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Why doesn't Hashem (ה׳) accept mitzvos as 'bribes' to overlook sins? The shiur reveals that divine justice has two dimensions: God completely overlooks what we do to Him personally, but addresses what we do to ourselves because love requires helping fix character flaws. This model transforms parenting and marriage - never criticize for personal slights, only for issues affecting character or treatment of others.
Rabbi Zweig begins by examining a seemingly contradictory Mishna from Pirkei Avos stating that Hashem (ה׳) doesn't take bribes because everything belongs to Him. He raises three fundamental questions: Why don't mitzvos serve as bribes to overlook sins? How does this reconcile with the Gemara (גמרא) in Sotah 21a that sins can extinguish mitzvos? And what does it truly mean that God doesn't take bribes? The answer emerges through analyzing a verse from Parshas Balak: 'Lo hibit oven b'Yaakov' - God doesn't see sins in the Jewish people. This appears to contradict Jewish historical suffering, but Rabbi Zweig explains that there are two dimensions to every wrongdoing: what we do to God, and what we do to ourselves. When we sin, we both insult the Almighty and damage our own spiritual perfection, as the 613 mitzvos correspond to our 248 limbs and 365 sinews.
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Pirkei Avos 4:22, Sotah 21a, Bamidbar 23:21
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