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Why does the Torah (תורה) use the word "chok" only for Parah Adumah and not for earlier chukim like shatnez? The Taz's question reveals two levels of chukim: those the nations challenge ("What's the reason?") and those they use to denigrate us ("You're fools"). When a mitzvah (מצוה) is self-contradictory—purifying one person while contaminating another—the Torah must emphasize "zos chukas haTorah" to tell us: perform it despite the apparent foolishness.
The shiur explores a question posed by the Taz on a Rashi (רש"י) in Parshas Toldos. Rashi explains that the word "chukosai" in the verse "Eikev Avrohom listened to My voice...my chukim" refers to laws the nations challenge, such as the prohibitions of pig and shatnez. The Taz asks: if these are chukim, why doesn't the Torah (תורה) use the term "chok" here, as it does explicitly in Parshas Chukas regarding Parah Adumah ("zos chukas haTorah")? Why wait until Parah Adumah to declare something a chok when earlier laws like shatnez are also chukim? The answer lies in a careful reading of Rashi's language in the two contexts. In Parshas Toldos, Rashi describes chukim as "devarim she'yetzer hara umeshivin aleihem"—things that the nations challenge us about. The key word is "meshivin," meaning they question or challenge: "What are you doing? Why are you doing this?" This is a request for explanation, an intellectual challenge. The nations say, "Explain to me the reason for shatnez or the prohibition of pig." Our response is that we don't know the ultimate reason, but we follow Hashem (ה׳)'s command. This is uncomfortable but not humiliating—many things in life lack clear explanations, yet people accept them.
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Parshas Toldos, Bereishis 26:5; Parshas Chukas, Bamidbar 19:2
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
