Chukas תרל”ב/ה/ו/מד

In the following 4 sections the Sfas Emes will discuss the idea of a “chok”, a mitzvah that seemingly does not have a logical explanation. The idea that is developed is how one’s sensitivity to protecting oneself from sin develops one’s spiritual understanding -That by being more sensitive to spirituality, one can actually grasp and understand a “chok”. This understanding is not a logical physical understanding, rather it is a spiritual awakening.
Furthermore in order to attain such a spiritual awakening one needs to first do the mitzvos without any understanding and subsequently the understanding will come. This is opposite to the way the physical world works, where one first has an understanding or a taste and a desire and then afterwards does the deed, based on one’s comprehension.
This is the concept of Na’aseh v’nishma. It is also the idea of Shabbos, where by disconnecting from physicality one attains a deeper spiritual awareness.

בְּרָשִׁ”י לְפִי שֶׁמּוֹנִין אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מָה טַעַם יֵשׁ בָּהּ כְּתִיב חֻקָּה כו’ אֵין
לְךָ רְשׁוּת לְהַרְהֵר כו’.
Rashi on the word “Chukkas” says:
זאת חקת התורה. לְפִי שֶׁהַשָּׂטָן וְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם מוֹנִין אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לוֹמַר מַה הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת וּמַה טַּעַם יֵשׁ בָּהּ? לְפִיכָךְ כָּתַב בָּהּ חֻקָּה — גְּזֵרָה הִיא מִלְּפָנַי, אֵין לְךָ רְשׁוּת לְהַרְהֵר אַחֲרֶיהָ (יומא ס”ז):
וזאת חקת התורה
THIS IS THE ORDINANCE OF THE LAW — Because Satan and the nations of the world taunt Yisrael, saying, “What is this command and what reason is there for it?”, on this account the pasuk uses the term חקה about it, implying: It is an enactment from before Me; you have no right to criticize it (Yoma 67b; cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 7).
אֵין מוּבָן הַתֵּרוּץ.
However this is seemingly difficult. What is the answer to Satan?
אַךְ כִּי וַדַּאי יֵשׁ טַעַם לְכָל חֻקָּה רַק שא”א לְהָבִין הַטַּעַם עַד שֶׁמְּקַבְּלִין הַמִּצְוָה כְּחֻקָּה בְּלִי טַעַם.
The Sfas Emes explains that there is definitely a reason for a “chok” however one cannot understand the reasoning until one accepts the mitzvah without any understanding.
וע”ש זֶה נק’ חֻקָּה. כִּי כֵּן רְצוֹנוֹ ית’ לְקַיֵּם הַמִּצְוָה בְּלִי יְדִיעַת הַטַּעַם.
And that is why it is called a “chok”, because HaShem’s will is that we should do these mitzvos without knowing the reason behind it.
וּכְפִי הָאֱמוּנָה וְרָצוֹן לְקַיֵּם הַמִּצְוָה בְּלִי יְדִיעַת הַטַּעַם כְּמוֹ כֵן זוֹכִין אַחַ”כּ לְקַיֵּם בַּיְּדִיעַת הַטַּעַם.
However through the faith and the will that a person has to do the mitzvah without any understanding of why, inasmuch as one accepts it, he will merit to understand the reason for it afterwards!
כִּי הַטַּעַם הֲוָא דָּבָר רוּחָנִי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ וּכְפִי שֶׁאָדָם מִתְרַחֵק מִגַּשְׁמִיּוּת יוּכַל לְהַרְגִּישׁ טַעַם חֻקֵּי השי”ת.
This is because the reason is spiritual, that has nothing tangible. And therefore in as much as one is distanced from physicality, one can then feel the reasoning of the “chok” of HaShem.
וכ”כ במד’ תִּינֹקֶת שֶׁלֹּא טָעֲמוּ טַעַם חֵטְא יָדְעוּ לִדְרֹשׁ במ”ט פָּנִים כו’.
And this is what is meant by the Midrash that says that children that didn’t taste any sin, were able to understand the Torah on a much deeper level.
וְכֵן מְבַקְּשִׁין יְגַלֶּה לָן טַעְמֵי כִּי הַטְּעָמִים נִסְתָּרִים כַּנַ”ל.
And so too we say (mizmor on Shabbos); “He should reveal to us the reasoning”. Because the reason is hidden.
וַעֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם לְהָבִיא הַטְּעָמִים לִידֵי גִּלּוּי.
And the job of a person is to bring out the reasoning.
וּבְשַׁבָּת מִתְגַּלֶּה יוֹתֵר כִּי שַׁבָּת הוּא בְּחַי’ הַטְּעָמִים שֶׁל ימוֹת הַחוֹל.
