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Why did Hashem (ה׳) cure everyone at Sinai and perform so many miracles with the manna? The shiur develops a yesod that Torah (תורה) was given to a people with perfect health and wealth to teach that material comfort is not life's meaning — Torah's goal is to elevate us into genuine purpose, not merely to solve our problems or fill our emptiness.
Rabbi Zweig begins by establishing a foundational principle from the Rambam (רמב"ם): Hashem (ה׳) performs miracles only when they serve a necessary purpose, not merely to demonstrate omnipotence. This principle frames two puzzling phenomena from Parshas Yisro and Beshalach that require explanation. The first phenomenon, cited twice by Rashi (רש"י), is that at Matan Torah (תורה) everyone could literally see the sounds — the Divine words became visible. Rashi derives from this that there was not a single blind, deaf, or mute person at Sinai. This miracle of universal healing is so central to Jewish memory that Jewish hospitals across communities are traditionally named Mount Sinai. But what purpose did this miracle serve?
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Parshas Yisro (Shemos 20:14) and Parshas Beshalach (manna narratives)
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Why does the Torah give a detailed accounting of silver and copper but not gold in Parshas Pekudei? The three metals represent three types of givers: those who give selflessly (gold), those seeking a two-way benefit (silver), and those buying honor (copper). The Midrash's three groups suspecting or praising Moshe reveal more about themselves than about Moshe—we judge others by our own standards.
