My Musing
Incongruity- it applies to every religious system. As the MJBHA community comes to grips with the sudden passing of our beloved Morah Zlata, and personally, it is the Bar Mitzvah prasha of Dov a”h, the incongruity of Torah challenges us.
The Midrash demonstrates a reality for this world. There is a system, but it is incomprehensible for us. That is what a Chok, a statute is. These are only four examples tat challenge us with their inherent contradictions, but that is the religious life; Religion works for us 99% of the time. But it is these anomalies that challenge our fealty to the system that seemingly does not make sense at the moment. But if the part of the system that makes sense is Divine so are these pieces which do not make sense to us and it is these blips that require us to be steadfast in our faith and believe that the system is still in force.
מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת חקת סימן זIncongruity- it applies to every religious system. As the MJBHA community comes to grips with the sudden passing of our beloved Morah Zlata, and personally, it is the Bar Mitzvah prasha of Dov a”h, the incongruity of Torah challenges us.
The Midrash demonstrates a reality for this world. There is a system, but it is incomprehensible for us. That is what a Chok, a statute is. These are only four examples tat challenge us with their inherent contradictions, but that is the religious life; Religion works for us 99% of the time. But it is these anomalies that challenge our fealty to the system that seemingly does not make sense at the moment. But if the part of the system that makes sense is Divine so are these pieces which do not make sense to us and it is these blips that require us to be steadfast in our faith and believe that the system is still in force.
רבי יהושע דסכנין בשם רבי לוי אמר, 'ארבעה דברים יצר הרע משיב עליהם וכתיב בהן חוקה. ואלו הן: אשת אח, וכלאים, שעיר המשתלח, ופרה אדומה.
Rabbi Joshua of Sichnin in the name of Rabbi Levi said, 'four things invite the evil inclination to arouse doubt in Torah, and they are written as statutes, They are: Taking the wife of your brother, forbidden mixtures of natural fibers and animals, the atonement goat sent from the camp, and the red heifer.
אשת אח דכתיב, (ויקרא יח:טז) "עֶרְוַת אֵשֶׁת אָחִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה עֶרְוַת אָחִיךָ הִוא"
מת בלא בנים (דברים כה:ה) "כִּי יֵשְׁבוּ אַחִים יַחְדָּו וּמֵת אַחַד מֵהֶם וּבֵן אֵין לוֹ לֹא תִהְיֶה אֵשֶׁת הַמֵּת הַחוּצָה לְאִישׁ זָר יְבָמָהּ יָבֹא עָלֶיהָ וּלְקָחָהּ לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וְיִבְּמָהּ"
וכתיב בעריות (ויקרא כ:כב) "וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת כָּל חֻקֹּתַי וְאֶת כָּל מִשְׁפָּטַי וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם וְלֹא תָקִיא אֶתְכֶם הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא אֶתְכֶם שָׁמָּה לָשֶׁבֶת בָּהּ"
The prohibition of a brother’s wife, as it is written, “Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness”
But if he dies without children, “If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not be married abroad unto one not of his kin; her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her”
And it is written regarding the illicit sexual relationships, “Ye shall therefore keep all My statutes, and all Mine ordinances, and do them, that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out”
But if he dies without children, “If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not be married abroad unto one not of his kin; her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her”
And it is written regarding the illicit sexual relationships, “Ye shall therefore keep all My statutes, and all Mine ordinances, and do them, that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out”
וכלאים דכתיב, (דברים כב:יא) "לֹא תִלְבַּשׁ שַׁעַטְנֵז צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים יַחְדָּו"
סדין בציצית מותר, וכתיב בה חוקה (ויקרא יט:יט) "אֶת חֻקֹּתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ בְּהֶמְתְּךָ לֹא תַרְבִּיעַ כִּלְאַיִם שָׂדְךָ לֹא תִזְרַע כִּלְאָיִם וּבֶגֶד כִּלְאַיִם שַׁעַטְנֵז לֹא יַעֲלֶה עָלֶיךָ"
Forbidden mixtures of natural fibers or animals, as it is written, “Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together” Yet a sheet (commonly known as a caftan or modern day tzitzit) with tzitzit and it is written as a statute, “Ye shall keep My statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind; thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seed; neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together.”
והוא עצמו מכפר על אחרים, וכתיב בה (ויקרא טז:לד) "וְהָיְתָה זֹּאת לָכֶם לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם לְכַפֵּר עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכָּל חַטֹּאתָם אַחַת בַּשָּׁנָה וַיַּעַשׂ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְדֹוָד אֶת מֹשֶׁה"
The goat for atonement as it is written, “And he that letteth go the goat for Azazel shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he may come into the camp” and yet it itself atones for others, and it is written, “And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make atonement for the children of Israel because of all their sins once in the year.' And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.”
פרה אדומה מנין? דתנן, כל העוסקין בפרה מתחילה ועד סוף מטמאין בגדים והיא גופה מטהרת בגדים וכתיב בה חקה (במדבר יט:ב) "זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְדֹוָד לֵאמֹר דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה תְּמִימָה אֲשֶׁר אֵין בָּהּ מוּם אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָלָה עָלֶיהָ עֹל"
From where is the red heifer derived? As it is taught, All who occupy themselves with the heifer fro beginning to end, contaminate their clothing, and yet the very essence of the red heifer purifies clothing, and it is written regarding the red heifer, the language of statute, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying: Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer, faultless, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke”
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