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Why does the Torah (תורה) call both fighters wicked when one appears to be the victim defending himself? The shiur develops a fundamental principle: Judaism rejects dueling, vigilante justice, and violence as legitimate conflict resolution—even by mutual consent—because neither party owns their body to authorize its injury. The key lies in Moshe calling them "friends": they had agreed to fight it out, which Western culture accepts but Torah categorically prohibits.
The shiur analyzes the narrative in Shemos where Moshe encounters two Jews fighting on his second day among the slaves. The Torah (תורה) calls the one raising his hand "wicked" even before striking, which Rashi (רש"י) explains establishes the halachic principle that merely lifting one's hand with intent to hit constitutes wickedness—parallel to the legal distinction between assault (threatening) and battery (actual contact) in American law. Rabbi Zweig challenges Rashi's formulation that assault requires "intent to hit," arguing instead that the act of intimidation itself—making the victim cower—constitutes wickedness even without actual intention to strike. The psychological impact of the threat can be more damaging and longer-lasting than a physical blow.
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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.
Shemos 2:13-14
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