After describing the blessings for following the Torah law, G-d discusses what will happen if the Jews did not follow His commandments.
“And if you will despise My statutes, and your souls will despise My judgements, not to do My commands.” (26:15)
As part of the rebuke, G-d tells of the consequences of not following His commands.
However, this statement is curious as it refers to the different types of mitzvos – statutes/chukim, and judgements/mishpotim.
Rabbi Yissochor Frand describes the differences between these mitzvos thus, “Chukim are those laws in the Torah we seemingly do not know the reason for, such as the prohibition to wear Shatnez [forbidden mixtures (e.g. wool and linen)]and the prohibition to eat Chazir [pig]. Mishpatim are laws for which we know the reason — they ‘make sense.’ Examples are the prohibition of stealing and of taking bribes. These are laws that any normal and decent society would enact and in fact does enact.”
So why does the Torah explicitly refer to both types of mitzvos?
The Reisha Rov explains that this breakup of mitzvah categories represents the progression of excuses given for abandoning Judaism. First the complaint is that Chukim are illogical and therefore rubbish. Then the logical mitzvos – the mishpotim – are attacked and abandoned.
Ultimately, it was neither type of mitzvah that was the issue. It was simply that the person wished to discard Judaism. No amount of reasoning or discussion would have an effect.
Over the past few years, we have been ruled over by people who first sought to show the ‘logic’ of their ways and when the logic failed, resorted to the dictatorial approach – just do what you are told.
And just like with the person abandoning Yiddishkeit, the reason was merely a pretence.
