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Why does the Torah (תורה) command us to destroy Amalek after we've already defeated all our enemies? The shiur distinguishes between an oyev (one who wants to take over) and a sonei (one who wants to destroy). Both stem from recognition of another's value. This yesod illuminates parent-child relationships, marriages, and why the world's hostility toward Jews is actually testimony to our greatness and potential.
The shiur opens with a textual question from Parshas Ki Seitzei: the Torah (תורה) states that when Hashem (ה׳) gives us rest from all our enemies, we should destroy Amalek. But if we've already defeated all our enemies, how can there still be an enemy left to destroy? This apparent contradiction leads Rabbi Zweig to develop a fundamental yesod about two types of enemies and the psychology of human relationships. Rabbi Zweig distinguishes between two Hebrew words for enemy: oyev and sonei. He explains this through a Midrash Rabbah on Shir Hashirim where two chavrusos are learning together—one reads "v'ahavta es rei'acha kamocha" (love your friend) while the other reads "v'ayavta" (be an enemy to your friend). Despite the contradiction, Hashem says "diglo alai ahava"—He embraces them both with love. This seems puzzling: why would Hashem embrace someone who reads the pasuk as commanding enmity? The answer is that love (ahava) and animosity (eiva) are nearly identical emotions, separated only by a hairline difference. Both words even share the same gematria as "echad" (one)—they both represent a desire for oneness.
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Why does Chazal compare delaying mitzvos to delaying matzah—implying that lack of zrizus creates chametz? The shiur develops a striking yesod: doing mitzvos without enthusiasm builds resentment, creating worse spiritual damage than not doing them at all. The solution is twofold—learning Torah to understand the mitzvos, and developing kavod haTorah so even what we don't yet understand feels meaningful and elevating.
Ki Seitzei 25:19
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How could Avrohom keep the entire Torah before it was given, including rabbinical laws? The key insight is that mitzvos represent eternal spiritual realities, not just historical commemorations, so Avrohom could access these truths through his genuine search. His entire 172-year journey—even his early idolatry—retroactively became service of God once he reached ultimate truth.
