PARSHAS CHUKAS

Some of the laws in the Torah are not understood. The prime example is the the law of the red cow.

Is the fact that it can’t be understood a weakness or a virtue? Should we be ashamed by it and try to hide it? After all who wants to go around saying they do things that don’t make sense?

The Torah states: “This it the Torah of the cow”. The verse can be interpreted to mean that the cow, the laws that are beyond reason, are really the essence of the Torah. For all of Torah is Hashem’s will that is beyond reason, parts of the will evolved and was clothed within a reason, but even they are essentially pure will.

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Hashem revealed the reason of the red cow to Moshe. There is a paradox, if there is a virtue in knowing all of the reason’s to the commandments then why didn’t Moshe share the reason with all of the people? And if fulfilling the commandment without knowing the reason is more virtuous, because that is how we reach the essence of Torah that is beyond understanding then why did Hashem cause Moshe to loose the opportunity of attaining that virtue?

The MEDRASH describes that Moshe could not grasp the idea of the cow having the power to purify the impurity caused by a dead body. Ritual impurity represents a distance from life, all types of impurity can eventually be purified because the person us alive, so he still has the soul the source of life thus the source of purification. Moshe was baffled by the fact the impurity emanating from a dead body can be purified.

Hashem revealed to Moshe the power of the soul that defies reason, the soul can affect the body even after the separation of the soul from the body, for the soul has the power of Hashem that is not subject to limitations of time and space.

[The same idea is expressed by the fact that the cow is prepared outside the Jerusalem, it isn’t subjected to the usual laws of sacrifices, for its power is unlimited].

This is why the law of the cow is the representation of the true essence of the Torah, for even the parts of Torah that can be understood originate from Hashem’s essence and are therefore beyond understanding.

Moshe was on the level of CHOCHMAH, CHOCHMAH is undefined and is the place where Hashem can dwell. CHOCHMOH can grasp things that are unlimited and beyond reason. It is the power to put oneself on the side and see things that are greater then the mind can grasp. Only afterward does some of this great “light” come down, and is “broken down” to details that can be grasped and digested by BINAH which is the level of understanding.

The explanation of the cow can therefore be revealed to Moshe without compromising its nature which is undefined, and beyond reason.