A free account is required to play audio and download files.
No community start suggestion yet.
Why does Shimon ben Pazi identify the daily Korban Tamid as the fundamental principle of Torah (תורה)? The shiur distinguishes between consistency and frequency: doing something constantly (tamid) reflects servitude to Hashem (ה׳), while doing it frequently but not always makes one an independent contractor. This explains why inconsistency—even skipping one day—is an act of throwing off the yoke (perikas ol) that can spiral into deeper rebellion.
The shiur opens with a Midrash discussing the fundamental principle of Torah (תורה). Rabbi Akiva suggests "V'ahavta l'rei'acha kamocha" (love your fellow as yourself), which Ben Azzai challenges because it fails when someone doesn't like himself. Shimon ben Pazi then offers a surprising answer: the Korban Tamid—"es hakeves echad ta'aseh baboker v'es hakeves hasheini ta'aseh bein ha'arbayim" (one lamb in the morning, one in the evening). How can a specific Temple offering represent Torah's ultimate principle? Rabbi Zweig explains that the Korban Tamid's unique quality is its absolute consistency (tamidus)—it is brought every single day without exception. This is not merely about frequency but about a fundamentally different relationship with mitzvos. Someone who performs a mitzvah (מצוה) most of the time but not all the time is like an independent contractor who works when he chooses. In contrast, someone who is completely consistent is a true servant (eved) who has no independent discretion—he belongs entirely to his master. The difference is not quantitative (doing something one more time) but qualitative—it reflects an entirely different metaphysical reality (metzi'us) in one's relationship with Hashem (ה׳).
Looking for the full summary?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Midrash on the fundamental principle of Torah; Korban Tamid; Gemara on tadir v'she'eino tadir
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 Mussar
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
How was Yitzchok comforted after Sarah's death through marrying Rivka? The Hebrew 'vayinachem' means both comfort and change of direction, revealing that healing comes through shifting focus outward. Depression and mourning are self-absorbed states; true comfort emerges when we channel our pain into caring for others.
How could Avrohom keep the entire Torah before it was given, including rabbinical laws? The key insight is that mitzvos represent eternal spiritual realities, not just historical commemorations, so Avrohom could access these truths through his genuine search. His entire 172-year journey—even his early idolatry—retroactively became service of God once he reached ultimate truth.
Why does the Gemara say Avrohom knew God from age three while the Rambam says forty, after describing his idolatrous past? The principle that baalei teshuvah transform past sins into merits explains how Avrohom's early struggles became retroactive mitzvos once he used that experience to reach other idol worshippers. Unlike Shem and Ever who lacked such background, Avrohom's difficult past became his greatest qualification for helping others.
Why does the Rambam place free will exclusively in Hilchos Teshuva rather than Yesodei HaTorah? The shiur argues that teshuva begins not with correcting specific sins but with recognizing that free choice grants us ability, not right—we must abandon the arrogance of self-centeredness and reposition Hashem at the universe's center. Only then can we achieve immediate closeness to Him.
Why is vidui (confession) the central mitzvah in Hilchos Teshuvah, rather than teshuvah itself? The Rambam distinguishes between teshuvah (establishing a prospective relationship with Hashem) and vidui (achieving kapara for the past). Vidui transforms the focus from self-improvement to recognizing Hashem as the "baal davar"—the injured party—and communicating directly to Him, which is what undoes yesterday's aveiros.
Why does the Rambam locate the essence of teshuvah in vidui (confession) rather than behavioral change? The shiur explores how vidui works even for shogeg (unintentional sin), showing that confession restores relationship with God even when one has pushed Him out of one's world. The connection between vidui and todah (thanks) reveals the deeper meaning of confession.
What does kapara really mean—erasing the sin or restoring the sinner? The shiur builds on Rambam Hilchos Teshuvah 1:3 to argue that kapara is not about making sins disappear but about going forward in a relationship with Hashem. The story of Yishmael read on Rosh Hashanah—"ba'asher hu shom"—teaches that the din focuses on who we are now, not on fixing the past.
