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How can we give to God when everything already belongs to Him? The shiur develops a three-tiered approach to charity from Avrohom, Yitzchok, and Yaakov, showing that true giving begins with recognizing God's absolute ownership. The lulav symbolizes this progression toward authentic unity with God while preserving meaningful self-expression.
This shiur explores the profound concept of the unity of God (achdus Hashem (ה׳)) through the mitzvah (מצוה) of lulav and the institution of charity by the Avos. Rabbi Zweig opens with Rabbeinu Bachaye's teaching that the lulav represents Hashem's unity—just as the number one is the cause of all computation but not part of it, so too Hashem is the cause of all existence but not contained within it. The lulav's spine, with branches ascending higher and higher, symbolizes how all creation traces back through intermediate causes to the First Cause. The central question addressed is the meaning of God's unity and its practical implications. Rabbi Zweig develops a progression through three levels of charity corresponding to Avrohom, Yitzchok, and Yaakov. Avrohom gave ten percent of his war spoils to Malki-Tzedek, but this was from money he was giving away entirely—not obligating future generations. The Midrash teaches that Avrohom was only saved from Nimrod's furnace in the merit of Yaakov, raising the question: what did Yaakov add that Avrohom lacked?
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Vayeitzei (Genesis 28:20-22)
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