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Why did On Ben Peles spend his entire life in aninus after being miraculously saved from Korach's rebellion? The shiur explores how his wife's wisdom revealed his self-delusion about deserving to be Kohen Gadol. When someone is saved from tragedy through recognizing their delusions, they can never fully trust their perception of reality again.
This shiur analyzes the Midrash about On Ben Peles, who was saved from joining Korach's rebellion by his wife's intervention. Rabbi Zweig begins by examining the puzzling aspects of the story: if On Ben Peles was convinced by his wife's logical argument that he had nothing to gain from the rebellion (since either Moshe or Korach would be the leader, not him), why did she need to get him drunk and prevent the conspirators from reaching him? The shiur develops a profound psychological insight about the nature of self-delusion and miraculous salvation. On Ben Peles's wife pointed out that he was deluding himself by thinking he was worthy of being Kohen Gadol like Aharon or Korach. While he might have been technically capable of the role, there were others more worthy, and his desire for the position revealed a fundamental self-delusion about his own stature. Even after understanding this intellectually, he remained emotionally attached to the group and would have joined them out of camaraderie. The shiur explains that the term 'miraculous salvation' (peles) refers not just to being saved, but to the profound psychological aftermath. When someone realizes the depth of their delusions - first about deserving honors, then about the righteousness of their cause - they lose trust in their own perception of reality. The word 'aninus' describes this state of psychological shock where one cannot define their identity or trust their judgment. This explains why On Ben Peles lived his entire life 'ba'aninus' - in a state of bewilderment about reality itself. The shiur draws parallels to Holocaust survivors and others who experience miraculous salvation, noting how such experiences can leave people permanently altered in their relationship to reality and permanence. Rabbi Zweig suggests that this Midrash reveals deep truths about how self-interest can blind us to reality, how leadership positions can foster dangerous self-delusions, and how the recognition of our delusions, while necessary, can leave us perpetually uncertain about our grasp on truth.
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Why did three great Jewish cities fall to Rome despite their righteousness? The Talmud in Gittin reveals that all three tragedies shared a common flaw: the inability to see consequences (ro'eh es hanolad). This means failing to consider how others view your actions, focusing only on your own perspective rather than living with objective wisdom in God's unified world.
Why were three major Jewish cities destroyed despite their high levels of righteousness and scholarship? The shiur explains that true wisdom (chochmah) isn't intelligence but the moral quality of seeing consequences - understanding how others perceive our actions. The lack of this perspective led to the destruction.
Midrash on On Ben Peles
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