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How does a Jew avoid returning a lost object or deny his firstborn his inheritance? The Torah (תורה) reveals that people don't simply ignore obligations—they convince themselves the reality is different. "Lo suchal lehisaleim" and "yakir" teach that self-deception, not conscious wrongdoing, is the Torah's real concern.
The shiur explores two mitzvos in Parshas Ki Seitzei that reveal a profound psychological insight into human nature and self-justification. Rabbi Zweig examines why the Torah (תורה) uses unusual language in commanding these obligations, and shows that the Torah is addressing not outright defiance, but the pathology of self-deception. The first source is the prohibition "Lo suchal lehisaleim" regarding returning a lost object. Rashi (רש"י) translates "lehisaleim" as "closing your eyes." Rabbi Zweig asks: why does the Torah need this poetic expression when it could simply say "you must return it"? He explains that the Torah is revealing a fundamental truth about Jewish nature: a Jew cannot see his friend's property and simply ignore it. The chesed (חסד) instinct is too strong. The only way a Jew can fail to return a lost object is by convincing himself he never saw it. The Torah addresses this precise pathology: you are not allowed to pretend you didn't see it.
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Ki Seitzei 21:15-17, 22:1-3
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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.
