ספירת העומר
Dedicate a Shiur in Sefirah / Omer
L'ilui nishmas a loved one. In honor of a simcha or yahrzeit. As a zechus for a refuah sheleimah. Your dedication helps carry Rabbi Zweig's Torah to learners around the world.
3 shiurim for Sefirah / Omer
Why does the Torah add 'and you shall fear your God' to specific interpersonal mitzvos like giving bad advice or charging interest? The phrase targets situations where victims don't know they're being harmed, revealing that these actions corrupt our own tzelem Elokim even when no external damage occurs. True interpersonal mitzvos require developing genuine feelings for others, not just mechanical compliance with divine commands.
Why did Rabbi Akiva's students die for lacking respect when their teacher emphasized loving others? The shiur explains they became so committed to each other that they developed mutual ownership and entitlement, losing the courtesy required even in justified expectations. This mirrors how marriage transitions from voluntary cooperation to binding commitment, requiring conscious effort to maintain respect within intimate bonds.
How could Rabbi Akiva's students, who learned that loving your neighbor is Torah's great principle, die for lacking respect toward each other? The students failed to recognize the tzelem Elokim in their peers, treating them as mere humans rather than divine images. Lag BaOmer represents the tikun through Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who embodied what it means to be created b'tzelem Elokim.
