The Parsha begins with the words: אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵּכוּ גּוֹ׳ “If you follow My statutes etc”. The Alter Rebbe explains in Likkutei Torah (at the beginning of our Parsha the Chassidishe Parsha, which was the second Parsha for this week), as well as in the Maamorim of the Chabad Rebbeim in the generations that followed.
The word ‘BeChukoisai’ is an expression of ‘Chakikah’ which means to engrave. Because the highest form of the Torah is in a manner of the ‘Engraved letters’. As the Possuk states: חָרוּת עַל־הַלֻחֹּת “Engraved on the Luchos”.
The next form of Torah תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב is condensed into the ‘Written letter’. And thereafter it descends further to the next level down which is the ‘Oral Torah’.
The difference between them is that the engraved letters are engraved into the stone, so that the letters are integral to the stone upon which they are engraved making it is impossible to separate or to differentiate between them.
This is the concept of engraved letters in Torah. They are Mamosh one with Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Below this level the Torah is contracted into the written letter. As is explained in Tanya that the Torah travelled and descended until it took on the form of ink on a book where the ink and the book are two independent elements that can be separated.
There are two perspectives of this united entity of ‘engraved letters’ and the inseparable stone upon which they are written:
The first is that the letters cannot be separated because they are an integral part of the stone. The second aspect is, that you cannot separate the stone from the letters, so the distinctiveness of these stones is that they have the letters engraved upon them.
Accordingly, the fascia of stone beyond the engraved letters can be categorised as the ‘remnants of the Luchos’. This is in addition to the basic explanation of ‘remnants of Luchos’ about which our Sages of blessed memory have said that Moshe became wealthy from the fragments of stone hewn out to form the Luchos.
According to that which we have established above that the Luchos are the letters which were engraved on the stone; this entails that the part of stone which was not engraved is categorised as the ‘Remnants of the Luchos’.
In other words, even though the area of stone of the Luchos which was not engraved is large in size. And as is explained in the Talmud that the Luchos were six Tefochim long and Six Tefochim wide and three Tefochim high. So, all the rest of the Luchos in comparison to the words are categorized as ‘Pe’soles of the Luchos’ - Remnants of the Luchos’.
[Incidentally elsewhere it is explained, that from the words of the Talmud it is quite obvious that the Luchos were square-edged and were not rounded on the top. Which seemingly is incredible how due to the darkness of the Golus there is a Minhag to present the Luchos with rounded tops. And even if they were to argue that they are following in their father’s customs and a Minhag of our fathers is Torah. Nevertheless, this does not amount to the proper image of the Luchos as has been explained in the Talmud].
Relating to a person’s Avodah one must ensure that the Torah is engraved in him. Here too as with the Luchos there are two perspectives.
Firstly, the whole existence of the Torah is Yisroel to the extent that one cannot separate the B’nei Yisroel from the Torah. As our sages of blessed memory in the Talmud have said: “The Torah is called by the name of the one who studies it” to the extent that a Talmid Chochom that forgoes on his honour his honour may be forgone. Because the Torah is his.
It can be said that this is the same idea as the statement: “Yisroel the Torah and Hakodosh Boruch Hu are all one”. That Yisroel are joined with Hakodosh Boruch Hu through the Torah, Since the B’nei Yisroel are one existence with the Torah. Furthermore, The B’nei Yisroel unify the Torah and Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
As it is explained elsewhere in Chassidus in clarifying the statement from the Zohar that says: “There are three connections connecting one with the other; Yisroel with Torah and Torah with Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
But why the need for ‘Three connections’; to connect three things you only need two connections? The explanation here is that there is a third connection between Yisroel and Hakodosh Boruch Hu that is not through the Torah. And from this connection Yisroel Tie Hakodosh Boruch Hu together with the Torah. It is explained in Chassidus that Dovid Hamelech would connect the upper Torah with Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Because Dovid Hamelech is דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי וְקַיָּם “Dovid, HaMelech, King of Israel, lives and endures.” Dovid the King Moshiach (and is the Final redeemer). And every one of B’nei Yisroel has within him a tiny bit just as they have a spark of Rabi Shimon Ben Yochoi and a spark from Moshe Rabeinu (First redeemer). From this it is understood that this is relevant to every single Jew. And this is why Yisroel is called a Chosson whilst the Torah is called a Kallah.
The second aspect is: that the whole existence of Yisroel is the Torah. As is illustrated in the well-known parable that Rabbi Akivah gave that the existence of Yisroel and Torah is analogous to fish and the sea. Just as the existence of the fish is dependent on the sea, so too the existence of Yisroel is dependent on the Torah.
Furthermore, according to that which the Rebbe Rashab whose Neshomoh is in Eden explained in his Maamorim. The opinion of Rabbon Shimon ben Gamliel is that fish are not a Chatzizah for Mikvah immersion. Because the whole existence of the fish is from the water, therefore fish are not a Chatzizah because they are as one entity with the sea. And so it is too the relationship between Yisroel and the Torah that they are one entity.
This concept in a person’s Avodas Hashem is the study of Torah in a manner which can be compared to ‘Engraved Letters’ which is when the person who is studying the Torah is united with the Torah as one entity. This idea can even be explained to a child, because as long as his existence is an existence of Torah, then even in his sleep he will dream matters of Torah etc.
