Rabbi Zweig explores Maimonides' ninth principle of faith - that Torah (תורה) cannot be changed - explaining why this foundational belief distinguishes Judaism from other religions and prevents moral relativism.
Rabbi Zweig delivers an in-depth analysis of Maimonides' ninth principle of faith from the Thirteen Principles: "The Torah (תורה) will not be changed and there will never be another Torah given by God." He begins by explaining that this principle is fundamental - without it, one cannot maintain a proper relationship with God or the Jewish people. The lecture addresses a crucial theological question: if Torah cannot change, how do we account for the many rabbinic innovations and modifications throughout Jewish history, such as blessings before eating, communal prayer requirements, two-day holidays, and prohibitions like Rabbeinu Gershom's ban on divorcing a woman against her will? The Rabbi resolves this apparent contradiction by explaining the true nature of Torah. Torah is not merely a regulatory system designed to govern human behavior - it is God's intimate thoughts and absolute truths shared with humanity. As the Talmud (תלמוד) states, "Anochi" is an acronym meaning "I, My soul, wrote and transmitted." Torah represents God's eternal wisdom and value system, which is as unchanging as God Himself. Humans were created specifically with the capacity to relate to and find fulfillment in these divine truths. Rabbinic laws and customs, Rabbi Zweig explains, never change Torah's essence but help Jews connect to its eternal values as generations become more distant from Sinai. For example, blessings before eating don't change the Torah principle that one must recognize God as the source of sustenance - they help focus our awareness when we've lost that natural recognition. Similarly, communal prayer helps generate the emotional intensity that individuals should ideally achieve alone but struggle with due to distractions. The lecture examines the story of Rabbi Yishmael, who claimed he could read by candlelight on Shabbos (שבת) without adjusting it, yet ended up violating the prohibition. This teaches that no one transcends their generation's spiritual level - everyone needs the safeguards the rabbis instituted for their era. Rabbi Zweig traces this principle back to the very first sin. Eve's mistake was thinking God's prohibition against eating from the Tree of Knowledge was for her benefit rather than an absolute divine command. When she added "don't touch," she treated Torah as a flexible system for human welfare rather than immutable truth. When the snake proved touching caused no harm, she concluded the entire prohibition was false, not recognizing the difference between God's absolute command and her own addition. The Rabbi explains why most biblical books will become obsolete in the Messianic age - they address our fallen spiritual state rather than absolute truths. Only the Five Books of Moses and the Book of Esther contain eternal principles. The lecture concludes by contrasting this with religions that claim "New Testaments," which implicitly deny the eternal nature of divine revelation, and warns against the moral relativism plaguing modern secular society.
An introduction to the first chapter of Ramchal's Derech HaShem, covering six fundamental principles about God's nature and existence, including the difference between emunah (internalization) and yedi'ah (knowledge).
An introductory class to studying the Ramchal's Derech Hashem, covering the author's life, his major works (Mesilat Yesharim, Derech Hashem, Da'at Tevunot), and the philosophical foundations that will guide the series.
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