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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah (מצוה) 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.
The shiur opens with a striking Midrash on Parshas Beshalach that connects Pharaoh's drowning at the Red Sea to the mitzvah (מצוה) of shiluach hakan (sending away the mother bird). The Midrash states that Pharaoh sent away the parents and drowned the children, violating the Torah (תורה)'s command to send away the mother and take the children. Therefore, Hashem (ה׳) will drown Pharaoh and take his daughter (the Jewish people) to Gan Eden. This connection seems entirely puzzling—why would the Torah's response to Pharaoh drowning Jewish children focus on his act of sending them away, rather than on the drowning itself? Rabbi Zweig asks a fundamental question: What was wrong with Pharaoh sending away the parents? The problem should be that he killed the children, not that he expelled the Jews from Egypt. After killing the children, wouldn't sending away the parents actually be the right thing to do—precisely what the Torah commands in shiluach hakan? Yet the Midrash treats the expulsion itself as a separate aveirah (sin), suggesting there was something deeply wrong with Pharaoh throwing the Jews out of Egypt.
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Parshas Beshalach
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Why did the brothers hate Yosef when he received the kutonet pasim, yet strangers saw him as special? The kutonet represented Yaakov's recognition of Yosef's leadership ability—his power to uplift and unify. The brothers' jealousy blinded them; the Torah omits his name when they see him (just "oto"), but strangers always saw "Yosef." True chein comes from seeing others clearly, without the bias of our own needs.
Why did the materials for the Mishkan equal exactly what was needed with no waste, despite the principle that blessing doesn't rest on counted items? The shiur explains that Moshe's complete faithfulness—working solely for Hashem's agenda—transformed counting from an act of personal ownership into one that strengthened divine connection, thereby increasing blessings. Korach's self-interest inverted this principle, costing him everything.
Why does Rashi describe the Mishkan as "collateral" for Jewish sins? Rabbi Zweig develops the concept that God limited His own collection rights—accepting only the Mishkan's destruction rather than the nation's annihilation. This reflects the relationship of a father who reduces his own claims to ensure his children's survival.
Why does the Torah give a detailed accounting of silver and copper but not gold in Parshas Pekudei? The three metals represent three types of givers: those who give selflessly (gold), those seeking a two-way benefit (silver), and those buying honor (copper). The Midrash's three groups suspecting or praising Moshe reveal more about themselves than about Moshe—we judge others by our own standards.
