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Why does the Torah (תורה) permit a soldier to take a beautiful captive woman? The shiur argues this isn't about uncontrolled desire but unleashed aggressiveness from war. The Torah creates the soldier's violent nature for battle, then provides an outlet when he can't immediately turn it off.
This shiur presents a novel understanding of the yefas toar (beautiful captive woman) discussed in Parshas Ki Seitzei. Rabbi Zweig argues that the conventional interpretation focusing on desire is incorrect. Instead, he proposes that the entire parsha deals with violence and aggressiveness unleashed during war, not romantic or physical attraction. The key insight centers on the phrase 'yefas toar' versus other Torah (תורה) descriptions of beauty. While Sarah is described as 'yefas mar'eh' (awakening taiva/desire) and Rivka as 'tovah mar'eh,' the captive woman is called 'yefas toar.' Rabbi Zweig explains that 'toar' specifically awakens gevurah (strength/dominance) rather than taiva, representing a desire to conquer rather than attract.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
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Parshas Ki Seitzei 21:10-14
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