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Why did Noach fail to influence anyone in 120 years while Avrohom gained tens of thousands of followers? The Rambam (רמב"ם) reveals that Noach preached negative discipline ("know your place"), while Avrohom tapped into humanity's desire for greatness by promoting service to God as personal elevation, not mere obedience.
This shiur explores a fundamental question about the difference between Noach and Avrohom Avinu through the lens of the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s introduction to Hilchos Avodas Kochavim. Rabbi Zweig begins by noting that while Noach was a tzaddik tamim who saved the entire world, he has no place in the eternal covenant of the Jewish people, unlike Avrohom who becomes the foundation of Jewish eternity. The Rambam begins his laws of idolatry with a historical account of how idolatry started in the generation of Enosh, Adam's grandson. People mistakenly thought that since God honored the stars and celestial bodies, they should serve them too to curry favor with God. Rabbi Zweig asks a crucial question: why does the Rambam give this pre-flood history when those idolaters were all destroyed? The answer reveals the key to understanding human nature and Avrohom's revolutionary approach.
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