Mishpatim 5772

In this week's parsha, Moshe reads the people mishpatim (ordinances), which are 53 mitzvot (commandments) that are mostly civil laws. The people of Israel respond, "All that the L-rd spoke, we will do and we will hear/understand (na'aseh v'nishma)."

The classic question is, how can one "do" before one "hears/understands"?

Our tradition understands the phrase na'aseh v'nishma to be the consummate commitment to Torah observance. By putting action before understanding, the people express their faith in G-d and their promise to follow G-d's laws, even before fully comprehending what is required of them.

Some have called this "blind faith." In fact, the Talmud quotes a Sadducee who calls Jews "you rash people who gave precedence to your mouth over your ears…First you should have listened, and if it is within your powers, accept; if not, you should not have accepted."

The Midrash says that when the people of Israel give priority to "we will do", a heavenly voice proclaims, "Who revealed to My children this secret, which is employed by the angels? As it is written, (Tehillim/Psalms 103:20) 'Bless the L-rd His angels, those mighty in strength, who fulfill His word, who hear the voice of His word' – first they fulfill, then they hear."

The Chassidic masters say: "The greatness of the people of Israel was not that they were prepared to 'blindly' do G-d's bidding without understanding (in which case they would have said only 'we will do' ), but that they placed their doing before their understanding. G-d desires that we should do as well as 'hear' and comprehend His will, so that we serve Him not only with our hands and feet, but also with our minds and hearts. But our doing should serve as the basis of our understanding rather than the other way around."

Judaism is not a religion that encourages blind faith; by contrast, our tradition values study, questions and multiple interpretations. Judaism is not just an ideology or faith; it is a way of life. You are born a Jew and remain one whether or not you ever do anything "Jewish." However, to live a Jewish life means to act upon the teachings of our tradition. Through doing, we come to appreciate and understand the wisdom of our way of life.

Writes Rabbi Label Lam on torah.org: "One can study the laws of Shabbat and read a thousand doctoral theses on the subject, interview subjects and still never know what it's really about without having first tasted a Shabbat itself."

As parents, it is not enough to drop off our kids at after-school religious school programs, or to send them to day schools and yeshivas so that they can learn about our traditions. We, ourselves, must actively participate in Jewish life in public and, more importantly, at home. Only then, when our children question and challenge us, will we be prepared to answer. In the words coined in the hallowed halls of Madison Avenue, "Just do it!" (Or was that "Just Jew it"?)