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What is the klal gadol baTorah - the fundamental principle of the Torah (תורה)? The shiur examines three opinions (Rabbi Akiva's "love your friend like yourself," Ben Azzai's "humans created in God's image," and Rabbi Yaakov's Korban Tamid) as different paths to the same yesod: self-esteem is the foundation of all Torah ethics. Only those who understand their divine worth can resist moral compromise under pressure, as Yosef did with Potiphar's wife.
This shiur examines three different opinions about the klal gadol baTorah (fundamental principle of the Torah (תורה)). Rabbi Akiva states it is "Ve'ahavta lerei'acha kamocha" (love your friend like yourself), but his student Ben Azzai questions what happens if someone doesn't love themselves. Ben Azzai counters that the fundamental principle is "Ze sefer toldos Adam" - recognizing that humans are created in God's image. A third opinion from Rabbi Yaakov suggests the principle is found in the Korban Tamid: "one sheep in the morning and one in the afternoon." The speaker analyzes the story of Yosef's resistance to Potiphar's wife's seduction, questioning how someone in the throes of passion could give such rational moral arguments. The Midrash explains that Yaakov appeared to Yosef saying "Mechoshen atah nimcha" - your name will be erased from the breastplate if you sin. This teaches that Yosef's strength came from understanding his cosmic importance and potential, giving him the self-esteem needed to resist redefining himself in the moment of temptation.
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Various sources including Midrashim on Genesis and discussions of fundamental Torah principles
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