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Why does the Torah (תורה) say we were punished for not serving God happily despite having everything? The shiur develops a fundamental yesod: confession (vidui) is not about guilt or escaping punishment—it's inseparable from gratitude (hodaah). When we deny blessings to avoid feeling obligated, we sabotage our own happiness and ability to change. True teshuva (תשובה) begins with recognizing God's gifts, feeling loved, and wanting to reciprocate.
Rabbi Zweig opens with a fundamental question: the Torah (תורה) states that the Jewish people suffered terrible punishments "because you did not serve Hashem (ה׳) with happiness and goodness of heart despite having abundance" (tachas asher lo avadeta). Why does lack of happiness merit such severe punishment when God never explicitly commanded us to be happy? And if we possess so much materially, why aren't we happy? The shiur introduces a profound psychological insight through a linguistic observation: the word vidui (confession) shares the same Hebrew root as hodaah (thanksgiving). When Adam encounters Kayin after his fratricide, Kayin reports that he confessed and received a reduced sentence. Adam responds, "Tov l'hodos laHashem"—it is good to thank God. The Midrash teaches that "tov l'hodos" means "tov l'hisvados"—it is good to confess. This connection reveals that confession and gratitude are fundamentally intertwined concepts.
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Ki Savo — tachas asher lo avadeta
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