ה֥וֹי הַחֹֽקְקִ֖ים חִקְקֵי־אָ֑וֶן וּֽמְכַתְּבִ֥ים עָמָ֖ל כִּתֵּֽבוּ׃
װײ, די װאָס קריצן געזעצן פֿון אומגליק, און שרײַבער װאָס האָבן אומעכט געשריבן,
Vayikra Rabbah
Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina: [They are called] statutes [ḥukim] because they are engraved [ḥakukim] [in order to defeat] the evil inclination. That is what is written: “Woe the engravers of evil inscriptions” (Isaiah 10:1). Rabbi Levi said: This is analogous to a place of desolation that is troubled by bands of robbers. What did the king do? He deployed a royal garrison to protect it. So, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Torah is called stone and evil inclination is called stone.’ Torah is called stone, as it is stated: “I will give you the stone tablets and the Torah and the mitzva” (Exodus 24:12). The evil inclination is called stone, as it is written: “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). The Torah is stone, the evil inclination is stone; let the stone protect from the stone.