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Why didn't Reuven carry Yosef on his shoulders back to Yaakov, and why didn't Aharon greet Moshe with an orchestra? The Midrash teaches that both would have done so had they known the Torah (תורה) would record their intentions. The shiur explores the principle of tocho k'baro—not acting beyond what one genuinely feels—and connects it to the keser of Torah, the victory of Chanukah (חנוכה) over Greek philosophy, and the requirement that Torah learning transform the whole person.
The shiur begins with a Midrash on Parshas Vayeishev: when Reuven saved Yosef from his brothers by suggesting they throw him into a pit instead of killing him, the Torah (תורה) records that Reuven intended to return Yosef to Yaakov. The Midrash states that had Reuven known the Torah would write this about him, he would have carried Yosef on his shoulders back to his father. Similarly, when Aharon went to greet Moshe returning to Egypt, the Torah writes "v'ra'acha v'samach b'libo"—he will see you and rejoice in his heart. The Midrash says that had Aharon known the Torah would record his inner joy, he would have gone out with an orchestra to greet Moshe. Rabbi Zweig poses a fundamental question: If carrying Yosef on his shoulders was the right thing to do, why didn't Reuven do it? And if it wasn't necessary, why would knowing the Torah would record it make a difference? Would that make Reuven a "publicity hound" seeking recognition rather than doing what's genuinely right? The same question applies to Aharon—either greeting Moshe with an orchestra is appropriate or it isn't; the fact that the Torah would record it shouldn't change the calculus.
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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.
Vayeishev 37:21-22
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