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Why does Hashem (ה׳) instruct Moshe to deliver the message first to the women, then to the men? The shiur develops the yesod that Kabbalas HaTorah is fundamentally a marriage between Hashem and Klal Yisroel. Women, as natural mekablos, already embody the kallah role; men must transform themselves from zachar to mekabel through avdus and commitment—a metamorphosis that began in Mitzrayim and culminated at Har Sinai.
This shiur examines Parshas Yisro through the lens of a fundamental yesod: Maamad Har Sinai was not merely a legislative event but a wedding—Hashem (ה׳) as the chasan and Klal Yisroel as the kallah. Rabbi Zweig opens with a striking question: Why does the Torah (תורה) state "Ko somar l'veis Yaakov v'sageid livnei Yisroel"—first give the message to the women, then to the men? This seems counterintuitive, as men carry the primary obligation in Torah learning and mitzvos. The shiur then addresses the famous question raised by Tosafos (תוספות) and the Midrash Tanchuma: Why did Hashem need to coerce Klal Yisroel with "kafa aleihem har k'gigis" when they had already said "naaseh v'nishma"? The Midrash explains that naaseh v'nishma applied only to Torah Shebichsav, not Torah Shebe'al Peh. But this seems incomprehensible—the language "kol asher diber Hashem naaseh" means unconditional acceptance. How can Chazal say they excluded Torah Shebe'al Peh?
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Parshas Yisro
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