Parshat Chukat
9 Tammuz 5761
June 30, 2001
Daf Yomi: Kiddushin 54


Guest Rabbi:
Rabbi Moshe M. Greebel
Associate Member, Young Israel Council of Rabbis

Throughout the ages, many misguided individuals have sought to improve upon the inherent values of the Torah through change, rather than strictly complying to and emulating these values. To illustrate this folly, the renown Torah luminary - Rav Elchanan Wasserman, z"l - offered the following anecdote.

Among the nobles in a great empire was one young man, who was exceedingly beloved by the king. Desiring to raise the station of this young noble, the king ordered that the lad be diligently instructed in the protocols of a royal emissary. The young man, a most avid and quick student, soon completed his studies, and was brought before his monarch to receive his first royal mission - traveling to a neighboring kingdom with very important documents.

"Do you fully understand your mission?" queried the king of his royal charge.

"Perfectly, sire," replied the young noble.

"Now then," continued the king, "before you undertake your journey, there is a matter of great importance I must discuss with you. The nobles of the kingdom to which you journey, are men who take great pleasure in gambling. They will wager on anything at any time. Under no circumstances are you to enter into a wager with these nobles while you are there. Do you understand?"

The young noble answered in the affirmative, and began making his way to leave the king's presence. However, the king called the lad back.

"Do you understand that you are not to gamble with the nobles of this kingdom?" asked the king once again.

Another affirmative response was issued by the young nobleman, who now exited the king's chamber.

In short, the young emissary acquitted himself most favorably in the neighboring kingdom, performing his mission in full compliance with royal protocol and propriety. Soon, he found himself in the company of the notorious noblemen of whom he was warned.

"It seems to me, " said one of the gamblers to the young emissary, "that you sir, are a hunchback."

The young man laughed at this inane remark, and responded, "Sir, you must be confusing me with someone else."

"No, No!" chimed in the other noblemen. "He is correct. We think you to be a hunchback as well!"

"But, that is untrue," responded the young man, now very irritated.

"Well then," replied the gamblers. "We are prepared to wager 1,000 pieces of gold that you are in fact a hunchback!"

Now the young emissary thought to himself that this was a wager he could not lose. Yet, he remembered his king's order not to gamble with these men under any circumstances. On the other hand, if he undertook the wager - a wager he must surely win - his king would be overjoyed at adding 1,000 gold pieces to the royal coffers. Round and round these thoughts went in the mind of the emissary. In the end, his youthful exuberance overcame him, and he took the bet.

In front of all the assembled noblemen, the young man stripped off his clothing, revealing a perfectly configured and healthy body.

The assembled noblemen thereupon stated, "It appears we were mistaken after all." A purse of 1,000 gold pieces was handed to the young emissary, who was now exhilarated by the prospect of bringing his king the 1,000 gold pieces.

After returning home, the young emissary told the king of his successful mission.

"All was accomplished in accordance with the proper royal dictates and formality," proudly announced the young man. "And, I have brought back a much unexpected bounty for my king." The 1,000 gold piece purse was handed to the monarch.

"How did you come by this money?" inquired the king.

The tale of the wager with the noblemen was narrated.

"Then, you are a fool!" lashed out the king with great indignation. "Did I not order you against gambling with these noblemen? By not following my directive, you have cost me 99,000 gold pieces!"

Perplexed, the young nobleman responded, "Sire, I do not understand. I thought you would be pleased."

"You did not think at all!" accused the king. "A year ago these notorious noblemen made a wager of 100,000 gold pieces with me that they could pursuade one of my noblemen to strip himself naked in public!"

In this manner, related Rav Elchanan, all who attempt to improve on the dictates of our holy Torah, and to alter its directives through their own flawed logic, end up doing more damage than they could ever have imagined. In the commentary of the Toldot Yitzchok on Parshat Chukat, we see a further development of the dangers of the flawed reasoning.

