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Why does Rashi (רש"י) say Moshe understood that being Israel's parent meant accepting their curses and stones? The shiur develops a fundamental insight: children naturally resent parents for pushing them from dependence to independence, and only a parent who absorbs abuse without retaliation proves their love is selfless. This Torah (תורה) psychology explains why criticism from parents almost never works.
The shiur opens with a striking Rashi (רש"י) on Parshas Beha'aloscha. When Moshe protests to God about carrying the burden of the Jewish people, he asks rhetorically, "Did I conceive this nation? Did I give birth to them?" Rashi explains Moshe's meaning: if I were their parent, I would have to accept being stoned and cursed by them—but I am not their parent, so why must I bear this? Rabbi Zweig finds this Rashi shocking: why should any parent expect to be cursed and stoned by their children? What kind of parenting philosophy suggests this is normal or acceptable? The answer lies in understanding the fundamental dynamic of parent-child relationships. Rabbi Zweig explains that there is no period in a person's life more peaceful, secure, and nurturing than the time in the womb—completely provided for, safe, with a malach teaching Torah (תורה). Yet every mother "throws" her child out of this perfect environment. Even after birth, parents continue this pattern: they nurse and care for the child, but eventually push them out of the house entirely, forcing independence. From the child's perspective, this feels like rejection and abandonment.
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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.
Bamidbar 11:12, Parshas Beha'aloscha
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