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Why does the Torah (תורה) use the identical word "vaye'ehaveha" for both Yitzchok's love of Rivka and Amnon's love of Tamar when one endured and one didn't? The Baal HaTurim points to a subtle vav—but the real distinction lies in obligation. Only when you're responsible for another person can love transcend narcissism and become truly altruistic.
This shiur presents a profound Baal HaTurim on the nature of love, contrasting Yitzchok's love for Rivka with Amnon's love for Tamar. The Torah (תורה) uses the identical Hebrew word "vaye'ehaveha" to describe both relationships, yet the Baal HaTurim notes that Yitzchok's love was lasting while Amnon's was not. The Baal HaTurim attributes this to the presence or absence of the letter vav in the word, suggesting that this seemingly minor grammatical detail indicates a fundamental difference in the nature of the love itself. Rabbi Zweig develops this idea into a transformative principle about human relationships. The key distinction is not in the word itself but in what precedes it—the context of obligation. When Yitzchok took Rivka as his wife, he entered into a covenant of responsibility. He became obligated to provide for her—"sheerah, kesusah, v'onasah" (food, clothing, and conjugal rights)—the fundamental obligations of Jewish marriage. This framework of obligation transformed the nature of his love, making it capable of being "l'sheim Shamayim" (for the sake of Heaven) and truly altruistic.
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Bereishis 24:67 (Chayei Sarah); Baal HaTurim
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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.
