Statute for Israel
The Parasha in our everyday life - Chukat - 5782
Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - Rosh Yeshivat Hesder 'Meir Harel' Modi'in
Some believe, in a kind of religious belief, that a "constitution" would solve all the ailments of the Israeli society. Although there have been repeated attempts, since the establishment of the state, to establish a 'constitution for Israel' that have not succeeded. And finally, they ended up with the decision not to decide! The main reason for this is ideological and religious disagreements between the different sections of Israeli society. In fact, a "Constitutional Revolution" by the Supreme Court took place in the 1990s. The legal system supported by the academy has turned the 'Basic Laws' enacted following the "Harari decision" *1 into a kind of 'constitution'. Although it is partial and is not complete and comprehensive.
On the 19th of Tammuz, we mark the Yahrzeit of the late Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog*2, Z'L, who served as the Chief Rabbi of Israel even before the establishment of the State. He foresaw a future and took on the task of establishing a Jewish constitution for the state, monetary laws, and punishments, based on the principles of Torah and faith while addressing the needs of a modern democratic state:
"כבר באותם הימים כשהרבה דימו שהרעיון על דבר ייסוד מדינה יהודית עצמאית מלכותית הרי זהו חזון שלא ניתן להתגשם לפני בוא משיח צדקנו, שאפתי אני להקים תנועה אדירה שמטרתה תהא להשפיע על המועצה המחוקקת העתידה, להכניס בתחוקה (קונסטיטוציה) סעיף יסודי שיקבע שהמשפט במדינה יהא משפט התורה. וכו'. ועל כן התחלתי לתור (לחפש א.ש.) וכו', עצות, ודרכים (כמובן אך בנוגע לדיני ממונות ועונשין על פשעים פלילים, לגדור בפני עושי עוולה), ובעודי מעיין וחוקר וחותר, והנה המדינה כבר קמה! וכו'"
"Even in those days when many imagined that the idea of establishing an independent Jewish state was a vision that could not be fulfilled before the coming of our righteous Mashiach, I aspired to establish a huge movement whose purpose would be to influence the future legislative council, to insert in the constitution a fundamental clause that will stipulate that the law in the state will be the law of the Torah, etc. And so I began to look for advice, and ways (regarding the monetary laws and penalties for criminal crimes, to fence against perpetrators of injustice), and while I was perusing and investigating and striving, here the state was already established! Etc." (HaRav Herzog, Shana BeShana 1969).
The Parasha of the red heifer (Parah Adumah) opens with a unique opening:
זֹ֚את חֻקַּ֣ת הַתּוֹרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה ה' לֵאמֹ֑ר
"This is the ritual law that Hashem has commanded" (Bamidbar 19:2)
It is customary to interpret the 'Law of the Torah' as a Mitzvah whose Divine interpretation is incomprehensible to the human mind:
חֻקָּה חָקַקְתִּי גְּזֵרָה גָּזַרְתִּי אִי אַתָּה רַשַׁאי לַעֲבֹר עַל גְּזֵרָתִי, דִּכְתִיב: זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה.
"Rather, G-d said, 'I have engraved a rule, I have decreed a decree (chukah chakakti, gezeira gazarti), and you have no permission to transgress what I decreed, as it says "This is a chok (rule) of the Torah." (Bamidbar Rabbah 19:8)
Sages distinguished between Mitzvot - ‘Mishpatim - laws’ understood by the human mind, and ‘Chukim - rules’.
However, Sforno has a special and in-depth interpretation that implies that the Red Heifer is a model for the 'constitution of the Torah', a basic principle, which belongs to all the commandments of the Torah, and how they can be applied to the individual and the nation's everyday life.
"אמנם בהביננו אל כל המצוה אולי דבר יגונב ונקח שמץ מנהו. וזה כי מצאנו ראשונה שכל העוסקים בה מעת שריפתה ואילך טמאים וכו'. אמנם המזה והמקדש הם טהורים. וכו'.
"However, when we examine the entire commandment in detail we find that some of the people concerned with that red heifer from the moment it has been burned after having been slaughtered become ritually contaminated, …. By contrast, the person performing the sprinkling with the mixture of the ash and water as well as the one sanctifying the location where the red heifer is to be burned and the one lighting the fire prior to burning the slaughtered red heifer are not contaminated by their activities…"
שלישית ראוי להתבונן שבהיות כל אמרת אלוה צרופה היא בלי ספק מישרת המעשים אל המצוע כי כל אחד משני הקצוות נמאס כאמרו ונעקש דרכים יפול באחת.
