Irrational Laws

The Jewish people are a difficult, stiff necked people. The Mishna in Pirkei Avot lists ten events where they tested Hashem and Moshe.

Shortly after they left Egypt, they confronted Moshe because the water was bitter and they had nothing to drink. Moshe cried out to G-d and he was shown a tree, that he was to throw in the water, to sweeten it.

There was a great deal of symbolism to this story. The desire for water, was really a desire to already receive the Torah. The tree is symbolic as to how the Torah is a “tree of life,” for all those who observe it.

We are also told that they were given חוק ומשפט, certain understandable laws, as well as laws that were not understandable. This second type of law, is known as “Chok.”

Rashi wrote that they were given Shabbat, some civil laws, and the law of the Red Heifer, which is the most difficult law in the Torah to understand.

The Alshich explained that at this time, Hashem wanted to implant in Israel, a conscious readiness, to accept irrational sounding laws.

Faith in G-d meant that we would receive a greater reward for observing the Mitzvot that we did not understand, rather than those that made sense to us.

There needed to be a clear understanding of Hashem’s exalted state, that as human beings, we could never achieve.

This point needed to be clarified right at the outset, as we were developing into nationhood. We had an important role to play in the world. Complete faith and reliance on G-d was the message Israel needed to teach the nations. But they had to first learn this message themselves.