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Why couldn't the brothers speak peacefully to Yosef, and why does the Midrash find virtue in this inability? The shiur explores a profound yesod: the brothers recognized their hatred stemmed from jealousy over their father's favoritism, not from any moral failing in Yosef. Rather than falsely justify their feelings by calling Yosef a rasha—which would have allowed them to flatter him for their father's sake—they remained honest about their own shortcoming.
Rabbi Zweig opens by analyzing a difficult Midrash on Vayeishev that identifies both a failing and a virtue (shvach) in the brothers' inability to speak peacefully to Yosef. The Midrash contrasts them with Avshalom, who maintained cordial relations with Amnon despite what Amnon had done to his sister, keeping his true feelings hidden. The brothers, however, could not hide their animosity toward Yosef—they wore their feelings openly. The Midrash states that from their failing (genusam) we can still discern their praise (shvacham). This seems paradoxical: if the Torah (תורה) requires peaceful relations between brothers, how can their inability to achieve this be praiseworthy? Rabbi Zweig notes that the flow of the pesukim raises a crucial question. One would expect the brothers' hatred to stem from Yosef's actions—bringing evil reports about them to their father (vayovei Yosef es dibasam ra'ah el avihem). Yet the Torah explicitly states that they hated him because "his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers" (vayir'u echav ki oso ahava avihem mikol echav). The hatred is rooted not in Yosef's behavior but in Yaakov's favoritism. This seems to be pure jealousy, which is hardly praiseworthy. How can this be the basis for the Midrash's identification of a virtue?
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Bereishis 37:3-4
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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.
