When Moshe explained to his father-in-law what took up so much of his time, Moshe says: כי יהיה להם דבר בא אלי ושפטתי בין איש ובין רעהו והודעתי את חקי האלקים ואת תורתיו - “When they have a matter they come before me and I adjudicate between a man and his fellow man and I make known to them the statutes of Elokim and His laws” (Shemos 18:16). The Netziv (HaEmek Dovar) explains why the Torah is referred to as ‘Chukei Elokim’. The Netziv says that the most appropriate word to describe all of Torah is the word ‘Chukim’. The Netziv sites as proof the pasuk “If you will walk in my chukos” (Vayikra 26:3). In that pasuk, “chukos” refers to keeping the Torah. Chukim is the one word that encompasses all of Torah.
The connotation of the word ‘Chukim’ is those mitzvos whose reason evades us. We usually relate the term to those commandments where we do not understand why they were given. The classic ‘chok’ is the mitzvah of the Parah Adumah. Shatnez [forbidden mixtures] is another famous example. However, when one thinks of Torah as a whole, the vast majority of mitzvos are not chukim. The Medrash in Bamidbar Rabbah says that there are only really four chukim in the Torah.
If the chukim occupy such a relatively miniscule proportion of Torah, why is it appropriate to call Torah in general ‘Chukei Elokim’? It would seem more appropriate to call the Torah ‘Mishpetei Elokim’ or ‘Eidosav shel Elokim’. ‘Chukei Elokim’ seems to color the whole majority of Torah with a terminology that applies to only a small minority of mitzvos.
Perhaps that which the Netziv had in mind can be derived from the following story involving Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (the famous Ohr Sameach).
Rav Meir Simcha, as was the custom of many Rabbonim in Europe, had a gabbai who was his personal assistant. The gabbai would execute whatever task or errand Rav Meir Simcha asked him to execute.
After a certain shailah came to the attention of Rav Meir Simcha, he instructed his gabbai regarding what to do. The gabbai objected to what he was being asked to do and told Rav Meir Simcha that he did not agree with the Rav regarding this issue. Rav Meir Simcha told him, “You never agree with what I have to say.”
The gabbai was startled. The gabbai said, “What do you mean I never agree with what you have to say? This is the first time that I ever disagreed with you!”
Rav Meir Simcha explained what he meant. “Why is it” he asked, “that you never objected before? It is because every other time you agreed with me. Therefore, you did what I said because you felt I was right. The first time you did not agree with what I had to say, you told me so. That means that you never really agreed with me. The only reason you did what I said in the past was not because you nullified your will to what I have to say. You did it because you felt that it was the right thing to do. That is not the role of a gabbai. The role of a gabbai is not a sounding board who is supposed to give the Rav validation. The role of the gabbai is that I am the Rav, you are the gabbai. You do what I tell you to do.”
This is the same with Torah as well. True, the Torah contains a majority of mishpatim and mitzvos that we understand. However, that is almost beside the point. We are not supposed to do mitzvos because we happen to agree and think it is right and proper, ethical and moral. The reason we are supposed to do mitzvos is for one reason: Because it is “Chukei haElokim”, because that is the Will of the Creator. This is the “Higher Intelligence” (Daas Elyon). Whether we understand the mitzvos or do not understand them is really beside the point.
We do not need to do it because we agree and think it is the right thing. Ultimately, we need to do it because the Ribbono Shel Olam said so. That is why the appropriate title to address and define what all Torah is about is Chukei haElokim. That is why observance of the Torah in general is expressed as “If you will walk in my Chukim” (Vayikra 26:3). In the final analysis, that is why we keep every mitzvah.
Just as Rav Meir Simcha told his gabbai about his job — Our job is not to “sign off” and acquiesce to Hashem’s commandments. Hashem does not need our approbations. We do it because He said to do it. (R’ Frand)
