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Why do Chachamim require Birchas Hamazon even on less than a full meal when God seemingly "owes" us our basic survival needs? The shiur develops a yesod that the Chachamim transformed our relationship with God from one of justice to one of love. Rather than taking even basic sustenance as an obligation God has to us, we choose to receive everything as an expression of His love.
The shiur begins with a Talmudic question about the apparent contradiction in God's judgment. The Torah (תורה) prohibits showing favoritism in judgment, yet God seems to show favoritism to those who do extra mitzvos. The Gemara (גמרא) answers that the obligation of Birchas Hamazon originally only applied to "kedei sevi'a" (a satisfying meal), while the Chachamim extended this obligation even to smaller amounts like a kezayis. This extension, the Gemara suggests, justifies God's apparent favoritism. Rabbi Zweig develops a fundamental yesod about the nature of God's obligations versus His chesed (חסד). He explains that when God creates something, He inherently takes on an obligation to sustain it. To create life and not provide for its basic survival needs would not be an act of kindness but rather an act of cruelty - like giving someone life only to let them starve. Therefore, God has a basic obligation to provide for our survival needs, and we shouldn't need to thank Him for what He owes us.
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
