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Why does the Torah (תורה) identify Elazar's wife only as "the daughter of Putiel," referencing both Yisro the idolater and Yosef the tzaddik? The shiur develops a fundamental yesod: Yisro's greatness lay in his objective pursuit of truth—even while practicing idolatry, his focus was on finding God, not serving himself. This quality, combined with Yosef's mastery over his desires, produced Pinchas—because authentic avodas Hashem (ה׳) requires both objective truth-seeking and self-discipline.
Rabbi Zweig addresses a profound difficulty in Parshas Vaeira. When the Torah (תורה) describes Elazar's marriage, it identifies his wife only as "the daughter of Putiel," without even mentioning her name. Rashi (רש"י) explains that Putiel refers to two ancestors: Yisro, who "fattened calves for idolatry," and Yosef, who "dominated his evil inclination." The question is striking: why would the Torah define someone's yichus through their connection to an idol worshipper? Moreover, by the time Elazar married her, Yisro had already ceased practicing idolatry—so why bring up his past at all? The principle of "lo sonu ish es amiso" forbids reminding a ba'al teshuvah of their former sins. The shiur builds on a fundamental yesod from the Rambam (רמב"ם) in Hilchos Issurei Mizbe'ach. The Rambam teaches the principle of "zeh keli v'anveihu"—beautifying mitzvos. One must bring korbanos from the finest animals, build a shul more beautiful than one's home, and give tzedakah from one's best possessions. The Rambam traces this to Hevel, whose offering was accepted because he brought "from the firstborn and their fat." Rabbi Zweig explains that this din is rooted not in ahavas Hashem (ה׳) (love of God) but in yiras Hashem (fear/awe of God). Beauty creates majesty and power; it commands respect and puts something on a pedestal. When you beautify a mitzvah (מצוה), you demonstrate that the relationship is about God, not about you.
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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.
Shemos 6:25, Parshas Vaeira
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Why does the Torah separate Avrohom's eulogy for Sarah from his crying for her? The shiur shows that Sarah required a public eulogy focused on the communal loss of a leader, not Avrohom's private grief. This teaches that we must view Jewish tragedies through a national lens first, seeing attacks on Am Yisrael as collective losses that dwarf personal concerns.
