teach him to do the big and important things, the small details are not so important to teach him." But when you realize that it is all equally the will of Hashem, you realize that even a small detail could have a profound effect on him. 

In my experience as a Chabad rabbi, I found that many times, it was the small things that had the biggest effect, in bringing a person closer to Hashem. 

This week, with the help of Hashem, Dina and I will be marrying off our daughter Fruma to Rabbi Levi Karp, the son of Rabbi Zalman and Chani Karp. May your marriage be a binyan adei ad, and may the details of Hashem's will shine brightly in your home. May Dina and I, and Chani and Zalman only have nachas from you, and may we merit to have many Simchas together, leading to the ultimate Simcha, the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon. 

The Essence Of A Mitzvah 

In this week's parsha, Chukas, we read about the para aduma, the red heifer. It begins, "This is the statute of the Torah," the Midrash on these words, brings the verse, "Who can take out a pure thing from an impure one." And it brings several examples of paradoxes that exist in the laws of purity and impurity. For example, Tzaraas, if it is the size of a lentil, the person is impure, however, if it spreads over the entire body, he is pure. The Midrash continues, "Who commanded so? Who decreed so? Is it not the Unique One of the world... Hashem said, 'I stated My statute, I decreed My decree, you don't have the right to go against My decrees.'" 

Being that the Midrash on the words, "This is the statute of the Torah," brings the examples of paradoxes from all over the laws of purity and impurity, shows that the red heifer is the primary example of all the laws of purity and impurity. In other words, this is the quintessential law of all the laws of purity and impurity. There is something about the red heifer, that is symbolic of all of the different types of purity and impurity, and that is learned from "This is the statute of the Torah." 

Meaning, that there is a decree aspect to the red heifer, as our sages say, "The dead doesn't defile, and the water doesn't purify, it is just that Hashem said, 'I stated my statute, I decreed My decree...' as it says, 'This is the statute of the Torah.'" And this decree aspect of the red heifer, is not simply a detail in the laws of the red heifer, but a general rule that applies to all the laws of purity and impurity. In the words of the Rambam, "It is a thing that is clear and revealed, that impurities and purities are a decree of the Torah, they are not something that the understanding of man dictates, and they are categorized as decrees." 

Everything in Torah is eternal, and even the mitzvahs that we only kept when we had the Beis Hamikdash, although we don't keep them physically, but on a spiritual plane we have them eternally as part of our lives. These laws of purity and impurity, are mostly not kept today, but spiritually, they are very much a part of our lives. These general ideas apply to every single Jew, even to the simplest person who doesn't have the ability to understand much. It doesn't mean that the details of the law apply to him, that may be too much for him to comprehend. However the general idea of, "This is the statute of the Torah," applies to him too. We know this, because when the simplest person reads this verse in the Torah, he is obligated to recite the blessing for learning Torah. On the other hand, when he reads the oral Torah, like Talmud, if he doesn't understand what he is saying, he is not obligated to recite the blessing. So the general concept of, "This is the statute of the Torah," applies at all times and to every person. 

What are we meant to learn from the verse, "This is the statute of the Torah?" 

To understand this, let us take a deeper look at this verse. There is a famous question on this verse. If we are talking about the red heifer, why does it say, "This is the statute of the Torah," and not, "This is the statute of the heifer?" 

Because the decree of the red heifer, has something that applies to the whole Torah. And the red heifer is the decree of all decrees of the Torah. As King Shlomo, the wisest of men, was able to understand the reason for every decree, but about the red heifer he said, "I tried to understand, yet it is far from me." 

To explain. Every mitzvah is the will of Hashem, and that is the true reason for a mitzvah, because that is what Hashem wants. That is what we say in the blessing before mitzvahs, "He commanded us." And we don't say the logical reason behind the mitzvah. When we do a mitzvah, we should truly do it because that is Hashem's will, and not because of its logic. 

You may ask: The whole study of Torah, is to understand the logic and the details of the mitzvahs, so how could you tell me that it is not the reason? When a mitzvah makes its way down into the world, it is wrapped in logic, however, in its essence, it is the will of Hashem, and the logic is an addition. It doesn't mean that the logic isn't important, obviously it is, it is Torah, but there are different parts of a mitzvah, and in its essence, it is the will of Hashem, and we should have that as the essential reason for the mitzvah. 