The Torah goes out of its way to describe the mitzva of the Para Aduma (red heifer) as a chok - a statute which seems not to have any basis in logic. Yet, our chachamim seem to supply us with some form of reasoning for this mitzva. In the Bamidbar Raba (parsha 19; siman 8) we are informed that the Para Aduma is in fact, an atonement for the Egel HaZahav (The Golden Calf). The analogy is to the son of a maid who has trashed the palace of a high official. Without doubt, the official will order the one responsible for the son - the maid - to clean up the untidiness made by her son. In a similar manner, the Holy One Blessed Be He orders that the mother of the calf - the heifer - come, and clean up the clutter made by her child. This selection of Midrash is as well brought down by Rashi in Parshat Chukat, and by the Tosfot in Moed Katan (28a).

The Toldot Yitzchak posed two questions on this Midrash. 1) What is the relationship that Chazal had in mind, when they compared the Egel HaZahav and the Para Aduma? 2) If the Torah stresses that Para Aduma is a chok, a mitzva where logic has no basis, how then are Chazal permitted to supply us with any form of reasoning through their analogy of the maid's son? In the words of Rashi in Chukat we see, "...The word chok was written here - it is a decree issued from Me - you have no permission to consider its meaning!"

The Toldot Yitzchak addresses the second question first. For one to try and discover the actual reasoning for a chok such as Para Aduma, is certainly forbidden. However, to try and understand why the Torah intentionally obfuscates any reasoning in such a chok - that is permissible. This then, is the intention of the above Midrash.

It is well known that Israel's intention in creating an Egel HaZahav was not for the purpose of idolatry (Kuzari: first Ma'amar, Eshed HaNechalim; Midrash Ki Tisa), but rather to find an earthly intermediary to replace Moshe Rabbeinu, whom they believed was dead, due to what they perceived as his delayed descent from Mount Sinai. To elaborate on this a bit further, the Egyptians had a practice of creating the form of one of the heavenly constellations, whereby through this image, they would receive heavenly advice on how to conduct their lives. In the case of the Egel HaZahav, the prominent constellation of the season was Taurus. In essence then, Israel was reticent at this juncture to trust HaShem through pure Emuna (faith) in Moshe, as they once did. Instead, they would seek advice in a more logical and reasonable manner, as did the Egyptians. In short, they decided to improve on the directives of HaShem through change.

Now, our first question of the relationship that Chazal had in mind when they compared the Egel HaZahav and the Para Aduma, is resolved. That is, since the logical alternative to pure Emuna was the transgression of Israel in the creation of the Egel HaZahav, HaShem sought to correct this flawed logic through the mitzva of the Para Aduma - a chok, where reason and logic have no basis. And, where it is the obligation of every Jew to trust fully in the dictates of HaShem without question -without the need to logically improve these dictates through change.

There is a Gemara in Ta'anit (23b) which beautifully illustrates the importance of pure Emuna as opposed to logic. Two talmidim once came before Rav Yitzchak Ben Elyashiv, with the request that he ?daven' (pray) for them to become great scholars. Rav Yitzchak informed the two that at an earlier stage in his life, any request he made of HaShem was granted, through his tefila. However, later in his life he had purposely discharged that ability (Rashi), whereby HaShem did not always hearken to his supplications.

Why would Rav Yitzchak have done this? The Toldot Yitzchak answers that it is a higher level to trust in the benevolence of HaShem, from pure Emunah, rather than through a human medium- the results of which may be guaranteed. And, so it is for us. While logic and reason are the hallmarks of the human species, even to the point of comprehending the intricacies of Torah, they are virtually useless when it comes to second guessing the mysteries and wonderful ways of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. While we may not logically comprehend at all how HaShem runs His world, we must nevertheless, trust in His administration and the obligations He puts upon us without the reservations of reason and change. May we be merited through the accomplishment of pure Emuna, to see the complete redemption, speedily in our times.