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Why did Og expect Avrohom to fight the four kings, and why would Sarah marry him? The shiur develops that Og and the Bnei Elohim weren't mere hedonists but serious ideologues sharing Avrohom's goal of bringing God to the world. Their fatal error: believing godliness comes from genetic superiority rather than choices and service.
This shiur fundamentally reframes the narrative of Og and the Bnei Elohim by examining several difficult questions from Parshas Lech Lecha. Rabbi Zweig begins by questioning why Og expected Avrohom to fight the four powerful kings to rescue Lot, and why he believed Sarah would marry him after Avrohom's death. The traditional understanding that Og was merely driven by physical desires doesn't adequately explain these expectations or various statements in Chazal about his motivations. The shiur's central insight emerges from analyzing the phrase "vayikchu lahem nashim" regarding the Bnei Elohim in Parshas Bereishis. Rather than interpreting this as violation, Rabbi Zweig demonstrates that the text indicates actual marriage - the Bnei Elohim married women who were heading to their chuppahs, then allowed them to return to their intended husbands. This seemingly irrational behavior reveals a sophisticated ideology: the Bnei Elohim believed that since marriage requires "Shechinah shruya beineihem" (Divine presence between husband and wife), and since they possessed genetic godliness as Bnei Elohim, their involvement in marriages would inject authentic divine presence into the world.
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Parshas Lech Lecha
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What is the primary purpose of the cities of refuge - protecting the accidental killer or something else? The shiur argues that creating respect for law takes precedence over providing sanctuary. True deterrence comes from recognizing the gravity of murder itself, not fear of punishment.
