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Why does God give us the very power we use to sin against Him? The Tomer Devorah's insight reveals that God could prevent sin by making it physically impossible, but this higher kindness allows us to maintain our sense of personal power and choose limitation through understanding rather than coercion. This explains why even prophets can sin immediately after divine encounters.
This shiur analyzes the first of the 13 higher attributes found in the prophet Micah (Mi Kel Kamocha - "Who is a God like You?"), which corresponds to the 13 lower attributes of mercy from the Torah (תורה). Rabbi Zweig explores a profound insight from the Tomer Devorah that God continuously provides us with the very power we use to sin against Him, yet bears this insult patiently. This raises fundamental questions about why God would enable sin rather than prevent it, and how this constitutes divine kindness. The analysis begins with the story of Adam and Chava, examining why Chava was deceived by the serpent despite her prophetic knowledge. Rabbi Zweig explains that there are two dimensions to understanding free will and religious observance. The first approach views divine commandments as limitations - like physical laws that restrict our capabilities. In this model, sin would be impossible or immediately punished, similar to how we cannot fly or survive jumping from buildings.
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Up Next in this Series
How can God sustain someone who has sinned against Him? The shiur explains that 'Nosei Avon' represents divine tolerance where God actively supports even those who violate His will. This teaches us to show patience when personally wronged, while still protecting others from harm.
What does Sinas Chinam—"baseless hatred"—really mean? The shiur argues it means hating the *person* when only the *act* deserves rejection. True mussar requires distinguishing between evil deeds (which we must reject) and the inherently good soul within every Jew. Purim's mandate to increase joy is the antidote: embracing people for their good deeds while firmly rejecting bad behavior without personal rejection.
Why does Chazal compare delaying mitzvos to delaying matzah—implying that lack of zrizus creates chametz? The shiur develops a striking yesod: doing mitzvos without enthusiasm builds resentment, creating worse spiritual damage than not doing them at all. The solution is twofold—learning Torah to understand the mitzvos, and developing kavod haTorah so even what we don't yet understand feels meaningful and elevating.
How can God wash away sins without teshuvah, and what does this washing actually accomplish? The shiur explains that sin affects body and soul differently - teshuvah repairs the soul's distance from God, but only divine mercy can cleanse the body's spiritual contamination. This distinction explains why even ba'alei teshuvah may carry physical traces of past sins despite their spiritual greatness.