And we can connect this to the concept of: וְהַחַי יִתֵּן אֶל־לִבּוֹ “The living should give it to his heart” in other words ‘take it to heart’. Because true giving as the Talmud says: “Everyone who gives a gift, gives it generously.” If so, then he gives to his heart in such a manner that his whole heart becomes an existence of Torah.
This can be connected with an explanation from the Rebbe’s Father in his comments on the Zohar on our Parsha. That the word חק meaning ‘Statute’ [also from the word ‘Chakikah’] is spelled with the letter Ches (ח) and the letter Kuf (ק). both of which are very similar to the letter Hey (ה). The difference is only that the left leg from the letter Hey is shorter than the right leg of the letter Hey. Whilst, with the letter Ches the top of the left leg extends upwards to become equal to the right leg. Whereas with the letter Kuf the bottom of the left leg extends downward as is explained.
And according to that which is written in Likkutei Torah that the image of the letter Hey alludes to Machshova, Dibbur and Maaseh, because the basis of the creation of this world is the letter Hey [as the Talmud states: “With the letter Hey this world was created”]. So, in its essence the letter ‘Hey’ represents the world’s formation from a creation perspective. Because the three lines that make up the letter ‘Hey’ symbolise the three worlds of Briyah Yetzirah and Asiyah Which correspond to three garments of Machshova, Dibbur and Maaseh.
For this reason, the upper horizontal line of the letter ‘Hey’ which alludes to the ‘Thought’ is immediately connected with the right vertical line that alludes to ‘speech’. Because speech is directly connected with thought. Even when someone might be speaking in an uncontrolled manner, i.e. gibberish or babble, this will be because of the gap in time between his thought process and his speech. The mode of action, however, is separated from thought to the extent that you cannot always discern the thought process that might have ended up in that action.
Similarly, we see this separation between the spiritual worlds of creation, formation and of action where the world of action is a world by itself. As is indicated to in the words of the Possuk: אַף־עֲשִׂיתִיו “Also, I made him” that the word ‘Also’ separates them.
However, through a person’s Avodah in creation, he can change the letter ‘Hey’ in two ways: Either that it should become a letter ‘Ches’ in which the left vertical line which alludes to ‘Action’ connects with the horizontal top line, or into a letter ‘Kuf’ in which the left vertical line descends below the row. The uniqueness of the letter ‘Ches’ in which the left leg representing ‘action’ connects to the top line representing ‘Thought’ highlights a perfection in ‘action’. That it is completely attached to ‘thought’ and to the source of everything. With the word ‘Mitzvah’ from the words ‘Tzavsoh Vechibur’ - to ‘connect’.
[Even though there is also a negative association of the letter Ches of the ‘Le’umas Zeh’, Since the left leg is directly connected to the upper line it inadvertently allows a Yenikah etc. nevertheless, the intention over here is to the letter ‘Ches’ of holiness].
The uniqueness of the letter ‘Kuf’, according to the simple understanding alludes to a descent below the row into the arena of the Klipos. [Similar to that which is explained in Chassidus regarding the letter ‘Lamed’ whose head extends above the row as a tower floating in the air, higher than the Seder Hishtalshelus]. But we cannot disassociate the letter ‘Kuf’ from holiness, and to the contrary most of the letter sits above in holiness. [Even the Klipos don’t say לִי יְאֹרִי וַאֲנִי עֲשִׂיתִנִי "My river is my own, and I made myself." but they refer to Him as “the G-d of gods”.]
It can be said that this alludes to a Hamshocho below the row which alludes to a revelation of a very lofty light that extends to all places. As is explained regarding the long final letter ‘Nun’ of the words וּבוֹ תִדְבָּקוּן “Cleave to him” that sometimes it is written without a ‘Nun’ but only here in this Possuk it is written with a ‘Nun’. Because after completing the six instructions enumerated in the Possuk before this [‘Nun’] can one arrive into the state of ‘Nun’ which represents a Hamshocho from the state of ‘fifty’.
And this state which is from higher than the Seder Hishtalshelus extends below the row, below to the ultimate low. To transform transgressions committed intentionally to be like merits. Until they even become merits Mammosh.
In the regular order of this is in a manner of תְּמִידִים כְּסִדְרָן the regular Korbonos. In the order of the Aleph Beis that first comes the letter ‘Hey’ (according to the normal natural worldly order from the perspective of creation as mentioned earlier: “With the letter ‘Hey’ this world was created”). Then comes the letter ‘Ches’ (Through a person’s Avodah) that he also joins the left leg (Power of action) to the upper (horizontal) line. Then, thereafter, comes the letter ‘Kuf’ which alludes to the Avodah of Teshuvah.
However, from the perspective of an Avodah which does not go in an orderly fashion. With the Avodah of a Baal Teshuvah the Avodah can be the other way around. First, they start with the letter ‘Kuf’ from the perspective of the Alphabet in reverse as in the mnemonic Tashrak from below to above. [Like the alphabet of the first letters of the Shabbos Musof prayer ‘Tikantoh Shabbos’.] But he also needs to come afterwards to a situation of the letter ‘Hey’ which is the Avodah of תְּמִידִים כְּסִדְרָן the regular Korbonos.
Then, there is another system of Avodah which starts with the letter ‘Ches’. This is the order of the word ‘Chukkah’. And with the various combination of these three letters, all the Avodah of a person is included. And as a result of completing the Avodah in all these matters we come to the redemption of the future very soon Mammosh!