BeChukosai 5636 First Ma'amar

How to Use Our Intelligence to Serve God

“אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ .../If you will follow my statues …” (VaYikra 26:3)  Chazal[1] teach us that בְּחֻקֹתַי/my statutes, refers to mitzvos that have no apparent reason.  “תֵּלֵכוּ/You will follow” on the other hand, from the root הָלוֹךְ/go, implies a reasoned decision.  People generally think about where they want to go, decide, then go.  It seems that חֹק/statute with הָלוֹךְ/go is an awkward combination.[2]

Addressing this issue, the Midrash[3] quotes a pasuk in Tehillim (119:59), “חִשַּׁבְתִּי דְרָכָי וָאָשִׁיבָה רַגְלַי אֶל עֵדֹתֶיךָ/I considered my ways and returned my feet to Your testimonies.”  “עֵדֹתֶיךָ/Your testimonies” refer to the mitzvos.  David HaMelech is saying that to attain clarity in action and thought it is not enough to rely on our logical faculty.  It is not enough to “consider our ways”.  We need to act.  We must perform the mitzvos.  A pasuk in Mishlei (3:5) goes even further.  Not only is relying on our understanding not enough.  The pasuk teaches, “... וְאֶל־בִּינָתְךָ אַל־תִּשָּׁעֵן/Do not rely on your own understanding.”    

In what capacity, then, can we use our mental abilities, our logic in serving God?  The Sfas Emes explains that we should use our intelligence to understand the need to perform God’s mitzvos and submit to Him.  We need to understand and consciously consider before any act that this act is for the sake of God, lesheim shamayim.  “... בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ .../… You will follow my statues …” then means, “Use your intelligence to submit to My will.”

We see this idea in the Midrash[4] that Rashi quotes to explain, “אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ .../If you follow my statues …”  The Midrash says that this cannot refer to performing mitzvos since the very next words in the pasuk are, “וְאֶת־מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ/and keep my mitzvos.”  Rather, the Midrash says, it is referring to laboring at studying the Torah.  How do the words, “אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ .../If you follow my statues …” refer to laboring at Torah?  According to the Sfas Emes, Chazal are teaching us that we must use our power of reason represented by “הָלוֹךְ/go” to know what to do to submit to God’s will represented by “חֹק/statute.”

The Sfas Emes is teaching us that we reach uprightness by performing mitzvos rather than trying to figure it out for ourselves.  We use our intelligence to understand what we must do to submit to God’s will.

Clarifying the point further, Chazal[5] tell us that regarding words of Torah a person should make himself like an ox to a yoke and a donkey to a burden.  The Sfas Emes explains that just as an ox must go wherever the yoke leads him, so a person should follow the will of God wherever it leads him.  Just as a donkey carries his burden, so a person carries with him the entire Creation which is elevated because of him.  

This double comparison exactly parallels learning Torah and performing mitzvos.  We need to learn Torah to determine the will of God and follow it just as an ox is lead by the yoke.  When we learn Torah with this in mind, our actions are influenced as well.  We take a moment before a mitzvah to consider, “I am doing God’s will.”  Then our actions are elevated and become a vehicle for elevating the entire Creation just as the donkey carries his burden.  

The results are illustrated in the next pesukim which describe a world of plenty.  Our actions, with the proper intent, draw the power of Torah into the physical world even to the point where barren trees, representing the lowest most impure places, are imbued with that power and give fruit.[6]  

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[1] BaMidbar R. 19:6  The prohibition against wearing a garment made of linen and wool, for example, is a decree having no apparent reason.  It is a חֹק/statute. 

[2] Viz. Sfas Emes Bechukosai 5638 First Ma’amar

[3] VaYikra R. 35:1

[4] Sifra BeChukosai 1:Introduction:1

[5] Avoda Zara 5b

[6] Rashi on VaYikra 26:4

Bechukosai 5632 Second Ma'amar

This week’s parsha begins with, “אִם־בְּחֻקֹתַי תֵּלֵכוּ .../If you follow my statutes …” (VaYikra 26:3)  The pasuk cannot be taken literally because the very next words already enjoin us to keep the commandments, “... וְאֶת־מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ .../… and you keep my commandments …”  Chazal understand, therefore, that the Torah is instructing us to toil at learning Torah.[1] 

What compelled Chazal to understand these words as referring to toiling at Torah?  The Sfas Emes explains in the previous ma'amar that toiling at Torah is not referring to working hard at understanding a difficult passage of Torah.  Rather toiling at Torah refers to a person's intent as he learns Torah.  Our intent should not be to gain knowledge and great heights.  Rather our intent should be to subordinate ourselves to God through our learning.  We learn until we reach a point at which we do not understand, a point at which we must perforce either accept the Torah as is even though understanding eludes us or reject Torah that flies in the face of our intellect.  Rejecting our own intellect in favor of Torah is true toil.

