Parasha Chukas:
But I just don’t Understand the G-d of our Understanding!
We are are continuing our new weekly Series:
“How this Parasha speaks to those who seek Recovery”
זאת חקת התורה
“This is THE DECREE of the Torah..”
Will we ever know the Answer?
Parasha Chukas has been declared The Quintessential limit of Man’s understanding of G-d’s Ways. Sages have grappled for all of time to find some common sense logical way of explaining how the ashes of the Parah Aduma – the Red Heifer purify those who are contaminated – yet contaminate those who prepare it. Even the wisest man of all time, King Solomon said in Proverbs 7:23 that “I said I would be wise, but it is far from me.”
G-d gave the Torah to mortals!
The Zohar says, “The Torah is one with G-d.” It is an expression of His essential will. Therefore, just as HIS WILL is above our intellectual understanding, so too is the Torah. Nevertheless, G-d gave the Torah to mortals, not because He desires our obedience, but because He is concerned for our welfare!! He wants man to develop a connection with Him.
Does it have to make sense to us…for us to Understand?
Let’s consider how this Message speaks to us...
Just consider our nature as addicts – our need to control, our insistence that we know better, that we have all the answers! Now also consider if G-d had given us a Torah with only Laws (Mishpatim) and no Decrees (Chukim), what would we have done? For starters, our razor sharp minds would certainly figure out the logic behind all the laws. Nevermind if your logic comes to another understanding that is different than mine…either you’re wrong or I don’t have to listen to you! Furthermore, I wouldn’t need to turn to someone who is older or wiser than me to guide my understanding. We would say, “I don’t need your advice. I can take it from here!”
Why would I need you…or anyone else…or some invisible Higher Power? My life has made me pretty tough – I’ve learned that I just need to be SELF-RELIANT to make it in this crazy out of control world!
Instead Hashem, in his infinite and loving wisdom, gave us a Torah that is also full of Chukim. And in my quest to understand the Torah, I will have to turn to Mesirus Nefesh, translated as Self-Sacrifice. And we can only express this self-sacrifice thru Bitul – Nullification of the SELF!
In Step Three of our 12 Step Program –
“(We) made a Decision to turn our Will and our Lives over to the care of G-d, as we understood Him.”
Which leads us first to having to know just what the heck Bill Wilson meant by the words, “Will” and “Lives.” The word Will is often recognized since we know that people write Wills – which reflects that person’s direction for how to distribute their belongings when they die. Thus the meaning of the word Will in Step 3 is “Thinking.” Similarly, our Lives are the sum total of all our “Actions” in our life. So Step Three is asking us to turn our Thoughts and our Actions over the the care of G-d, as we understood Him!
SO, my friends, it is precisely thru Step 3 that I learn that I have to NULLIFY MY SELF in order to turn my thoughts and actions to G-d.
And only by nullifying my SELF can I then…finally…UNDERSTAND G-D!!!
If you’re like most of us, and having some difficulty turning your thoughts and your actions over to G-d, then perhaps you need to practice the Art of Letting Go & Letting G-D – one the most powerful Tools to Live in Recover…so let me share a little gift with you, (based on BB pg 86-87) and I promise it will bring you sobriety, serenity and forever change your life:
O G-d, Please Direct my thinking…