On Shabbos the reasoning becomes more revealed. Because it is the idea of the “ta’am”, taste or reasoning of the whole week.
[וְכֵן עֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם בַּחוֹל צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לַעֲלוֹת בש”ק] (And so too one’s work during the days of the week should be in order for it to be elevated on Shabbos).
וּפָשׁוּט שֶׁבְּשַׁבָּת מִתְגַּלָּה פְּנִימִיּוֹת שֶׁל כָּל דָּבָר וַהֲוָא הַטְּעָמִים כַּנַ”ל וז”ש טוֹעֲמֵי’ חַיִּים זָכוּ כו’:
And it’s obvious that on Shabbos the inner element of everything is revealed and so too the reasoning. With the taste of Shabbos everything makes sense. And this is what is meant by “those that taste it merit life”.

תרל”ה 1
בַּמִּדְרָשׁ לְךָ אֲנִי מְגַלֶּה טַעֲמֵי פָּרָה וְלַאֲחֵרִים חֻקָּה.
The Midrash says that HaShem said to Moshe, I will reveal the reason of “para aduma” and the “chukim” to you, however to others it remains a “chok” (without reason).
כִּי הַטְּעָמִים הֵם לְמַעְלָה מִן הַטֶּבַע.
Because the reasons are above nature.
לָכֵן נֶאֱמַר במד’ כִּי אוֹתָם הַתִּינֹקֶת שֶׁלֹּא טָעֲמוּ טַעַם חֵטְא הָיוּ יוֹדְעִין לִדְרֹשׁ מ”ט פָּנִים טָהוֹר כו’.
And therefore the children that did not taste any sin (were not yet affected by physicality) could understand the deepest reasoning of the Torah.
ומרע”ה שהי’ אִישׁ הָאֱלֹקִים מַמָּשׁ והי’ דְּבוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב נִגְלֶה לוֹ טַעֲמֵי פָּרָה וּלְמַטָּה הִיא חֻקָּה
And Moshe Rabeinu who was G-dly and completely connected to the written Torah, the reason of the “para aduma” (the “chok”) was revealed to him, however to everyone else below, it remained a “chok”.
וכ’ וְיִקְּחוּ אֵלֶיךָ ע”י שֶׁנִּתְבַּטְּלוּ בנ”י אֶל הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁהוּא לְמַעְלָה מִן הַטֶּבַע יְכוֹלִין לְהַשִּׂיג ג”כ בִּכְלַל הַטְּעָמִים:
And it says, “They should take to you (a para aduma)”, meaning that through Bnei Yisrael nullifying themselves to the tzadik (Moshe Rabeinu), who was above nature, they were able to comprehend the reasoning.

תרל”ו 1
בְּרָשִׁ”י לְפִי שֶׁהַשָּׂטָן ואוה”ע מוֹנִין אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מָה טַעַם יֵשׁ בָּהּ כו’ כָּתוּב בָּהּ חֻקָּה.
Rashi see above
וְקָשֶׁה אִי בֶּאֱמֶת אֵין בָּהּ טַעַם א”צ לְהָאַי טַעַם דְּמוֹנִים אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל רַק לְפִי שֶׁאֵין טַעַם כָּתוּב חֻקָּה.
The answer of Rashi is difficult; if there really is no reason, then it makes no difference what the nations of the world say, it is simply a “chok” because there is no reason? (Rashi implies that the reason why it is called a “chok” is because of the nations of the world. However it is a “chok” because it has no reason, not because of the nations of the world?)
אֶלָּא נִרְאֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ טַעַם אַךְ א”א לְהַשִּׂיג הַטַּעַם עַד אַחר תִּקּוּן הַגּוּף.
However it seems that really it has a reason, however the reason cannot be understood until one’s body is repaired.
וּמִצַּד בְּח’ הַחִיצוֹנִיּוֹת אֵין טַעַם לְחֻקַּת ה’.
And from the perspective of the externality (physicality), there is indeed no reason for a chok.
אֲבָל הַמַּאֲמִין סוֹפוֹ לְהָבִין הַטַּעַם.
However, someone who believes will eventually understand the reasoning.
כִּי דִבְרֵי תוֹרָה הֵם הִפּוּךְ דִּבְרֵי עוה”ז
For the Torah works opposite to the physical world.
שֶׁהַטַּעַם מֵבִיא לְמַעֲשֶׂה שע”י שֶׁחוֹשֵׁק לְטַעַם עוה”ז וַהֲבָלָיו עוֹשֶׂה אוֹתָם וְאַחַ”כּ נִמְאָסִים עָלָיו.