Chazal learn this specifically from the words, "אם בחוקותי תלכו/If you follow my statutes" because חוקים/statutes refer to those mitzvos which defy reason.  It is therefore appropriate that these words refer to accepting Torah even at the expense of our own logic and intellect.  This pasuk is therefore teaching us that to succeed at Torah we must subordinate our intellect to God.

The Midrash on this pasuk teaches this concept through a metaphor.  David HaMelech says that each day he calculates the path he will take.  Yet, his feet bring him to בתי כנסיות/houses of worship.  The literal translation of בתי כנסיות is houses of congregation.

The Chiddushei HaRim explains this Midrash according to a Mishna in Avos.  The Mishna states, "If I am not for myself, who will be for me.  But if I am only for myself what am I?"  The Chiddushei HaRim explains that every person is created to achieve a specific and unique rectification.  Only he can do it.  Further, there is a unique rectification that applies to each hour of every day.  So, if I am not for myself, if I do not achieve the rectification for which I was sent into this world, who will be for me?  No one else can achieve it but me.

However, if my intent is simply self actualization and self improvement then what am I?  The Tanna is teaching us that although we each have a unique mission, our primary intent should not be selfish rather our primary intent should be the benefit of the nation.  When David HaMelech said that his feet brought him to houses of congregation he meant that the intent underlying all his actions was identification with and inclusion in the nation of Israel.

And this ultimately is the point of אם בחוקותי תלכו/If I follow your statutes.  The Midrash is teaching us that the way to subordinate ourselves to God is by subordinating ourselves to the nation.

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[1] Sifra BeChukosai 1:Introduction

Bechukosai 5636 First Ma'amar

“אם בחֻקֹתי תלכו .../If you will follow my statues …” Chazal tell us that בחֻקֹתי/my statutes” from the root חֹק/statute refers to mitzvos that have no apparent reason. The prohibition against wearing a garment made of linen and wool, for example, is a decree having no apparent reason. It is a חֹק/statute. “תלֵכו/You will follow” on the other hand, from the root הלוך/go, implies a reasoned decision. People generally think about where they want to go. Decide. Then go. It seems that חֹק/statute with הלוך/go is an awkward combination.

Addressing this issue, the Midrash quotes a pasuk in Tehillim, “חִשבתי דרכי ואשיבה רגלי אל עדֹתיך/I considered my ways and returned my feet to Your testimonies.” “עדֹתיך/Your testimonies” refer to the mitzvos. David HaMelech is saying that to attain clarity in action and thought it is not enough to rely on our logical faculty. We need to perform the mitzvos. In Mishlei we find, “ועל בינתך אל תִּשָׁעֵן/Do not rely on your own understanding.”

In what capacity, then, can we use our mental abilities, our logic in serving God? The Sfas Emes explains that we should use our intelligence to understand the need to perform God’s mitzvos and submit to Him. We need to understand and consciously consider before any act that this act is for the sake of God, lesheim shamayim. “... בחֻקֹתי תלֵכו .../… You will follow my statues …” then means, “Use your intelligence to submit to My will.”

We see this idea in the Midrash that Rashi quotes to explain, “אם בחֻקֹתי תלֵכו .../If you follow my statues …” The Midrash says that this cannot refer to performing mitzvos since the very next words in the pasuk are, “ואת מצותי תשמרו/and keep my mitzvos.” Rather, the Midrash says, it is referring to laboring at studying the Torah. How do the words, “אם בחֻקֹתי תלֵכו .../If you follow my statues …” refer to laboring at Torah? According to the Sfas Emes, Chazal are teaching us that we must use our power of reason represented by “הלוך/go” to know what to do to submit to God’s will represented by “חֹק/statute.”

The Sfas Emes is teaching us that we reach uprightness by performing mitzvos rather than trying to figure it out for ourselves. We use our intelligence to understand what we must do to submit to God’s will.

Clarifying the point further, Chazal tell us that regarding words of Torah a person should make himself like an ox to a yoke and a donkey to a burden. The Sfas Emes explains that just as an ox must go wherever the yoke leads him, so a person should follow the will of God wherever it leads him. Just as a donkey carries his burden, so a person carries with him the entire Creation which is elevated because of him.
This double comparison exactly parallels learning Torah and performing mitzvos. We need to learn Torah to determine the will of God and follow it just as an ox is lead by the yoke. When we learn Torah with this in mind, our actions are influenced as well. We take a moment before a mitzvah to consider, “I am doing God’s will.” Then our actions are elevated and become a vehicle for elevating the entire Creation just as the donkey carries his burden.

The results are illustrated in the next p’sukim which describe a world of plenty. Our actions, with the proper intent, draw the power of Torah into the physical world even to the point where barren trees, representing the lowest most impure places, are imbued with that power and give fruit.