**Summer Schedule 5767/2007 with Rabbi Eli Mansour at the Lawrence Ave. Synagogue in Deal, NJ**
Sundays 7:00 AM Shaharit
8:00 AM Daf Yomi
Mon-Thurs 5:45 AM Shaharit
6:30 AM Daf Yomi
Friday 6:30 AM Daf Yomi
7:45 AM Shaharit
8:30 AM Parasha Insights
11:30 AM Ladies Class
5:40 PM Daf Yomi
Shabbat 6:45 AM Shaharit
9:00 AM Seudat Shabbat with Parasha Discussion
1½ Hours Before Minha- Parasha Thoughts
Seudat Shelishi Lessons from The Parasha
** Important Note- Daf Yomi and Shaharit will continue in Brooklyn throughout the summer at Cong. Bet Yaakob in Har HaLebanon (2nd Floor Midrash), with Rabbi Saban, coinciding with times above. Rabbi Mansour will be live via teleconference teaching the Daf.
Parashat Hukat....
The story is told of a king who dispatched an ambassador to a distant country, and instructed him not to make any wagers during his stay in that country. Under no circumstances, the king sternly warned, may the ambassador agree to a bet of any kind. The ambassador gave the king his word and set off on his diplomatic mission.
When the ambassador arrived in the royal palace of the other country, the king looked at him and exclaimed in horror, "A hunchback! I cannot believe that a hunchback was sent here as an ambassador!"
"What do you mean?" the ambassador asked. "I'm not a hunchback!"
"Sure you are!" the king exclaimed. "What nerve, sending a hunchback on such a high-level diplomatic mission!"
The ambassador insisted that he was not a hunchback, and the king challenged him to a bet: if he could prove that he is not a hunchback, the king will give his country $5 million.
The ambassador thought to himself, "I know I promised not to agree to any bets, but this is a bet I cannot lose. Surely the king would want me to accept the bet and bring $5 million to the kingdom!" So, he agreed to the bet, removed his shirt to show that he was not a hunchback, and received the $5 million.
Upon completing his series of talks and meetings, he returned to his country and went to report to the king. He proudly announced that he had won $5 million in a bet.
The king became anxious and angry, and shouted, "I thought I ordered you not to accept any bets!"
The ambassador explained that this was a bet he could not lose, and related to the king precisely what had happened.
The king was infuriated. He told the ambassador that he had made a $10 million bet with the other king that he would be unable to convince the new ambassador to remove his shirt…
Business owners recognize this concern very well. They want their employees to do as they are told without trying to intuit why the boss asks that things be done that way. The best workers are those who work with blind obedience, rather than imposing their own rationale and logic onto the business' operations.
This is true with regard to Torah, as well. Parashat Hukat begins by referring to the laws of the Torah as "Hukat Ha'Torah" ("the statute of the Torah"). The word "Hok" ("statute") generally denotes laws whose underlying rationale eludes human comprehension. We are instructed in this verse to approach all the Misvot as "Hukim," to perform them regardless of if or how we understand their reasons.
The Torah forbids a Jewish king from marrying more than eighteen wives "so that his heart shall not stray" (Devarim 17:17). King Shelomo, however, allowed himself to marry many wives, figuring that at his spiritual level his heart will remain loyal to the Torah. Unfortunately, towards the end of his life he indeed strayed due to the influence of his wives (Melachim I 11:4).
The Mishna in Masechet Shabbat (11a) establishes the Halacha forbidding reading by candlelight on Shabbat. The Gemara (12b) explains that the Sages enacted this prohibition out of concern that one might mistakenly tilt the lamp to improve the flame, which constitutes a Shabbat violation. Rabbi Yishmael Ben Elisha, however, as the Gemara records, had the practice of reading by candlelight on Shabbat because he felt confident that he could read by candlelight without tilting the candle. He followed this practice until one Shabbat he indeed tilted the candle as he read. Rabbi Yishmael then exclaimed, "How great are the words of the Sages, who said, 'A person may not read by candlelight'!"
The Vilna Gaon (Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna, 1720-1797) explained that Rabbi Yishmael recognized the greatness of the authors of the Mishna, who recorded this Halacha plainly, without mentioning its reason. The Mishna simply stated, "A person may not read by candlelight," without mentioning the concern underlying this provision. Rabbi Yishmael realized that the Mishna omitted the reason precisely to prevent people like himself from taking the liberty to read by candlelight out of confidence that they will not tilt the lamp.
We are to see ourselves as faithful "employees" of the Almighty, and observe His laws regardless of our understanding of their reason and rationale. Though we are certainly encouraged and bidden to intensively study the Torah and understand the basis of every law to the best of our ability, our observance should not depend upon the extent of our understanding. We are to approach every Misva as a "Hok," and faithfully observe it regardless of how we understand its basis and rationale.
