The Torah relates in our Parashah, (4;5-7) that Moshe said to Bnei Israel:’See, I have taught you חקים ומשפטים: decrees and ordnances, as Hashem, my G-d has commanded me.. You shall safeguard and perform them, for it is your wisdom and discernment in the eyes of the peoples who shall hear all these חקים: decrees and who shall say:’Surely a wise and discerning people is this great nation!’.
‘For which is a great nation that has a G-d Who is close to it, as Hashem, our G-d, whenever we call to Him? And which is a great nation that has righteous decrees and ordnances, such as the entire Torah I place before you this day?’.
Abarbanel comments: Moshe begins by stating that all his words and commandments were from Hashem: ‘as Hashem has commanded me’, not from myself, ‘and therefore it is right that you observe them and perform them without any change.
‘He said only :’decrees and ordnances’ because there are interchanging names for them - sometimes they are called: ‘mitzvot’ - to denote that Hashem commanded them - and at other times: Torah’, as they are הוראות: instructions as to the right way for us to follow; and sometimes: עדות: ‘testimonies’, being a remembrance and testament to the creation of the world, the exodus from Egypt and all the other truths to which the Torah testifies.
‘However, they cover all the mitzvot - both those whose rationale is known to us, or those that are hidden from our understanding: the חקים, the ‘decrees’, whose rationale is not known to us, and the משפטים: the ordnances, the reason for which is known.
‘Saying: ‘You shall safeguard and perform them, for it is your wisdom and discernment’, to teach: the mitzvot on their own account, merit that you keep them - more so, when joined to this, is the One who commanded them: Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu.
‘This - as it then says - because ‘it is your wisdom and discernment in the eyes of the people’, meaning:By observing them, you will be deemed to be wise and discerning in the nations’ eyes.
‘As this is difficult to say regarding the חקים: the decrees, as we are told - as in the case of the Red Heifer - that the nations mocked us for performing this decree, considering those who performed it as fools and deluded - for performing a deed that had no logical basis.
‘Moshe therefore deemed it proper to raise this, concerning them, that the nations, on hearing of this חוק: this edict, will say, regarding all the חקים: ‘only a wise and discerning people like this nation’, as they will see the benefit that derives from these decrees, they leading to greater closeness to Hashem, this being the meaning of the words:’For which is a great nation that has a G-d Who is close to it as Hashem, our G-d, whenever we call to Him?’.
‘The matter here is that every deed that a person performs, will be seen by others, in one of two ways: If no benefit can be seen to be derived from it, it will be deemed to be the act of a fool; but if it is the deed of one who is held as being wise, though they see that, from that particular deed, no great benefit seems to be derived, though the rationale of that deed escapes them, the nations will, nevertheless - mindful of the great benefit Bnei Israel got from drawing closer to Hashem, by performing the edicts say that, here too, these edicts whose rationale is beyond them, are the product of great wisdom and discernment.
‘We might find in the nations individuals who are wise - but to find a whole nation all of whose members are wise - because of their cleavage to Hashem - will not be found, as in this nation that observes all the decrees and ordnances.
‘Moshe added a second answer, as to why by keeping the decrees, Bnei Israel will be held by the nations to be wise and discerning: They will not mock Bnei Israel for observing decrees whose rationale they themselves do not know, seeing that just as the ordnances they observe are just, so too, must be the decrees.
‘Proof of this, is that when a man who is held as wise, performs a deed that is seemingly irrational - those who see this, will no doubt decide that while the rationale escapes them, it must be a wise act.
‘So too, the nations, on seeing that the ordnances are just and wise, will deem that so too are the decrees, though the reason for them may have been ‘lost’ to them’.
Rabeinu Bahya expounds:The Torah states (4:6)’people who hear all these decrees, shall say:’Surely a wise and discerning people is this great nation’ - should it not have said;’All these mitzvot’? , as the nations do not praise Bnei Israel for keeping the חקים: the decrees, but rather mock them for observing them?
‘He stated decrees by way of exaggeration to say: the nations, by seeing Bnei Israel having honest and just rational ordnances, who by their nature, testify to their righteousness, being orderly and proper, will deem that so too are the decrees - though their rationale may not be known, it must be because in their essence, there must lie a concealed great wisdom.
‘So much so, that the nations will praise Bnei Israel, extolling them also for the decrees, as befits ‘a wise and discerning people’ - unlike any other nation.’