"We must remember that seeing that in the words of Solomon (Proverbs 30,5) אמרת ה' צרופה, “everything G-d has said is absolutely pure, refined, He has no doubt kept in mind that all extremes are looked upon with disfavor.”
רביעית, ראוי להתבונן שאין דרך נאות להישיר את הנעקש דרכים ולהשיבו אל המצוע זולתי בהטותו אל קצה הפכו, וכו'. שישית, ראוי להתבונן מה שאמרו ז"ל שעץ ארז יורה על הגאוה והאזוב יורה על הפכה (ערכין טז ב) ובהיות שני התולעת עם שניהם יורה ששניהם חטא וכו'.
"Furthermore, we must remember that when attempting to rectify something that has become bent out of shape by merely bending it in the opposite direction partially this will not restore it to its previous condition, but that it must be reversed completely in order to eventually be straight again… A sixth consideration we must bear in mind in connection with this statute is that our sages consider the cedar wood as a symbol of haughtiness, arrogance, whereas they consider the hyssop herb as a symbol of humility (Erchin 16b). When the two are paired with the red wool known as תולעת שני, each alludes to something sinful…
נאמר אם כן שעם היות המצוה חוקה ואין להרהר אחריה ולא להיות מסופק אם היא הגונה ואם לאו כי כל אמרת אלוה צרופה ולה טעם נשגב בלי ספק נודע למלך שצוה אותה ואולי גם למשה רבינו והדומים לו. הנה יש בה איזה רמז לדרך התשובה הצריכה לכל חוטא שהיא אמנם שיטה אל קצה הפך מעשיו המטמאים כל לב טהור למען ישיג דרך המצוע ויטהר וזה הדרך עם היותו טוב ומטהר לחוטא הוא אמנם מגונה ורע ומטמא כל לב טהור... אמנם מי חטאת המורכבים מעפר שרפה וממים שהם שני קצוות אשר מהם יתחדש מצוע יורה שבמצוע תהיה תקנת החוטא הנקראת טהרה... ובכן יהיה בפרטי שמירת המצוה הזאת בכתבה וכמו שבא בקבלה רמז לכל אלה שהם מכונות התורה בלי ספק.
"Having said all this we come to the conclusion that although the whole red heifer legislation is a statute, a decree by G-d which must not be questioned, and we must not, G-d forbid, arrogate to ourselves to judge this legislation as suitable or not, seeing that everything G-d has said is pure and refined, it does teach some exceptionally valuable lessons even when looked at superficially as we have done. Although people like Moshe and others with a high level of wisdom may have had an insight into the deeper meaning of this statute, we must learn what we can from what meets the eye...
An important lesson of value to every penitent for every sin committed appears to be the one that is trying to rectify one’s error, one must not content oneself to bend the “bent iron” back with the same amount of force it took to bend it out of shape in the first place, but one must strive to bend it beyond that so that in the future the likelihood of committing the same sin again will be reduced…
Consider the fact that the instrument the Torah provides for ritually cleansing the person who had become defiled through contact with a deceased person is a mixture of spring water and ash from the red heifer. This mixture is composed of two extremes, i.e. residues of pure water and fire. Merging these two extremes appears (symbolically) to be an excellent way of regaining the path known as the golden mean. Using this combination teaches us that this golden mean is what G-d considers as טהרה, ritual purity…
We see that there are many aspects of this commandment which yield valuable lessons for us the readers even if we do not penetrate to the innermost meaning of the legislation". )Sforno Bamidbar 19:2)
In the commandment of a red heifer, there is a mediocre connection and combination between the complexities of the opposites. It defiles those who prepare it and purifies those seeking to be pure by it. A combination of the cedar wood that teaches pride and hyssop that preserves the humility and the worms that lie between them. The purity water is composed of burning ashes (fire) and water which are two opposites. The way of correction and purity is to reach the combined average. Sometimes through a temporary inclination to the opposite end as explained by Maimonides (Eight Chapters 5). There, holiness and purity connect with the profane and the everyday world.
*1) In June 1950, the Knesset passed a compromise resolution, known as the "Harari decision" (named after Knesset member Izhar Harari), approving a constitution in principle but postponing its enactment until a future date. The resolution stated that the constitution would be evolved "chapter by chapter in such a way that each chapter will by itself constitute a fundamental law."
*2) First Chief Rabbi of Ireland, his term lasting from 1921 to 1936. From 1936 until his death in 1959, he was Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the British Mandate of Palestine and of Israel after its independence in 1948.