For in physical things the taste of the thing is what makes one desire it, and then afterwards, once one gets one’s fill, it all becomes disgusting.
וְתוֹרָה לְהִפּוּךְ ע”י הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אַף שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְאַוֶּה לָהֶם זוֹכֶה אַחַ”כּ לְהַשִּׂיג הַטַּעַם וּלְהִתְאַוּוֹת לָהֶם.
However Torah is the opposite. It is through the action that a person does even when he has no desire (no taste), and nevertheless does it, through doing it he will eventually merit to taste it and understand it.
אָמְנָם אֵין טַעַם זֶה מֻשָּׂג רַק לְמִי שֶׁלֹּא טָעַם טַעַם עוה”ז.
However the taste only comes to someone who has not tasted the taste of this world.
וּכְפִי מָה שֶׁפֹּרַשׁ אָדָם עַצְמוֹ מִתַּאֲוַת כָּךְ זוֹכֶה לְהַשִּׂיג טַעַם הַקְּדוֹשָׁה.
And inasmuch as one has separated from the physical desires, can one merit the taste and understanding of the holiness.
וְלָכֵן מרע”ה שנק’ אִישׁ אֱלֹקִים נִבְדָּל מעוה”ז לָכֵן לְךָ אֲנִי מְגַלֶּה טַעֲמֵי פָּרָה וְלַאֲחֵרִים חֻקָּה.
And therefore Moshe Rabeinu who was a man of G-d and separate from this world, was able to understand the reason of “para aduma”, and to everyone else it remained a “chok”.
פִּי’ מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ זוֹכֶה לְהַשִּׂיג הַטַּעַם צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ בְּדֶרֶךְ חֻקָּה ועי”ז זוֹכֶה אַחַ”כּ לְהַשִּׂיג הַטַּעַם.
Meaning that someone who has not merited to understand the reasoning should do it as a “chok” without understanding and this will merit him to eventually understand the reasoning!
כְּתִיב שָׂמִים מַר לְמָתוֹק וּמָתוֹק לְמָר פִּי’ ע”י שֶׁשָּׂמִים דבר עוה”ז לְמָתוֹק בְּעֵינֵיהֶם עי”ז מָתוֹק לְמַר שא”י לְהָרָגִישׁ מְתִיקוּת הַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוָת.
And it says ‘They make bitter sweet and sweet bitter’, meaning that through chasing the sweetness of this world, they change something sweet into bitter. They change the sweetness of the Torah into bitterness because they cannot taste its sweetness!!
וּכְתִיב וּפִרְיוֹ מָתוֹק לְחִכִּי לְחִכַּי דַּיְקָא אֲבָל אוה”ע אוֹמְרִים מָה טַעַם יֵשׁ בָּהּ.
And it says ‘Your fruit is sweet to my pallet’. It is only sweet to my palette, however the nations of the world all say ‘What reason there is, (what taste there is)’.
ובמד’ מִי יִתֵּן טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא כו’ עוה”ב מעוה”ז. וַדַּאי אֵין הַפִּי’ מִתַּעֲנוּגֵי עוה”ז. רַק כְּפִי מָה שֶׁפֹּרַשׁ עַצְמוֹ מעוה”ז כָּךְ זוֹכֶה לִטְעֹם טַעַם עוה”ב.
The Medrash says only HaShem makes pure from impure, the world to come from this world. For sure the world to come doesn’t come from this world, rather the explanation is that through separating from this world, one merits the world to come (as above).
וּכְמַאֲמַר חָזָ”ל מִי שֶׁטָּרַח עַצְמוֹ בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת. פִּי’ הַתַּעֲרוּבוֹת שֶׁנִּתְעָרֵב תַּאֲווֹת הָאָדָם לַחִיצוֹנִיּוּת עוה”ז.
And as it says one who toils and erev Shabbos will merit Shabbos. The word erev can also mean mixture. Meaning one who toils in this idea of his desires being mixed up into this world (meaning he protects his desires from this world).
וְיֵשׁ לְכָל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵדַע וּלְהַאֲמִין כִּי הַתַּעֲנוּג וְהָרָצוֹן שֶׁבָּאָדָם נוֹגֵעַ בְּמָקוֹם גָּבוֹהַּ עַד מְאוֹד.
And a person must know and believe that his desires and pleasures reach a very high level.
וְהוּא עִנְיֵן הַשַּׁבָּת שנק’ יוֹם מְנוּחָה וְעֹנֶג ובנ”י שׁוֹמְרֵי שַׁבָּת פִּי’ שֶׁשּׁוֹמְרִים הָרָצוֹן שֶׁלֹּא לְהִתְעָרֵב בְּדִבְרֵי הֶבֶל.
