The Next Big Thing
There is an amusing account of Professor Philipp von Jolly advising his student Max Planck not to go into physics at the University of Munich in 1878, saying, “In this field, almost everything is already discovered, and all that remains is to fill a few unimportant holes.”
Of course, Planck ignored his mentor's well-intentioned advice and went on to discover quantum mechanics, which has greatly transformed modern life. Computers, smartphones, the Internet, GPS, and MRI are just a few examples of practical applications made possible through the theory of quantum mechanics.
In 1964, Look magazine ran a cover story entitled “The Vanishing American Jew.” The national publication explained to its millions of readers why there would certainly be no Jews left in the United States in the 21st century.
Well, we all know what happened. Look magazine has disappeared, and the Jewish people live on and continue to thrive. To be sure, there are still many challenges facing the Jewish community, both external threats like anti-Semitism and internal threats such as assimilation and a lack of Jewish education. However, thank G-d, we are witnessing a revival of Judaism in America and around the world. There is a thirst among Jews of all walks of life and demographics to reconnect with their Jewish heritage, and millions of Jews are returning to their roots.
According to all logical conclusions, ancient Jewish beliefs, teachings, and practices had no chance for survival in the modern world. So what did all the apparent experts and statisticians get wrong?
What they failed to realize is that we each possess a Neshama, a Jewish soul that is literally a part of G-d. This soul is not bound by the laws of nature and therefore transcends human intellect and understanding.
The same is true for all of G-d's universe. We will never fully understand the inner workings of human consciousness, animal life, botany, or minerals.
The Baal Shem Tov once taught that just as the greatest scientists will never discover the limits of the enormous natural resources which the Almighty has placed in the land ("everything came from the earth"), neither will anyone ever discover the limits of the great treasures which lie within Israel - the Jewish soul.
Throughout history, there have been many instances where scientists and pundits have accepted certain theories or beliefs regarding the universe as facts, only to make new discoveries that disproved old theories.
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 cannot wrap our brains around.
This desire has motivated humans to invent, explore, innovate, build, and accomplish amazing achievements throughout history.
But we must also keep in mind that despite the great power of human intellect, it is inherently limited. We will never fully understand the reason for everything at the current time.
In this week's Torah portion, Chukat, we learn about the Mitzvah of the Red Heifer, 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 19:2).
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 or remind us of our purpose in life, such as Shabbat, Passover or the mitzvah of donning Tefillin. 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, such as the laws of eating kosher or the mitzvah of immersing in a mikvah following a woman's menstruation cycle. While there are many insights, lessons, and practical benefits we may receive by observing even the suprarational Mitzvot, in essence, the reasoning behind their command defies human logic. For whatever purpose, G-d chose not to reveal to us the essential motivation behind these Mitzvot.
The Torah reading begins: Zot Chukat 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 human rationale. Just as the love between parents and children defies reason and causes us to do things for them that may defy logic, so too our motivation to perform Mitzvot is driven by a bond we already have with G-d that 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 their 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 everything.
There is no way for human beings to justify, explain or rationalize the tragic events of Oct. 7 along with all the tragic events throughout history. But we must not allow that to cause us a sense of despair and despondency, G-d forbid. Instead, witnessing such pain and suffering should motivate us to do more mitzvot and counter such darkness with light. Let us turn to G-d and demand that He help us return all our hostages, eradicate all evil and bring us the ultimate Redemption when a time of peace and prosperity will prevail for all nations on earth!
