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Why does the Torah (תורה) call both parties "wicked" when one raises his hand to strike and the other prepares to defend himself? The shiur develops a fundamental principle that even consensual conflict—dueling, verbal one-upmanship, or disrespectful dynamics—is forbidden. Jewish law demands we affirmatively build each other up, not merely avoid victimizing one another.
Rabbi Zweig explores the Torah (תורה)'s account of Moshe witnessing two Jews in conflict (Shemos 2:13). When one raises his hand to strike, the Torah calls him wicked—even though he hasn't yet hit. Rashi (רש"י) explains that merely raising one's hand constitutes wickedness, equivalent to assault in secular law. But then the Torah says "your friend" (re'ekha), implying both parties are equally wicked. This is profoundly puzzling: doesn't a Jew have the right to defend himself against assault? The key insight lies in the word "re'ekha" (your friend). These two men have agreed to resolve their dispute through fighting—a consensual duel. The Torah is teaching that even when both parties consent to physical conflict as a method of resolution, both are considered wicked. This is a radical departure from Western civilization's model of conflict resolution through dueling, which was common in European and American society for centuries. The Torah rejects this entirely: Jews must learn to work together, not dominate one another. When one party subdues or eliminates the other, the community loses productive members and energy.
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Shemos 2:13
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