Checking Out the Brother: The Torah's Marriage Directive in Shemos

Rabbi Zweig examines a Midrash on the pasuk "Vayikach Aharon es Elisheva bas Amminadav achos Nachshon" (Shemos 6:23), which derives that anyone marrying a woman must investigate her brother. The shiur begins by questioning the Midrash's formulation: the Midrash asks, "Since the Torah (תורה) already says she is the daughter of Amminadav, don't we know she is the sister of Nachshon?" Rabbi Zweig argues this is not the real question. The fundamental issue is: why does the Torah mention her brother at all in the context of her marriage? The Torah could have simply stated she was the daughter of Amminadav without mentioning Nachshon. What is the significance of identifying the brother specifically when describing a marriage? The Midrash answers that this teaches us every person marrying a woman must investigate her brother. But Rabbi Zweig probes deeper: what is the purpose of this investigation? The shiur considers two possibilities. One interpretation is that checking out the brother helps you understand who the woman herself is—her character, her upbringing, her nature—because the brother may be more open and easier to assess than the woman herself, who might be quiet or reserved. This would make the investigation about evaluating compatibility and understanding your prospective spouse.