No community start suggestion yet.
Why does Avos credit someone who walks to the Beis Midrash but doesn't learn, when walking isn't typically part of a mitzvah (מצוה)? Physical movement for Torah (תורה) and tefillah represents psychological commitment to transformation (l'ovdo). This explains why Avrohom's test of Lech Lecha wasn't about relocating for rewards, but about transforming from self-focus to serving God's agenda.
Rabbi Zweig begins by analyzing a puzzling Mishna from Pirkei Avos that describes four characteristics of those who go to the Beis Midrash: those who go but don't learn (credit for walking), those who learn but don't go (credit for learning), those who both go and learn (chassid), and those who neither go nor learn (wicked). The rabbi asks fundamental questions: why does the Mishna describe this as "four types of those who go" when two types don't actually go? Why do we get credit specifically for walking to study, unlike other mitzvos? The answer lies in understanding that only two mitzvos - learning Torah (תורה) and davening - have a unique dimension beyond the mitzvah (מצוה) itself: the mitzvah of transformation (l'ovdo - to serve God). The Rambam (רמב"ם) teaches that l'ovdo is fulfilled through Torah study and prayer. Unlike other mitzvos where walking is merely preparation, in learning and davening, the act of going is part of the mitzvah itself because it represents commitment to personal transformation.
Looking for the full summary?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Dedicate a Shiur in Pirkei Avos
L'ilui nishmas a loved one. In honor of a simcha or yahrzeit. As a zechus for a refuah sheleimah. Your dedication helps carry Rabbi Zweig's Torah to learners around the world.
Up Next in this Series
Why does Avos 5:18 describe four student types using 'middos' (character traits) rather than intelligence levels? Learning ability stems from attitude toward study, not IQ. The progression from sponge to sieve represents increasingly sophisticated approaches to Torah, with ADD often reflecting society's devaluation of learning for its own sake rather than a cognitive deficit.
Why is silence called a "fence for wisdom" in Avos 3:13, and why is a healthy body found only in silence? The shiur develops the principle that speech can emanate from either the intellect or the body's physical drives. When speech expresses physical impulses rather than refined thought, the body gains independent momentum and man deteriorates from "adam" (person) into "basar" (flesh)—the transformation that occurred at the flood.
Why does the Mishna say there are three crowns when it lists four, and why is Kesser Shem Tov superior to the crowns of Torah, Kehunah, and Malchus? The shiur explains that Shem Tov means becoming the living definition of what's humanly possible—like Hillel, Rabbi Elazar ben Charsum, and Yosef HaTzaddik—so others see in you the true standard of halacha and mesirus nefesh. Chanukah celebrates this middah, as the Chashmonaim became the model of devotion, and the Menorah represents the Kesser Shem Tov that rises above all others.
Pirkei Avos 5:17
Looking for the full transcript?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
How can love endure forever when every relationship begins for specific reasons? Avos 5:19 distinguishes Dovid and Yonatan's permanent bond from Amnon and Tamar's temporary attraction. The key lies in evolving from partnership to merger through 'giving up' rather than giving - making oneself smaller and prioritizing respect over favor-doing, which transforms reason-dependent relationships into reason-transcendent ones.
