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Why did Moshe focus on Yosef's bones while everyone else borrowed gold from Egypt? The shiur develops the principle that true leadership means prioritizing communal needs over personal obligations. Moshe exemplified "chacham lev yikach mitzvos" by thinking beyond his own mitzvos to what the nation needed—a model for community involvement today.
This shiur explores the profound difference between personal and communal responsibility through the lens of Moshe Rabbeinu's actions on the night of the Exodus. The Torah (תורה) states that Moshe took the bones of Yosef while the rest of the Jewish people were borrowing gold and silver from the Egyptians. The Gemara (גמרא) in Sotah (13a) praises Moshe with the verse "chacham lev yikach mitzvos" (a wise-hearted person takes mitzvos), seemingly criticizing the rest of the nation. But this presents a problem: weren't they also fulfilling mitzvos by borrowing from the Egyptians, as God had commanded? Rashi (רש"י) notes that Yosef made his brothers—not his children—swear to take his bones out of Egypt, because his children wouldn't have been able to accomplish this. Yet this raises a question: all the other brothers obligated their descendants to take out their bones; why couldn't Yosef simply obligate his descendants in the same way, rather than placing the burden on his brothers' descendants? Additionally, the Book of Yehoshua states that "the Jewish people" took Yosef's bones out of Egypt, yet it was clearly Moshe who did so. The Gemara derives from this that when someone begins a mitzvah (מצוה) but doesn't finish it, the credit goes to the one who completes it. But this seems unjust—how can we attribute what Moshe did to someone else, even if he didn't finish the mitzvah?
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Shemos 13:19
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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.
