Suprarational
George, an avid fisherman, once set out on a quest to figure out the size of the smallest fish living in the ocean. So he spread out a huge fishing net in the Atlantic Ocean and was amazed to catch fish of all different types, colors and sizes. But surprisingly, out of the tens of thousands of fish that he caught, he did not find any fish smaller than five inches.
George excitedly shared his discovery with his friends and concluded that there were no fish in the ocean smaller than five inches. Of course his friends laughed at the preposterous statement. They had seen plenty of fish smaller than five inches. After taking a closer look at his fishing net, George realized the cause for his misunderstanding; the holes in the fishing net were five inches apart.
Our brains are designed to try and always make sense of any given situation. We naturally desire to discover the “whys” of life and the underlying causes for why things happen the way they do. We often feel disoriented, frustrated or upset when we encounter events or ideas that we can not wrap our brains around.
This desire has motivated humans to invent, explore, innovate, build, and accomplish amazing achievements throughout our history.
But we must also keep in mind that despite the great power of human intellect, it is inherently limited. We’ll never fully understand the reason for everything at this time. It’s like trying to catch a 3 inch fish using a fishing net with five inch holes.
In truth, there are many things which we do every day despite the fact that we do not completely understand the inner mechanism of how it operates. For example, we use our phones without actually seeing the radio frequencies.
More so, we are willing to make uncomfortable changes to our daily routines by adhering to CDC Covid-19 guidelines without necessarily seeing the microscopic virus ourselves. We trust the medical experts and follow their guidelines because we know that they are qualified to make those decisions and have our best interests in mind.
In this week’s Torah portion, Chukat, we learn about the Mitzvah of the Red Heifer (cow) which was used for ritual purification in the times of the temple. As the verse states: “This is the statute of the Torah which the Lord commanded, saying, Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow, upon which no yoke was laid.”- Numbers 16:3
When introducing this mitzvah, the Torah states, “This is the statute of the Torah.” The word “statute,” Chok, denotes a law that defies reason.
There are three general categories of Mitzvot: Eidut- Testimonies; Mishpatim- Laws; and Chukim- Decrees. Eidut are those commandments that recall and/or testify to past events, such as Shabbat and Passover. Mishpatim are those commands that are also dictated by mortal understanding, such as honoring one’s parents and the prohibition against stealing. Chukim are commands that have no rational basis or explanation, such as the laws of eating Kosher or donning Tefillin.
A Jew instinctively desires to do the right thing. This desire emanates from the essence of the soul, which transcends intellect. This instinct most often finds expression in the performance of Chukim.
The Torah reading begins: Zot Chukas HaTorah, “This is the statute of the Torah,” establishing a connection between the type of Mitzvot called Chukim and the entire Torah. The root for the word, Chukim, means “engrave.” The Torah is teaching us that every Mitzvah, even the ones dictated by human intellect, is essentially G-d’s will which transcends rationale. Our motivation to perform them is driven by a bond we already have with G-d which is engraved in our very essence.
We should do our best to explore, study and relate to the reasons behind the Jewish holidays, Mitzvot and customs, for then it enables us to better appreciate its meaning and observe them with joy. But at the same time, the essence of our Jewish identity is based on our connection to G-d which transcends human intellect. We trust in G-d, the creator of the universe, Who knows what is best for us even if we do not fully comprehend it at this current time.
At present, our inner desires are covered by many other external factors. We think we are seeking things like love, wealth, or power. We aren’t aware of the essential drive propelling our will. For in any experience, what we are really seeking is the G‑dly truth it contains. In the era of the Redemption, by contrast, this truth will surface, and in everything that we do, we will appreciate the G‑dly intent. as the Prophet Tzephania states: “All the nations will be transformed to [speak] a pure language ... to serve Him with a single purpose.” For our energies will focus on comprehending G‑d’s truth.
