No, chukim does not refer to the plural form of statutes, ordinances AND
decrees.
The Torah distinguishes between three types of Mitzvot (Deut. 4:45) - 1.
Edot = testimonies, they are the mitzvot that testify to G-d's miracles,
such as Shabbat, which testifies to Creation, or Matzah, which testifies
to the Exodus. 2. Mishpatim = ordinances, most of the mitzvot fall
into this category. They are laws that make sense, human intelligence
even can know how necessary they are for the benefit of society; they
represent laws that are valid even had they not been written in the
Torah, such as the prohibitions against robbery, murder, and incest.
Mishpatim are generally accepted laws which are found in the legal
systems of most human cultures and civilizations. 3. Chukim = decrees,
they are the mitzvot which cannot be understood by ordinary human
intellect, such as not mixing milk and meat, not wearing wool and linen
together, they are decrees of G-d, and it is not for anyone to question
it, and they set Israel apart from the rest of the nations.
The Red Heifer "purified the impure and made impure the pure." How does
something that has the ability to purify one person cause impurity in
another - this is not subject to human understanding.
And no, we did not "forget" anything - thanks to the Oral Torah, and the
mesorah which was accurately transmitted through people, all the names
of whom we know, through the generations. We "even" know that Parah
Adumah is in response to the sin of the golden calf.
This whole conversation is a result of someone saying that Judaism, or
Torah, is simply a way of life that makes sense. That is not at all
true, that is just trivializing it, robbing it of its depth and
complexities, and relationship with G-d.
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