The Ktav Sofer adds:’We need to understand how, when they hear the decrees, the nations will say:’only a wise and discerning people..’ - surely they will mock them, for accepting to do what is irrational - as we found with the Red Heifer.
‘It appears to me that, when the subject is one all of whose actions are seen as wise, when, on occasion acts in a seemingly irrational manner, people will not presume to fault him - rather, they will judge that his greater wisdom is beyond their ability to understand, and that no doubt he has his reasons for his action.
‘On the other hand, their judgment will be very different if the subject is held to be a fool.
‘Accordingly, from the ordnances whose rationale they understand, they will conclude that all derives from wondrous wisdom, and ‘who is like the nation that has righteous ordnances..- they may be tempted to mock the decrees whose rationale is beyond them, but likely instead will say:’Certainly we do not understand these things, but it is not possible to think that such a wise nation would have foolish ideas’ - it must be that their understanding is beyond ours.
‘Only in this way, can we understand how the nations - instead of mocking Bnei Israel, for accepting the decrees whose rationale they did not understand- came to praise Bnei Israel, as being the sign of a wise and discerning people.’
Sforno - on the passuk: (4:7)’For which is a great nation that has a G-d Who is close to it, as is Hashem’, comments:’This obliges us to be held as ‘wise and discerning’ in the eyes of the nations, as we are the nation whose G-d is ‘close to it.. whenever we call to Him’ - proof that He chose us from all the nations - if the nations were to deem us to be fools, that will be a Desecration of the Name.
‘Though I have commanded you to be ‘wise and discerning in the eyes of the nations’, at the same time:(4:9)’Only beware for your soul, lest you forget the things that your eyes have beheld’ - beware of the thoughts of the sages of the nations, who deny the sole-ness of. Hashem, and His providence, and who advance their philosophy in this regard’
‘Your eyes have beheld’ at the revelation at Sinai, that ‘there is none but Him’ - ‘and make them known to your children and your children’s children’ - who were not present there.’
Haktav veHakabalah expounds :’After saying ‘these decrees’, that have no rationale according to our intellect, and for which the nations mock us, how can it be that ‘only a wise and discerning people..’?
‘The answer can be found in ספר הברית: the Book of the Covenant, that though the rational ordnances in the Torah are the word of the Living G-d - as are the decrees - though the ordnances precede them in time and nature, the decrees are of greater in standing, and the main closeness to Hashem, is through them - and not through the rational ordnances.
‘This is because it is not possible to draw near to Hashem except through what is commanded by Him - and these are the decrees, as had they not been commanded by Him, they would not have been known at all, as they are far removed from our rational minds - such as the קורבנות: the animal offerings, and all the stages of the service in the Sanctuary, and the Sanctuary itself and all its implements and its dimensions, and all the service which led to the fire from Above descending from Hashem and consuming what was on the altar.
‘Those wondrous happenings were seen by all, as was the safe settling of their land by Bnei Israel after their successes in their battles.
‘To their very eyes, they saw the whitening of the silk thread and all the other miracles in the Temple.
‘Alas, when all these were no longer there, we lost all good, and were distanced from our Land, no longer able to be successful in battle, prophecy left us, and we descended to exile in lands not ours.
‘In such a period the nations will not say:’only a wise and discerning people..’
‘However, in the times of the existence of the subjects of the decrees, truly all will gaze wondrously and laud the decrees, though they appear ‘foolish’, as being of great wisdom and understanding, as the result of their observance testified to the closeness of Hashem to Israel, as it says:’a great nation that has a G-d Who is close to it’.’
A poignant parting gem from Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl.
The Rav deduces from our parsha, that, by observing the Torah and mitzvot, we are seen as a ‘wise and discerning people in the eyes of the nations, and yet - he notes - that members of our nation, let alone non-Jews - disrespect those who are observant, and he asks:’How can it be that the explicit promise of the Torah, in our parsha, is not fulfilled?
Answers the Rav:’The reason is set out immediately after the promise, by Rashi:’This promise is conditional on what is set out in the following passuk’ - which we brought on Sforno -‘If you do not forget what your eyes saw at Sinai, and you shall perform them faithfully, you shall be called ‘wise and discerning’ - but, continues Rashi:’If you forsake them through forgetfulness, you will be considered fools’.
‘This undoubtedly is the reason for the promise not being fulfilled.’
לרפואת נועם עליזה בת זהבה רבקה ונחום אלימלך רפאל בן זהבה רבקה, בתוך שאר חולי עמנו.