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Why did the nations reject the Torah (תורה) based on "do not murder" and "do not steal" when they were already obligated in these under the Noahide laws? The shiur develops a fundamental distinction: the Seven Noahide Laws focus on what I am forbidden to do, but Torah law begins with the other person's rights—his right to life, property, and even to a loan. This shift from self-centered obligation to recognizing others' entitlements is the foundation of Jewish ethics and the basis for building a Torah community.
Rabbi Zweig addresses a classic question: Why did Eisav and Yishmael reject the Torah (תורה) when Hashem (ה׳) offered it to them at Har Seir and Har Paran based on "lo tirtzach" (do not murder) and "lo tignov" (do not steal), when these prohibitions already apply to them under the Seven Noahide Laws? What would make these commandments a basis for rejection? The shiur begins with a question from the Pnei Acharon on a halacha (הלכה) in Parshas Mishpatim. The Torah commands "kesef talveh es ami" (lend money to My people), and Chazal derive that a Jew has precedence over a non-Jew for a loan, even when the non-Jew would pay interest. The Pnei Acharon asks: we already know this principle from the laws of neveilah in Parashas Re'eh, where the Torah says to give a neveilah as a gift to a ger toshav (a non-Jew who has accepted the Seven Noahide Laws) rather than selling it to an ordinary non-Jew. If so, we already know that a benefit to a Jew (a free loan) takes precedence over profit from a non-Jew (a loan with interest)—why do we need a separate pasuk for loans?
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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.
Mishpatim - Shemos 22:24 (kesef talveh es ami); Devarim 14:21 (lo sochlu kol neveilah)
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