Toiling In Torah

Dedicated By Irving Bauman
לזכר נשמת אבי
הרב משה אהרן בן ר ישראל חיים באהמאן

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This week's parsha Bechukosai begins, "Im Bechukosai teileichu (if you will go in My statutes)," which can't mean, if you keep My mitzvos, because the verse continues, "v'es mitzvosai tishmoru (and you will keep My mitzvos)." So what does "Bechukosai teileichu" mean? Rashi cites the words of the Sifra, that it means "That you should toil in (the study of) Torah." 

Bechukosai comes from the word chok, or in plural chukim, which I translated "statutes," for lack of a better word. A chok is a mitzvah that we don't know the reason for, it's a decree from Hashem, we do it just because He wants us to, and for no other reason. As our sages say, "a chok... you don't have permission to ponder about (its reason)." 

It would make sense for mitzvos to be Bechukosai, because then we would say that it means, that even though we know the reason for the mitzvos we should do them as if they are chukim, just because Hashem wants us to. That is a greater way of doing mitzvos. 

However, Torah study is meant to be understood. How does it make sense for Torah study to be done in a way of "Bechukosai"? 

Perhaps the reading of the written Torah, which doesn't have to be understood in order to say the blessing over its study, but you can hardly use the word toil to describe its study. On the other hand, the oral Torah must be understood in order to say a blessing over its study. Also, the written Torah is small and limited, while the oral Torah is vast and unlimited and it grows every day by diligent students of the Talmud, Halacha, etc. So only with regards to the oral Torah can we say, "That you should toil in (the study of) Torah." So what is the meaning of the word "Bechukosai" with regards to Torah study? 

The Alter Rebbe explains that Bechukosai is related to the word chakika, which means engraved. In other words, one should toil in Torah study to the extent that it becomes engraved in him. 

What is the difference between engraving and writing? 

When you write on paper, the ink attaches to the paper and they become one. However it is not truly one, rather it is two things that are attached to each other. 

On the other hand, when you engrave into stone, the words and the stone are truly one, the words are not an entity of their own, there is only the stone. 

The lesson here is that our goal shouldn't be merely to learn Torah in a way that it is like two entities that are attached to one another, rather the Torah study should nullify him to the extent that he doesn't exist, only the Torah exists. 

One person who reached this level is Moshe Rabbeinu. That is why he was able to say, "And I will put grass in your field for your cattle." What it means, is that Hashem would put grass... Why was he able to say "I"? Because he was so nullified before Hashem that "The Divine Presence spoke from within (Moshe's) throat," In other words, to Moshe there was only Hashem, Moshe didn't exist. 

Another person who reached this level was Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who said, "I have seen people who are at the highest level... If there is one it is me, if there are two..." Even though a Tzadik shouldn't say his own praises, but no one saw his statement that way, because he was so nullified before Hashem, that there was only Hashem. He was nullified to the point that he didn't exist. 

When there are multiple explanations on a word, they have to be connected in some way. How do we reconcile the explanation of the Alter Rebbe, that it means engraved, and the simple meaning, that it means mitzvos which are chukim? How do we learn Torah in a way of chukim, accepting the yoke of Heaven? 

One has to understand what he is learning, but he is not learning that way for his own pleasure, rather because Hashem wants us to. 

Torah is a pleasure to learn, but if he only learns the amount that gives him pleasure, it's not in the way of chukim, it's not accepting the yoke of Heaven and it's not toiling. Only when he learned as much as gives him pleasure, and then he pushes himself to learn more, that it is considered Torah in the way of chukim, accepting the yoke and toiling. This kind of Torah study brings him to the self nullification in the way of chakika, engraved, one with Hashem. 

We are left with a question. It says, "Im Bechukosai teileichu (if you will go in my statutes)," We have to understand how the word teileichu fits in here, because teileichu means to go or to travel. In our service to Hashem, it means not to be stagnant, to constantly reach higher and higher levels. It makes sense to say it about things you can develop, like the emotions and the mind. You can develop more mature emotions, your love can grow greater and greater. The mind can be developed and broadened to understand more and deeper. However, chukim means doing something in the way of accepting the yoke of Heaven. When it comes to accepting the yoke of Heaven, there are no levels, you either do or don't. What does teileichu in accepting the yoke of Heaven mean?

The Alter Rebbe explains that the reward for acting in the way of Bechukosai, accepting the yoke of Heaven, is teileichu, taken higher and higher without end. However when we teach children this verse, the reward is in the following verses, where Hashem enumerates all the blessings, "I will give your rain in its time..." And teileichu refers to the service of the Jewish people to Hashem.

The Alter Rebbe tells us that emuna, belief, is for levels of G-dliness that is beyond your ability to understand. The levels that you understand, you don't need belief for. The higher one's ability to understand, what is beyond him is even greater. So his emuna has to be at a higher level. Being that every day his mind develops and is able to grasp loftier ideas, what he needed emuna for yesterday, makes sense today. Therefore he doesn't need emuna for them. Now he needs emuna for even higher levels of G-dliness. And it is a never ending cycle, always attaining higher and higher levels.

From this we can understand that when it comes to chukim there are also levels, and movement in the way of teileichu, because yesterday's mitzvos which were chukim, today is understood and now there are higher levels within chukim, so in chukim there is the possibility of teileichu, going higher and higher.

May we go from strength to strength in our Torah study, going to a higher level every day. Through this we will merit to learn the Torah of Moshiach, which will take us higher than we could imagine. May it happen soon.