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mysterious ritual of the Para Aduma. Because the
ashes of the red heifer can simultaneously render
one person tahor & another person tamei, it is
considered the Chok – a law for which the reason
is not readily apparent – par excellence,
exceeding even Shlomo HaMelech’s understanding.
But it can also refer to laws which are
unchanging throughout history, such as Pesach’s
rules being "Chukat Olam," eternal decrees. There
is a third application as well: some laws are
eminently logical for some people, or at one
specific time & place, yet inexplicable for
others or at a different time & place. These laws
are called "Chok u’Mishpat," statute & law.
Sounding the Shofar, for example, is both
mystically imponderable, yet also logical when it
announces a king. Honoring parents is another
"Chok u’Mishpat;" it makes sense because they
care for us, yet when it was given in the desert,
our parents neither fed, taught nor protected us.
The Commandment to Settle the Land of Israel
Part 2
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed | 5761
Days on Which Tachanun Is Not Recited
Chapter Twenty One-Part Three
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed | 5775
Laws Pertaining to Tzitzit and Tefillin for Shacharit
Chapter twelve-part three
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed | 5775
