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What is the true meaning of chukim—mitzvos we don't understand? The shiur challenges the common view that chukim are about blind obedience and "because I said so." Instead, chukim express divine love and trust—like a parent surprising a child with a gift without explaining first.
The shiur begins with a fascinating historical detail: for centuries, Jews observed a fast day commemorating the burning of 24 wagonloads of Talmud (תלמוד) in 13th-century France. Unusually, this fast was observed not on the anniversary date (9th of Tammuz), but every Friday before Parashas Chukas. This puzzling timing leads to the central question of what chukim (divine decrees without apparent reason) truly represent. Rabbi Zweig argues that we have fundamentally misunderstood chukim. The conventional view holds that chukim are about obedience—"because I said so"—where we perform mitzvos without understanding or questioning. This interpretation sees Rashi (רש"י)'s comment on "zos chukas haTorah"—that it's a decree from God and we have no permission to think about it—as demanding blind submission.
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Parshas Chukas
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