This is the idea of Shabbos which is called rest and pleasure that when Bnei Yisrael guards the Shabbos, meaning they protect their desires from getting drawn after nothingness.
וע”ז נֶאֱמַר מִי שֶׁטָּרַח בע”ש כו’.
That is called someone who toiled on erev (the mixture of) Shabbos (i.e. someone who protected himself from using the elevated holy concepts of Shabbos for mundane matters. Not misusing the spirituality for physical gain is called toiling on erev-the mixture of Shabbos)
כִּי בְּימוֹת הַחוֹל הֲוָא הַבֵּרוּר מִלְּהִתְגָּאֵל בְּהַבְלִי עוֹלָם ועי”ז זוֹכֶה לִטְעֹם בְּשַׁבָּת טַעַם עוה”ב כִּי שַׁבָּת מֵעֵין עוה”ב:
Because during the days of the week the purification process is in order to be redeemed from the nothingness of this world. And through that one merits to taste Shabbos the taste of the world to come. For shabbos is a taste of the world to come. (And one who toils on erev Shabbos – protecting oneself, will merit to Shabbos to truly understand the deeper meaning of the spirituality).

תרמ”ד
במדרש זאת חקת שאוה”ע מונין את ישראל מה טעם מצוה זו כו’.
On the Medrash and Rashi above
כתבתי במ”א דמשמע שיש טעמים רק שא”י להתגלות בעוה”ז שאין משיגין בעוה”ז הטעמים שאין להם התלבשות בענין מעוה”ז
I have written elsewhere that the implication is that they really do have a reason however the reason cannot be revealed in this world. Because one cannot comprehend ideas in this world that do not have any connection (clothing) to things of this world.
ולכן מרע”ה שהי’ למעלה מן הטבע נאמר לך אני מגלה טעמי פרה.
And therefore Moshe Rabeinu who was completely above nature was able to understand the reasoning.
וכמ”ש במד’ שלעתיד יתגלו הטעמים לא יהי’ (עוד) אור יקרות וקפאון כו’ יהיו צופים כו’ ע”ש.
And as it says in the future the reasoning will be revealed etc.
פי’ שכל מה שעושין בעוה”ז בדרך חוקה לעתיד יראה כל איש ישראל מה פעל ועשה מה שהי’ נסתר במעשה המצות בעוה”ז
The explanation is that everything that one does in this world, because it is a “chok”, (a decree without explanation why), in the future everyone will see what the person did, something that was hidden in his actions in this world.
והולכתי עורים בדרך לא ידעו פי’ שלא היו יכולין להשיג בדעתם הפנימיות.
(This is the idea of the pasuk Yeshaya 42:16) “I will lead the blind, by a road they did not know”. This means that they were not able to use their understanding to comprehend the inner reasoning (due to the blockages from this world).
וז”ש שם מי עור כי אם עבדי כו’. פי’ שכל עבד בו”ד ע”כ רואה מה שרבו מצוה לעשות אבל עבדי ה’ עושים מעשים שאינם יכולים להשיגם ונקראים עורים והקב”ה לעתיד יגלה להם מה שעשו.
This is the continuation (42:19) “Who is blind, but only my servant”. Meaning that every servant of flesh and blood, sees what his master commands of him, even against his will. However (the prophet castigates Bnei Yisrael, that) the servants of HaShem do actions, however they cannot comprehend why. And are therefore considered “blind”, for they cannot comprehend why, yet in the future HaShem will reveal the reason to them.
ומ”ש אלה הדברים עשיתים כו’ י”ל נמי על העושין המצות ואין עוזבין אפילו שאין מבינים הטעמים.
Furthermore the words (42:16) “These words they have kept”, can be explained as also referring to those that do the mitzvot, and do ot forsake the mitzvot even though they do not comprehend the reasoning.
ובאמת ע”י התמימות שעושין בדרך חוקה זוכין אח”כ להשגת הטעמים.
The truth is that through the simplicity of doing the mitzvos as a “chok”, one subsequently merits to understand the reasoning.
וזהו ענין שהקדימו בנ”י נעשה לנשמע שע”י המעשים בלי השגת הטעמים יזכו אח”כ לשמוע שהוא השגת הטעמים.
This is the concept of na’aseh v’nishma, that Bnei Yisrael preceded the doing to the understanding; through doing the mitzvos without understanding the deeper reasons, one is led to eventually understand the reasons.
