Lesson for the Week

I love the way hashgacha pratis works that everything i learn is so perfectly appropriate for what i'm thinking about or involved just then! so i learnt this sicha last week that was so beautiful and powerful, i just had to share it. it's a little complex (as many sichos are) but i'll give it a shot. try to follow!!!

It's a sicha on parshas chukas, and the Rebbe begins by quoting the first posuk "zos chukas hatorah", referring to the laws or parah adumah. There is a medrash that explains all the paradoxes in parah adumah where one thing is made pure and another impure at the same time...and then it explains all these other things about tumah and taharah in general.

The implication of this is that "zos chukas hatorah" does not refer only to parah adumah, but also to the laws of tumah and tahara in general. So that means the the laws of tumah and tahara are "chukas hatorah" - meaning there is something in them that applies to all of Torah.

Now, since it is something in Torah shebiksav and not gemara or something, it also must be a lesson that is understandable and applicable to everyone, including someone that doesn't have a head for all the details and particulars of the halachos. Thus the lesson must be one that can be learned from the general ideas of tumah and tahara. here goes:

Tumah is a very unique concept in a few ways. One aspect of it is that its application is always equal. What does that mean? Well it happens in a few ways:

• a) the way you are in contact with it (whether you're touching it with your hand - more superficial - or eating it - more internal) - still makes you tamei


• b) what it does to you: it makes every part of your body tamei equally... doesn't matter which part actually touched it


• c) your intentions - (even in a ruchnius level!): if you touched in intentionally or were pushed into it - anyway tamei!

So it doesn't matter if it's something big or small - either way it has the same effect.

So what's the lesson in it?

There is a maamar chazal that says a person should never weigh one mitzvah against another. That means that you should never consider one mitzvah more important than another, but do them all. So this is just like the halachos of tumah.

But on the other hand, the Torah itself mentions certain mitzvos as "chamur" and others as "kal" meaning that some are graver and stricter than others. So how do we understand this apparent contradiction?

The answer is that these two ideas are referring to two different concepts in Torah. When we're talking about reward and punishment for mitzvos and even consequences in this world, there are differences - some mitzvos have a bigger effect, and a bigger reward or consequence, than others. But when we're talking about connecting to Hashem in a essence level, to etzem, every mitzvah is important. Every mitzvah improves the connection, and the opposite ch"v can break it. And with that, you never know what is going to make the difference. That is what the laws of Tumah are here to teach us. We must never overlook a mitzvah cuz we don't think it's important... you never know what is really important for your connection to Hashem.

This is also true - and this is the part i found most interesting - when you are trying to bring people closer to Yiddishkeit. Sometimes you can think that it is enough to teach them and convince them just to do the "big" mitzvos - shabbos, kashrus, whatever else. But no, "zos chukas hatorah" teaches us that every mitzvah is important - you never know what will make or break that person's connection to Hashem.

So when ur in gan izzy and are tempted to let the kids eat without washing or skip brachos or bentching or i don't know what else goes on in anyone else's camp... remember... the little things can be more important than the big ones! Don't overlook anything you can do! just teach, teach more, and the best way is by example!