Now we can understand why the red heifer is the decree of the Torah. Because we have no reason for doing it, other than that it is Hashem's will. And that is also the reason for all the mitzvahs and the whole Torah. In other words, "This IS the statute of the Torah." 

The difference between will and understanding, is that when it comes to understanding, there are all kinds of divisions. First in understanding in general, everyone has a different level of understanding. Then in the particulars of the thing you are trying to understand, it is broken down into many details and you can understand part of it well, while you don't understand another part of it. 

Will, on the other hand, is what it is, and there are no divisions. You don't want something a little, you either want it or not. 

So at the level of understanding there can be questions whether or not? Because reason can take you in either direction. But when it comes to will, you do it because it is what Hashem wants, there are no questions. 

We see how the decree of the red heifer expresses itself in all types of purity and impurity, in a few ways. 

First, according to the Torah, it is not possible to be partially impure, even if the impure thing touches one part of the person's body, his whole body becomes impure. 

Second, the smallest connection with the impure item makes him completely impure, just as if he consumed it. 

Third, it doesn't matter his intentions, whether he came in contact with it on purpose or by mistake, whether he wanted to or not, he becomes impure. 

These three, are how the impure item effect the person who comes in contact with it. The fourth is the consequences of becoming impure. No matter how he became impure, he is forbidden to come in contact with holy things, meaning, he can't go to the Temple, he can't partake in any of the Temple offerings, and if he is a Kohen, he can't eat Teruma. 

In all of these four, there are no half measures, you see the will of Hashem, in which there are no divisions, it is all or nothing. 

This is the meaning of what our sages say, "You shouldn't sit and weigh the mitzvahs of the Torah,"  "And you should be careful with a lenient mitzvah, as you would with a strict one." A person should keep all mitzvahs equally, as if they have the same importance. 

You may ask: How could I be expected to keep a lenient mitzvah as I keep a strict one? The Torah itself suggest that some are stricter than others. Even the statement, "You should be careful with a lenient mitzvah, as you would with a strict one," suggests that there are mitzvahs that are more important than others. 

This is the lesson we are meant to take from the laws of purity and impurity. When it comes to our understanding, there are differences between mitzvahs, there are more strict and more lenient. But when it comes to the essence of every mitzvah, that they are Hashem's will, there are no differences between mitzvahs, they are equally Hashem's will. 

With regard to the person doing the mitzvahs, there are differences. The worse the blemish caused by breaking the mitzvah, the stricter it would be. But when it comes to the essential function of a mitzvah, that it connects us with Hashem, there is no difference between one mitzvah and another, they all connect us equally. 

This message, that we should be careful with a lenient mitzvah, as you would with a strict one, applies to every Jew, and acting this way, connects the essence of your soul, which is higher than understanding, with the essence of Hashem, His will. 

How is one to maintain such a high level of devotion on a constant basis, it seems impossible? Doesn't our service to Hashem follow order and understanding? 

Yes. But if you can reach this level of devotion once in a while, and make it a point to go there at certain times, this attitude will seep into and effect all of the mitzvahs you do, and your entire service to Hashem will be raised to a higher level. 

This is also a lesson in bringing a Jew closer to Hashem. One might make the mistake of thinking, "it is enough that I teach him to do the big and important things, the small details are not so important to teach him." But when you realize that it is all equally the will of Hashem, you realize that even a small detail could have a profound effect on him. 

In my experience as a Chabad rabbi, I found that many times, it was the small things that had the biggest effect, in bringing a person closer to Hashem. 

This week, with the help of Hashem, Dina and I will be marrying off our daughter Fruma to Rabbi Levi Karp, the son of Rabbi Zalman and Chani Karp. May your marriage be a binyan adei ad, and may the details of Hashem's will shine brightly in your home. May Dina and I, and Chani and Zalman only have nachas from you, and may we merit to have many Simchas together, leading to the ultimate Simcha, the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon.