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Why does God save Yishmael after his idolatry, adultery, and attempted murder? The shiur develops the principle that relationships—with God and people—must begin by focusing on future commitment rather than past repair. Once trust rebuilds through consistent behavior, then the past can be addressed.
The shiur addresses a fundamental question from Parshas Vayeira: How can God call Yishmael righteous and save his life when Rashi (רש"י) explicitly states that Yishmael had committed idolatry, adultery, and attempted murder? When the angels protest that Yishmael's descendants will kill Jewish children, God responds that He judges Yishmael 'where he is now' - based on his present commitment to righteousness, not his past sins. Rabbi Zweig develops a profound principle about relationship repair that applies to marriage, partnerships, international relations, and our relationship with God. The Torah (תורה) teaches that when relationships are severely damaged, attempting to resolve past grievances first is counterproductive and often impossible. Instead, healthy restoration requires both parties to commit to acting 'as if there is no past' for a defined period - perhaps five or ten years.
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Why does the Torah emphasize Rivka's Aramean ancestry when describing her marriage to Yitzchok? The shiur reveals that Arameans were master manipulators with extraordinary sensitivity to others' psychology. Rivka inherited this keen insight but channeled it into genuine chesed, which requires understanding what recipients actually need rather than what givers want to provide.
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 Vayeira 21:17-21
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Why does the Torah separate Avrohom's eulogy for Sarah from his crying for her? The shiur shows that Sarah required a public eulogy focused on the communal loss of a leader, not Avrohom's private grief. This teaches that we must view Jewish tragedies through a national lens first, seeing attacks on Am Yisrael as collective losses that dwarf personal concerns.
