Devarim-Chapter-4-44-45
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Colour coded details of
our beloved TaNaKh:
1. Torah = History &
Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.
*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical
books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot, or Scrolls -
Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and
Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and history of Ezra, Nehemiah, and
Chronicles I & II.
Please Note: Some alterations or (additions) have
been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it
once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember
the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command
you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments ofיְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven
Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
The Book of Deuteronomy is often
described as Moses’ review of the Torah, but in its deepest sense it is a
meditation on the nature of Torah. Moses teaches some new laws and refreshes
the old ones, and he argues for the centrality of the Torah and the
commandments. But he also offers a nuanced perspective on the limits of Torah
and how it must be approached with care and curiosity, even caution. This perspective
invites us to think critically about the role of Torah in our lives as active
producers of, and engagers with, the text not just as passive recipients but
those who obey it!
Much of this conversation hangs
on a single verb, which we first encounter in “Parashat
Vaetchanan”.
Devarim
4:44-45.(JPS).
“And this is the law which Moses
set before the children of Israel; these are the testimonies, and the statutes,
and the ordinances, which Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, when they came
forth out of Egypt”.
וְזֹאת
הַתּוֹרָה
אֲשֶׁר שָׂם
מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי
בְּנֵי
יִשְׂרָאֵל
אֵלֶּה, הָעֵדֹת, וְהַחֻקִּים, וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים-אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּצֵאתָם מִמִּצְרָיִם
This is the teaching that Moshe
- Moses placed before us Israelites.
Many readers will be familiar
with this verse, which is of course recited in many Synagogues as the Torah is
displayed after the public reading, but the language is a little strange. Why
does it say that Moses “placed” the Torah before us Hebrews? And what is so
wonderful, that he never stopped teaching it!
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Analyzing the linguistic roots of the three terms in Devarim 4:45:
“Edot”, “Chukim”, and “Mishpatim” reveals a multidimensional approach to how the text must be engaged.
1. Edot - עֵדוֹת - Testimonies:
Root: Derived from ‘ed’ - עֵד, meaning “witness”.
Significance: These are commemorative laws that bear witness to historical events or spiritual truths (e.g., Shabbat or Passover).
Insight: Etymologically, Edot acts as a bridge. While they are rational (it makes sense to remember history), they are specifically “Hebraic” logic. They serve as signs or “testimonials” that establish the shared memory of the community.
2. Chukim - חֻקִּים - Statutes:
Root: Comes from ‘chakak’ - חָקַק, meaning “to
engrave” or “to
inscribe”.
Significance: These are often called “supra-rational” laws, those without a clear human rationale, such as dietary laws or the Red Heifer.
Insight: Because an “engraving”
goes through the material rather than sitting on top of it, ‘Chukim’ represent laws that are etched into the very fabric of
reality. They are “fixed” and immutable. Philosophically, they challenge the
reader to obey not because it makes sense, but out of a deep, intrinsic
connection to the Divine Will.
3. Mishpatim - מִשְׁפָּטִים - Ordinances:
Root: From shafat - שָׁפַט, meaning “to
judge”.
Significance: These are civil or moral laws, rational rules that any just society would likely develop, such as prohibitions against ‘theft’ or ‘murder’.
Insight: ‘Mishpatim’ are “right-rulings” that restore balance and justice. Linguistically, they relate to the ‘shofe’ - judge, implying that these laws are subject to human legal reasoning and application. They represent the “logical” layer of Torah that governs interpersonal ethics.
Why the distinction
matters:
By using all three terms, Moses describes a Torah that is complete,
covering the rational (Mishpatim),
the historical (Edot), and
the mysterious (Chukim).
This structure supports our “caution and curiosity” theme: some parts of the
Torah we can judge and understand (Mishpatim),
while others we must allow to “engrave” us even when they remain beyond our
grasp (Chukim).
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שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben
Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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