No community start suggestion yet.
Why does Avos 4:5 forbid learning Torah (תורה) for honor or wealth when the Torah itself promises these very rewards? The shiur develops that Torah study isn't a sacrifice we endure to earn external rewards, but inherently beneficial for our spiritual and physical wellbeing. Honor and wealth flow naturally from Torah's inherent goodness, not as payment for something harmful.
Rabbi Zweig analyzes Pirkei Avos 4:5, which states that one should not use Torah (תורה) as a crown for self-aggrandizement or as a spade for financial gain. He addresses the fundamental question: if the Torah itself promises wealth and honor as benefits of study, why is it forbidden to learn for these purposes? The shiur explores a Talmudic passage from Nedarim 62a that instructs us to love God rather than study for recognition, yet concludes that 'in the end, honor will come.' Rabbi Zweig connects this to Parshas Lech Lecha, where God's command to Avrohom included promises of family, fortune, and fame. He argues that the real test wasn't whether Avrohom would go for these rewards, but whether he understood that God's commandments are inherently good for us. The central thesis is that Torah and mitzvos are not sacrifices we make to earn divine rewards, but rather acts that are genuinely beneficial for our spiritual, emotional, and physical wellbeing. The Hebrew word 'korban' doesn't mean sacrifice but rather 'drawing close' to God. Rabbi Zweig distinguishes between a relationship of manipulation (where someone controls us through rewards despite asking us to do harmful things) versus true love (where we're asked to do things that are genuinely good for us). He applies this principle to marriage relationships and all human interactions. The Torah's benefits - including honor and wealth - come naturally from the inherent goodness of Torah study itself, not as external rewards for enduring something harmful. This understanding transforms our approach to mitzvos from reluctant compliance to enthusiastic participation, knowing that everything God asks is ultimately for our benefit and growth as human beings.
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
If honor is valuable enough to serve as a reward for honoring Torah, why is pursuing honor considered destructive? The shiur develops a yesod that kavod means 'substantial existence' - our drive for honor reflects the need to affirm we matter. True honor comes from facilitating God's presence rather than competing for space with the divine.
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 4:5
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!
Why does Avos 4:6 promise honor to those who honor Torah, when pursuing honor makes one foolish? The shiur develops that kavod means 'weightiness' - making space for God's presence rather than seeking one's own place. King Dovid's self-emptying dance before the Ark exemplifies how facilitating divine honor naturally brings true recognition.
