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Why does the Torah (תורה) write "their father" instead of "his father" when Yosef reports on his brothers—wouldn't fewer letters be more economical? This subtle change reveals whether Yosef is self-promoting (lashon hara) or genuinely helping his brothers (a mitzvah (מצוה))—the exact same act with opposite moral valences. The shiur explores how Torah law uniquely demands not just proper behavior but pure motivation, using Yosef's rejection of Potiphar's wife and the Mishna's test for "sake of Heaven" disputes.
Rabbi Zweig opens with what he calls "probably the biggest difference between Jewish law and secular law": the Torah (תורה) holds us responsible not merely for our actions but for our motivations, even when those motivations are known only to us and to God. He illustrates this with a grammatical puzzle from Parshas Vayeishev. When the Torah reports that Yosef brought evil reports of his brothers to their father (Bereishis 37:2), it uses the word "avihem" (their father) rather than "aviv" (his father)—five letters instead of four. Since Yaakov is both Yosef's father and the brothers' father, why the inefficiency? Rabbi Zweig explains that the choice of word encodes Yosef's motivation. If Yosef is going to "his father," he is saying, "Pop, be happy with your son—I'm not like those other kids." This is lashon hara, equivalent to idolatry, adultery, and murder combined. But if he is going to "their father," he is trying to help his brothers by alerting the one person who has the authority and relationship to correct them. This is a great mitzvah (מצוה). The act—reporting the brothers' misdeeds—is identical in both cases. No bystander can discern the difference. Only Yosef knows his true intention. Yet the Torah holds him fully responsible for that internal difference, demonstrating that Jewish law regulates not just behavior but character.
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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.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Bereishis 37:2, 39:7-12
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