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Why did Moshe prioritize gathering Yosef's bones over the mitzvah (מצוה) of borrowing gold and silver? Both were mitzvos. The Midrash's phrase "chacham lev yikach mitzvos" reveals that Moshe understood mitzvos as exercises in submissiveness, not opportunities for personal fulfillment. A commanded act requiring discipline surpasses one motivated by feeling needed or wanted.
The shiur addresses a classic question on the Midrash's praise of Moshe Rabbeinu. When the Jews left Egypt, everyone was engaged in the mitzvah (מצוה) of borrowing silver and gold from the Egyptians, while Moshe searched for Yosef's bones. The Midrash praises Moshe with the phrase "chacham lev yikach mitzvos" - a wise heart takes mitzvos. The difficulty is obvious: borrowing the gold and silver was also a mitzvah. Why does Moshe deserve special praise if everyone was doing mitzvos? Rabbi Zweig presents a novel answer rooted in the nature of how each mitzvah was presented. Hashem (ה׳)'s command to borrow gold and silver was phrased as "daber na be'oznei ha'am" - "please" speak to the people. Chazal explain that "na" here means "please" - Hashem was, in a sense, asking them for a favor, so that Avrohom Avinu would not complain that the promise of "they will leave with great wealth" was not fulfilled. The Jewish people were motivated by the feeling that they were doing something Hashem desperately wanted. This creates a sense of fulfillment and motivation - when someone begs us to do something, we feel more driven to do it.
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Parshas Beshalach - Shemos 13:19, Midrash on "chacham lev yikach mitzvos"
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
