פירוש רש"י על התורה, בראשית כ"ו:ה'
"מצותי - דברים שאילו לא נכתבו ראויין הם להצטוות כגון גזל ושפיכות דמים:
חקותי - דברים שיצר הרע ואומות העולם משיבין עליהם כגון אכילת חזיר ולבישת שעטנז שאין טעם בדבר אלא גזירת המלך וחקותיו על עבדיו:"
"My Commandments – laws that even if they were not written in the Torah would commend themselves to us, such as [the prohibition of] theft and murder.
My Statutes – duties that the evil inclination and the nations of the world reject, such as eating pork and wearing a garment of linen and wool mixed together, laws for which there is no reason but which are decrees of the King, commands to his servants."
[Translation by Rabbi Steve Greenberg]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
How is a commandment different from a statute?
Which warrants more severity: A commandment or a statute?
Why would God command a law without a reason?
How would you classify the prohibition of homosexuality?
Time Period: Medieval (Geonim through the 16th Century)