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Why is the rebellious son executed for eating half-cooked meat and diluted wine—acts that aren't even capital offenses? The Torah (תורה) is teaching that the ben sorer umoreh isn't simply out of control; he has created a personal religion in which "what I want is what I should do." This self-made system is the essence of avodah zarah, and the only antidote is the Beis Midrash, where Torah reveals what we truly want.
The shiur explores the profound psychological and spiritual dynamics behind the Torah (תורה)'s laws of ben sorer umoreh (the rebellious son), addressing fundamental questions about why a child is executed for seemingly minor offenses and what this teaches about human nature and avodah zarah. Rav Zweig begins with several fundamental questions: Why is the ben sorer umoreh executed through stoning (sekila), the harshest form of capital punishment, when the crime he would eventually commit (murder as a highwayman) only warrants the sword (sayef)? This contradicts the principle that punishment should match the crime. Furthermore, the Gemara (גמרא) in Rosh Hashanah teaches that a person is judged "ba'asher hu sham"—according to what he is at that moment—as seen with Yishmael, who was saved despite his descendants' future evil. Why here do we kill someone for what he might do in the future?
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Ki Seitzei 21:18-21
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Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
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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.
