Torah as a Relationship

ו וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם, וַעֲשִׂיתֶם--כִּי הִוא חָכְמַתְכֶם וּבִינַתְכֶם, לְעֵינֵי הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁמְעוּן, אֵת כָּל-הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה, וְאָמְרוּ רַק עַם-חָכָם וְנָבוֹן, הַגּוֹי הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה. ז כִּי מִי-גוֹי גָּדוֹל, אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ אֱלֹהִים קְרֹבִים אֵלָיו, כַּיהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, בְּכָל-קָרְאֵנוּ אֵלָיו. ח וּמִי גּוֹי גָּדוֹל, אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים צַדִּיקִם, כְּכֹל הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם.

Question 1: Pasuk ches is directly connected to pasuk vav, but what does pasuk zein have to do with pasuk vav, and why is it smack in middle?

Question 2: Chukim are mitzvos without a taam. So why are chukim (in pasuk ches) smart in the eyes of the goyim?

I once heard a beautiful vort: “Teffilah is us talking to Hashem. Torah is Hashem talking to us”. In other words, Hashem wants a relationship with us, and any relationship needs to be two way communication, with each listening to the other.

So Torah is not just a wisdom like all other wisdoms, it is far more than that. It is a relationship between the Creator and His creations! But that is only evident when the goyim see that the relationship goes two ways. When they see that when we call out to Hashem, he listens and answers, then they know that the Torah is also part of this relationship. And then they appreciate it on a whole new level.

Perhaps that is why the Teffilah aspect in pasuk zein needs to be BEFORE pasuk ches. Because only after the phenomenon in pasuk zein, is pasuk ches evident.

And that is why even the Chukim are wise in their eyes. Because when there’s a true relationship, each does for the other what they ask even when not understanding.