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Why does the Torah (תורה) prescribe death for a Ben Sorer U'Moreh who merely steals to buy meat and wine? The psychological devastation comes not from the child's actions but from total parental rejection - being brought to Beit Din twice signals complete abandonment. This creates a person who feels worthless and defines himself only as a taker, teaching parents never to communicate hopelessness about their children.
This shiur provides a profound psychological analysis of the Torah (תורה)'s laws regarding the Ben Sorer U'Moreh (rebellious son), connecting it to contemporary issues of youth alienation in Torah communities. Rabbi Zweig opens by describing the crisis of alienation among Torah youth, citing the establishment of supervised pool halls in Flatbush as evidence of the severity of the problem. The shiur examines the seemingly harsh Torah law that prescribes capital punishment for a thirteen-year-old who steals from his parents to buy meat and wine. The Gemara (גמרא) explains this punishment is 'al shem sofo' - not for what he has done, but for what he will do in the future. The Rishonim struggle with several questions: why the severe punishment of sekilah (stoning), how this reconciles with the principle that people are judged based on their current state (as with Yishmael), and why the law has such specific limitations.
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Parshas Ki Seitzei - Ben Sorer U'Moreh
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