ציטירנדיקער פּירוש אויף תהילים 81:5

You need to appreciate that there is a difference in meaning between the word חק and the word חקה. Any commandment described as חק has its origin in the attribute זכור. [The author refers to the two aspects of Sabbath legislation described by the Torah as זכור and שמור respectively, Ed.]. The former refers to an emanation on the right side of the diagram of the emanations, whereas the latter is part of the left side of that diagram. We find in connection with the laws of Passover (Exodus 12,25) that the Torah categorises that legislation as לחק לך ולבניך, “as a statute for you and your children.” A חק is something definitive, decisive. We find the word in the benedictions recited at the circumcision, i.e. חק בשארו שם, “He set a חק (seal) on the flesh of his offspring.” In our prayers on New Year’s Day we speak of the requirement to blow the shofar on that day as being חק לישראל, (Psalms 81,5) a very definitive requirement. This point is also made in the Sefer Yetzirah 2,1 where the author writes כי חק הוא מכריע, that the word חק reconciles conflicting concepts [between the right and the left side of the emanations. Ed.].
A commandment described as חקה, is derived from the attribute שמור. Examples are such statements as Leviticus 19,19 את חוקותי תשמורו, “you are to observe My statutes.” The statutes referred to are not to mix certain species, not to marry the wife of a brother while the brother is alive (The word שמירה is used in connection with that commandment). Here too the Torah couches the legislation in the word חקה rather than חק, similar to the wording in Leviticus 20,22 summing up the legislation involving forbidden sexual unions. [The difference between the two words used for these various legislations may perhaps be defined as the difference between positive and negative commandments. The former are described as חק, the latter as חקה. Ed.].

In Midrash Tehillim chapter 4 the verse selected to reflect the same idea is Deut. 4,7 כה' אלוקינו בכל קראנו אליו, “like the Lord our G’d whenever we call upon Him.” Rabbi Oshiyah said that there is no other nation which sets rules for its G’d as does the Jewish nation. As an example consider the matter of calendar manipulation. When the elders of the people sit down to determine that the beginning of the new year has to be deferred by a month G’d agrees with their decision and says that whatever Israel has decided is in order. Concerning this matter David said: “I call on the Supreme G’d and He agrees with me.” When is this matter effective? On New Year’s. When the Sanhedrin sit down to proclaim a certain day as the beginning of the new year G’d adapts Himself to this decision calling together His Supreme Court consisting of the requisite number of angels, saying to them: “go and check what the Sanhedrin on earth has decided.” When the angels report that the Sanhedrin on earth has decided that New Year’s day is to be on a certain day. G’d assembles His court on that day to sit in judgment of mankind. This is the meaning of Psalms 47,6 “G’d ascends amid the sound of the teruah.” Immediately after that the angels make all the appropriate arrangements for the celestial court to begin its deliberations. This is the meaning of Daniel 7,9: “I watched till thrones were set up and the Ancient of days (G’d) sat down. His garment white as snow, etc. etc.” Some of the angels acted as defenders of the Jewish people whereas others acted as accusers. All of this was initiated by the decision of the Sanhedrin as confirmed by the psalmist in Psalms 81,5 that “it is a law made by Israel, a ruling of the G’d of Yaakov.” The meaning of this line is that Israel decrees a law concerning Rosh Hashanah and G’d abides by Israel’s decision. Another proof that this is so can be derived from Numbers 29,1 יום תרועה יהיה לכם, “it will be your Day of Teruah,” i.e. you decide on the exact date. Whereas on other festivals the Torah describes these days as לה', “for the Lord,” in this instance the Torah describes the day as לכם, “for you, yours.” We also have the verse in our chapter (verse 4) “these are the festivals of the Lord which you will proclaim.” It is as if G’d said: “I have no festivals unless you have fixed the one which is yours.” All the other festivals are the Lord’s, whereas Rosh Hashanah is yours seeing you set the date. The word קראנו in Deut. 4,7 which we mentioned earlier is a reference to “what we proclaimed,” i.e the date the Sanhedrin decided. Thus far the Midrash Tehillim.

“These are the set times of the Lord, which you shall celebrate each at its appointed time” [23:4]. The holidays that are given over into the hands of Israel, that they should establish when the holidays should be observed. The prophet Ezekiel wanted to establish when the holidays should be observed outside the land of Israel. The Holy One said: you should not do it outside the land; it is only in the land of Israel. From here our sages learned that even very righteous people and very wise people outside the land of Israel could not establish when the holidays should be observed. Ordinary people in the land of Israel were allowed to establish when the holidays were observed, according to their understanding. This is how they establish the holidays. A Torah scroll was brought and the rabbis gathered around it. Each one sat according to his importance. That is to say, the most important one sat in front. They looked down, stood up and raised their hands to heaven. The head of the academy mentioned the Divine Name with his mouth and a voice came down from heaven. When the generation was sinful, no voice was heard. Happy is the generation that heard the voice, as the verse says, “Happy is the people who know the joyful shout; O Lord, they walk in the light of Your presence” [Psalms, 89:16]. The elders gathered in the Temple and shouted, it is sanctified – it is sanctified. That is, the days have become holy. Then the Holy One also assembled an angelic Sanhedrin in heaven. They also sanctified the same days that Israel had established. The Holy One sat on His throne and had His books and His Sanhedrin brought before Him, and said: We will judge the world, as the verse says, “for it is a law for Israel” [Psalms, 81:5]. That is to say, Israel has commanded to make the New Year on that day. “A ruling of the God of Jacob” [Psalms, 81:5]. Therefore, it is a ruling of the God of Jacob.¹¹Bahya, Leviticus, 23:4.