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Why does the Torah (תורה) say to transfer the bechor to Hashem (ה׳) when you enter Eretz Yisrael, yet command pidyon haben immediately? The shiur develops a chiddush that pidyon haben is not buying your child back to keep—it's purchasing the right to hold him until you deliver him to Hashem's service. The bechor fundamentally belongs to Hashem from Makas Bechoros; redemption merely allows temporary custodianship until final delivery in Eretz Yisrael.
Rabbi Zweig opens with a Midrash Tanchuma that appears contradictory: the Torah (תורה) says "kadesh li kol bechor" (sanctify every firstborn to Me), yet also states "v'haya ki yavi'acha" (when you come to Eretz Yisrael, transfer every bechor to Hashem (ה׳)). The Midrash teaches that Hashem commanded transferring the firstborn when entering Eretz Yisrael, but adds "yachol lo la'avir miyad" - you should not transfer them immediately in the Midbar, rather you should transfer them immediately. This seems internally contradictory and raises the question: is pidyon haben a mitzvah (מצוה) that applies in the Midbar or only in Eretz Yisrael? The shiur explores the apparent tension between two pesukim. One pasuk (kadesh li kol bechor) commands immediate sanctification, while another (v'haya ki yavi'acha) appears to delay the transfer until entering Eretz Yisrael. The Midrash's resolution seems paradoxical—it states both that the transfer happens upon entering the land and that it must happen immediately.
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Parshas Bo - Shemos 13:1-2, 13:13
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