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Why do the women at Kriyat Yam Suf sing, dance, and play instruments while the men only sing? The shiur develops a fundamental yesod: men must transform themselves from zachar (masculine) to nekeva (feminine) to serve Hashem (ה׳)—surrendering rights, control, and entitlement to build a relationship based on pure trust and bittul. This transformation is the entire purpose of Yetzias Mitzrayim and the foundation of Kabbalat HaTorah.
Rabbi Zweig opens with a Baal HaTurim on Parshat Mishpatim that identifies the word "venishma" appearing three times in Tanach, with the most significant occurrence being in Megillat Esther (1:20): "venishma pisqat hamelech asher ya'ase ki raba hi" ("when the king's decree is heard, for it is great"). The Baal HaTurim states this is why reading the Megillah supersedes Torah (תורה) study. Rabbi Zweig poses a fundamental question: if this pasuk in Esther teaches that Megillah reading is greater than Torah study, shouldn't the message of this specific pasuk itself reveal why Megillah has this elevated status? The phrase "ki raba hi" (for it is great) must contain the essence of why Torah can be set aside for Megillah reading. The shiur then pivots to an analysis of the response to Kriyat Yam Suf. When the Jewish people crossed the sea, both men and women sang shirah. However, the women, led by Miriam, also played musical instruments and danced (mecholot), while the men only sang. Rabbi Zweig asks: Why didn't the men also use instruments and dance? This is particularly puzzling since mecholot (dancing/marching) is associated with men in other contexts—Rashi (רש"י) explains that the term refers to the choreographed way the Jewish camps traveled in the desert.
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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.
Mishpatim, with significant discussion of Beshalach (Kriyat Yam Suf) and Megillat Esther 1:20
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