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Why does Rashi (רש"י) connect Avrohom's brit milah to God's promise of blessing at the mizbeach? The shiur develops a profound yesod that the mizbeach has two distinct kedushos — one as a Temple vessel and another as an independent place of divine revelation. Brit milah reconstitutes man to his pre-sin Adam HaRishon state, connecting him to the primordial earth from which Adam was formed at the future site of the mizbeach.
The shiur begins with Rashi (רש"י)'s comment on the pasuk "b'chol makom asher azkir et shemi avo eilecha u'verachticha" (Exodus 20:21), where Rashi explains through a kal v'chomer: if God reveals Himself and blesses those who build a mizbeach for His sake, how much more so should He come to Avrohom who circumcised himself and his household for God's sake. This leads to the fundamental question: why does Rashi need this kal v'chomer to justify God's appearance to Avrohom? The answer emerges through understanding that the mizbeach has two distinct halachic dimensions. Beyond being a kli hamikdash (Temple vessel), the mizbeach itself possesses an independent kedushah as a makom (place) for divine presence. This is evidenced by the special dinim of chanukat hamizbeach — the mizbeach receives its own unique mishchah (anointing) separate from other Temple vessels, and requires its own twelve-day dedication as described in Parshat Naso.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Parshas Vayeira, Exodus 20:21
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