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Why did people blame Rivka for how Eisav turned out? The shiur explores the critical difference between ages 13 and 15 in child development. A mother's ongoing validation shapes a child's self-esteem, but Rivka recognized at age 13 that Eisav was leading others to idolatry, not merely following them, and properly withheld validation from destructive choices.
The shiur opens with Rashi (רש"י)'s comment on Parshas Vayishlach that the Torah (תורה) concealed Rivka's death to prevent people from cursing her for giving birth to Eisav. This raises a fundamental question: Was Rivka actually responsible for how Eisav turned out, or were people mistaken in blaming her? And if they were mistaken, why does the Torah need to hide her death to protect her from their curse? Rabbi Zweig develops the answer through a careful reading of Parshas Toldos. The Torah states that when the boys turned thirteen (Vayigdelu hanarim), Eisav became a hunter and man of the field while Yaakov sat in the tents studying Torah. Rashi explains that until age thirteen, one cannot discern a child's true character, but at thirteen their choices become clear. Yet Avrohom Avinu died at age 175 (when the boys were fifteen) specifically so he wouldn't have to witness Eisav's wickedness. Why didn't Avrohom die at 173, when Eisav's path first became apparent at age thirteen?
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah 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.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Vayishlach (Rivkah's death), Toldos 25:27-29 (the boys grew up)
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