No community start suggestion yet.
What does Koheles mean by 'don't be overly righteous'? Using Saul's misplaced mercy toward Amalek as the paradigm, the shiur develops the principle that compassion toward the spiritually disconnected reveals disconnection within oneself. This explains why such misguided compassion inevitably leads to cruelty toward the truly deserving.
Rabbi Zweig explores the verse in Koheles 7:16, 'Al tihye tzaddik harbeh' (Don't be overly righteous), through the lens of King Saul's decision to spare Amalek when commanded by God to destroy them completely. Rashi (רש"י) explains this as referring to Saul's misplaced compassion, which led to a heavenly voice declaring 'Don't be too righteous.' The shiur examines the profound psychological and spiritual transformation whereby Saul, who initially showed mercy to the cruel Amalekites, later became cruel himself by massacring the innocent Kohanim of Nov. The Talmudic principle emerges: 'Whoever has compassion on cruel people will eventually be cruel to compassionate people.' Rabbi Zweig distinguishes between compassion (rachmanus) and pity, explaining that compassion involves genuine identification and shared pain, while pity is merely one's personal discomfort at witnessing suffering. True compassion stems from recognizing our shared divine image and interconnectedness. However, when one feels compassion for those who are spiritually disconnected (like Amalek), it reveals a similar disconnection within oneself. The Hebrew word for cruel, 'achzar,' means estranged - one who is alienated from their divine image and therefore from all humanity. The concept of 'tzedek' (righteousness/justice) relates to the fundamental right to exist, which derives from being created in God's image. By conferring this right upon Amalek - who reject their divine connection - Saul was essentially validating spiritual disconnection. Historical examples like Nazi anti-vivisection laws alongside human experimentation, and Walt Disney's treatment of animals versus antisemitism, illustrate how compassion toward the wrong recipients can coexist with cruelty toward the deserving. The shiur concludes with contemporary applications, noting how Jewish leftist movements often support Israel's enemies while claiming compassionate motives, demonstrating the same pattern of misplaced compassion leading to cruelty toward one's own people.
Koheles 7:16
Looking for the full transcript?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Dedicate a Shiur in Navi
L'ilui nishmas a loved one. In honor of a simcha or yahrzeit. As a zechus for a refuah sheleimah. Your dedication helps carry Rabbi Zweig's Torah to learners around the world.
Up Next in this Series
Why couldn't King Shlomo understand the red heifer's paradox - that it purifies the impure while making the pure person impure? The shiur reframes chukim not as arbitrary divine commands but as expressions of love we don't yet grasp. Death itself follows this pattern: God created mortality not as punishment but as His mechanism to reconnect us to eternal life despite our sins.
How could the holiest generation fall to Baal Peor, an idol worshipped through degrading acts? The shiur reveals that excessive religious pressure triggers psychological defense mechanisms where people degrade themselves to lower expectations and create excuses for failure. This explains why overpressured children often turn to self-destructive behaviors as pressure release valves.
Why does Koheles describe finding a wife as both good and bitter than death? The husband's treatment determines which reality emerges - there are no bad wives, only husbands failing their primary role of validation. When a husband properly builds up his wife, she can then empower the children, but this sequential structure breaks down in single-parent homes where mothers lack the validation needed to build healthy families.
Why did Hashem insist on giving us Eretz Yisrael rather than creating a new land for us? The shiur explores a Midrash that claims Hashem wanted to show His power by defeating our enemies. This creates an ongoing divine commitment to protect us in a hostile environment where the nations perceive us as thieves of their land.
Why did Shlomo HaMelech combine intellect, physical pleasure, and chukim after each approach individually failed? The shiur develops that humans must acknowledge both their physical nature and spiritual capacity simultaneously. Chukim (called "foolishness" here) teach us to act for internal meaning rather than external approval.
Why does Kohelet frame foolish words differently as beginning versus end? The shiur develops a yesod distinguishing empowering communication from controlling communication. Manipulation destroys human dignity by removing free choice, making it worse than giving bad advice that preserves bechirah.
How can Israel be both "black" and "beautiful" simultaneously, as described in Shir HaShirim? The shiur uses Rashi's insight to reveal a fundamental difference between divine and human relationships. While people focus on recent failures and forget past goodness, God sees Israel's essential beauty intact even after transgressions like the Golden Calf.
