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What does milu yadayim (filling the hands) mean in the context of inaugurating the Kohanim? The shiur develops a foundational understanding that chinuch does not mean imposing a form on someone, but rather identifying and channeling a person's inherent nature toward fulfillment. Purim (פורים)'s kabbalas haTorah beratzon reflects this realization—that Torah (תורה) expresses what we truly are, not what we are forced to become.
Rabbi Zweig opens with Rashi (רש"י)'s interpretation of the phrase "milu es yadam" in Parshas Tetzaveh, which appears in the context of inaugurating the Kohanim. Rashi explains that milu yadayim means chinuch—the process of a person entering into and becoming established in a position. Rashi brings an analogy from Old French custom, where a king would place a leather glove on someone's hand when appointing him to office. The Ramban (רמב"ן) challenges Rashi's proof from non-Jewish custom: how can the Torah (תורה)'s language of milu yadayim be derived from Gentile practice? The Mizrachi attempts to resolve this by explaining that milu yadayim means "holding onto" something—taking possession of a position or role. Rabbi Zweig questions the Mizrachi's approach and offers an alternative reading based on another comment of Rashi in Parshas Lech Lecha. There, Rashi defines chinuch as "haschalas knisas ha'adam"—the beginning of a person's entry into his craft or calling. This formulation suggests that chinuch is not about the person grabbing hold of the thing, but rather about the thing taking hold of the person. The person moves into the role; he does not impose himself upon it. This represents a fundamental reversal: chinuch is not the imposition of a mold onto raw material, but the identification and channeling of a person's inherent abilities and nature.
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Shemos 29:9 (Parshas Tetzaveh)
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