No community start suggestion yet.
Why did Moshe receive special praise for taking Yosef's bones while all the Jews were fulfilling the mitzvah (מצוה) to borrow silver and gold? The shiur builds on Chazal's insight that Moshe had a "lev chacham" because he thought about the community's obligation, not his personal mitzvos. This lev melech perspective—caring for communal needs rather than personal spiritual growth—defines true leadership.
The shiur opens with a puzzling observation from Parshas Beshalach. The Torah (תורה) states that Moshe took Yosef's bones, and Chazal praise him for having a "lev chacham" (wise heart) because he was doing mitzvos while everyone else was borrowing silver and gold. But this raises an obvious question: borrowing silver and gold was also a mitzvah (מצוה) that Hashem (ה׳) explicitly commanded. Why is Moshe singled out for special praise when everyone was fulfilling mitzvos that night? Chazal explain the fundamental distinction. Yosef had placed an oath upon the Jewish people to take his remains out of Egypt and bury him in Eretz Yisrael. This was a community obligation—a responsibility that belonged to the entire Jewish people, not to any individual. Everyone else that night was performing private mitzvos, personal obligations incumbent upon them as individuals. A person naturally thinks about what he personally must do: put on tefillin, bentch, wear tzitzis. That night, each person had their mitzvah to fulfill—borrowing silver and gold—but it was a mitzvah for them personally.
Looking for the full summary?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Dedicate a Shiur in Parsha
L'ilui nishmas a loved one. In honor of a simcha or yahrzeit. As a zechus for a refuah sheleimah. Your dedication helps carry Rabbi Zweig's Torah to learners around the world.
Up Next in this Series
Why does Rashi give conflicting descriptions of Israel's leaders in Egypt? The shiur explores how two different leadership styles emerged: those who pushed people to work harder while taking beatings, versus those who simply absorbed punishment to spare their people. The Torah prioritizes the first type - leaders who accomplish things even when unpopular.
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.
Parshas Beshalach - Moshe taking Yosef's bones
Looking for the full transcript?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