ובעת מתן תורה שהיו מתוקנים למעלה מהטבע היו משיגין הטעמים ואחר החטא נעלם מהם
And at the receiving of the Torah, Bnei Yisrael indeed merited to understand the reasoning of the mitzvos, however when they sinned with the golden calf, it became hidden from them.
וזה שאוה”ע מונין להם במה שאבדו מדריגה זו.
And this is what Satan and the nations of the world taunt us, that we lost a level of greatness that we had previously had.
אך ע”י השמירה בדרך חוקה עוד יכולין לזכות להשגת הטעמים.
However through guarding (fulfilling the mitzvos) as a “chok” (without understanding why), one can once again merit to understand the reasonings.
וכן בש”ק שהוא מעין עוה”ב זוכה להשגת הטעמים לכן מבקשין יגלה לן טעמי.
And so too, on Shabbos which is a taste of the world to come, we merit to understand the reasoning, and therefore we request “reveal to us the meaning”.
כי ימי החול הם בחי’ נעשה וש”ק נשמע
The 6 days of work are comparable to na’aseh (doing the mitzvos without understanding the meaning why) and on Shabbos that is the idea of nishma.
דכתי’ ביני ובין בני ישראל אות הוא כו’ כי ששת ימים עשה כו’ וביום השביעי שבת.
As it says it is a covenant between HaShem and Bnei Yisrael, for 6 days He toiled and on the 7th days He rested.
א”כ הנייחא ותכלית הבריאה שהוא טעם הבריאה להיות לפניו ית”ש נחת רוח. זה נגמר בשבת קודש.
This implies that the purpose of creation, the reason why HaShem created the world, to be of pleasure to Him, that was completed on Shabbos!
וזהו בחי’ הטעמים.
This is the concept of the reasons
ובימי המעשה הוא בהתלבשות תוך המעשה כמ”ש ששת ימי המעשה יהיה סגור שער חצר הפנימית שהוא בחי’ הטעמים שהוא הפנימיות של כל הדברים.
And on the days of the week, everything is hidden and clothed in physical actions. As it says on 6 days the inner gate of the Beis Hamikdash will be closed – which is the idea of the deeper meanings
וביום השבת יפתח שהוא פי הבאר שנפתח בש”ק
And on Shabbos the gate will be opened, which is the deeper meaning just as the mouth of the well (in the desert) was opened on Shabbos.
ובש”ק מחזירין לבנ”י הכתרים מהקדמת נעשה לנשמע ויכולין להרגיש הטעמים.
And on Shabbos our crowns from na’aseh v’nishma (that were confiscated due to our sin with the golden calf) are returned and we can therefore understand the reasoning.
וגם שיורד נשמה יתירה
And one also receives a neshama yeseira – an extra soul.
והוא החלק שיש לכל איש ישראל שלא נפגם ע”י החטא לכן הוא משומר בשמים ונותנין לאדם רק בש”ק ובו יכולין להשיג הטעמים שהם מעין עוה”ב.
This is the part that every Jew has, that has never been tainted by sin, and therefore protected in heaven, and it is given to a person only on Shabbos. With this one can comprehend the deeper meanings, for Shabbos is a part of the world to come (and completely unaffected by this world).
וזה העדות שבנ”י מעידין בשבת קודש כי ששת ימים כו’ וביום השביעי שבת.
And this is the testimony that we give on Shabbos that He worked for 6 days and rested on Shabbos.
ע”י שמשתנים בש”ק כמ”ש אין דומה הארת פניו של אדם כו’.
Since we actually change on Shabbos as it says one’s face on Shabbos does not compare to that of one’s face during the week.
א”כ הוא עדות שביום זה מתגלה הטעמים והפנימיות מטעם כי בו שבת.
Therefore it is testimony that the deeper reasonings are revealed on this day, because He rested.
ומ”מ צריכין להמשיך הארת השבת קודש לכל הימים.
Nevertheless we still need to bring the light of Shabbos to the entire week,
וזה באר חפרוה שרים בש”ק שמשיגין הטעמים נקראו שרים וע”י כן נשאר רשימה וחקיקה גם בימי המעשה ע”י הרצון והשתוקקות אל השבת.
This is the idea of the pasuk (Bamidbar 21:18) “A well that was dug by princes”. That on Shabbos we merit to comprehend the reasoning, and therefore it is called “princes”. And therefore there is a remanent and effect of it left over to the days of the week, which comes from the desire and longing for Shabbos.
וזהו כרוה נדיבי עם במחוקק כו’ שנק’ חוקה בחול:
This is the idea of “which was started by the nobles, with staffs במחוקק (connected to the word חוק) for it is referring to the effort during the week when there is no understanding, just a longing for Shabbos.