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Why is providing parnassah harder than redemption? The Gemara (גמרא) in Pesachim states that parnassah requires God Himself, while a malach can bring geulah. The shiur develops a profound yesod: parnassah is God's greatest act of chesed (חסד) because it grants true independence—man doesn't come daily to God for sustenance but has "koach la'asos chayil." This mirrors the tenth ma'amar of creation, the furthest point from God's direct control, enabling man to become a gadol who chooses freely to serve Hashem (ה׳).
The shiur opens with a pasuk from Parshas Vayechi where Yaakov says, "HaElokim haroeh osi mei'odi ad hayom hazeh"—God who shepherds me—and then "HaMalach hagoel osi mikol ra"—the angel who redeems me. The Gemara (גמרא) in Pesachim contrasts these two phrases: God Himself provides sustenance, whereas an angel can bring redemption. From this the Gemara derives that providing parnassah is more difficult ("kashin") than redemption. Rabbi Zweig asks: Why should parnassah be more difficult for God? Nothing is difficult for the Almighty. Why can't a malach provide parnassah? And why is the language "haroeh osi"—shepherding—used for sustenance? Rabbi Zweig develops his answer by examining the structure of creation. The world was created with ten ma'amaros (statements). The first nine are creative acts: "Bereishis" (time and space), "Yehi ohr" (light), the emergence of land, vegetation, animals, and finally man. The tenth ma'amar, however, is different: "Vayomer Elokim hinei nasati lachem es kol eisev…lachem yiheyeh l'ochlah"—God gives permission to eat vegetation and fruits. This seems anomalous—it's not a creative act but merely permission. Why is this counted as one of the ten statements through which the world was created?
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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 Vayechi (Bereishis 48:15-16); Gemara Pesachim 118a
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