To experience summer as a camper is to enjoy carefree days filled with sports, sunshine, and fun. Now that the duffels are packed and the children are off to their respective camps, I’m reminded of all the basic instructions I used to give before the summer. Don’t forget to shower every day. Don’t forget to brush your teeth. Make sure to treat others kindly. This year, as they grow older, the need for these reminders seems less. These habits have become ingrained, woven into who they are, things they do almost without thinking.
This week’s Torah portion, Chukat-Balak, begins with the words “Zos Chukat HaTorah” — “This is the statute of the Torah.” Chukim refer to mitzvot that transcend our understanding, but it also comes from a root meaning “engrave.” Unlike writing, where ink remains separate from the paper, engraving becomes one with the stone itself. The Torah teaches us that our connection to Judaism should be more than something we do from time to time. Its values, teachings, and mitzvot are meant to become part of who we are.
There are moments when doing the right thing requires effort and discipline. Yet over time, those choices begin to shape us. Acts of kindness become second nature. Prayer becomes a conversation. Torah learning becomes a lens through which we view the world. When we allow holiness to be engraved into our lives, we discover strengths we did not know we possessed and horizons far greater than those we could have reached on our own. May we utilize the summer days to continue growing, learning, and becoming the people Hashem knows we can be.