One Minute Daily Torah Thought - Rabbi Moshe Levin

Send us a textThis week is a double header, as we read both the Torah portions called "בהר" ("The Mountain") and "בחוקותי" ("The Laws"). These two titles seem to have opposite meanings. "Be a mountain" simply means to be proud and strong, while "בחוקותי" means to follow instructions. "בחוקותי" refers to the mitzvahs that are completely above logic; in the words of the Talmud, G-d says "I have made a law and you shall not question it." So, is this week about strength or obedience? The simple meaning of how these two variant messages coexist depends on whether the discussion is about the world or about the Torah. To the world, "Be a mountain" and be proud to be an ambassador of G-d. Don't be ashamed of embarrassment. Pay no attention to what they say. Towards the Torah's laws, put your mind aside. Don't question the words of G-d. There's a deeper understanding of these two messages and how they interpla