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Why did Moshe appoint Pinchas to lead the war against Midian instead of going himself when Hashem (ה׳) explicitly commanded him to go? The shiur develops the principle that even divine commands must be interpreted through the lens of Torah (תורה) values like hakaras hatov. Moshe's application of "bor shasisa mimenu al tizrok bo even" teaches that appreciation isn't about what we owe others, but about recognizing Hashem's orchestration in our lives.
The shiur examines a fundamental question from Parshas Matos: when Hashem (ה׳) explicitly commands Moshe to lead the war against Midian, why does Moshe send Pinchas instead? The Midrash offers two explanations - either Moshe couldn't go because he benefited from Midian (his refuge after fleeing Egypt), or Pinchas should complete what he started by killing Kozbi. Rabbi Zweig focuses on the deeper issue: what right does a person have to reinterpret a direct divine command? He establishes that when Hashem tells Moshe something using kal v'chomer logic (one of the ten kal v'chomers in the Torah (תורה)), it demonstrates that Torah reasoning can be applied even to divine commands. Just as Hashem taught Moshe that he couldn't strike the Nile or earth because of hakaras hatov ("bor shasisa mimenu al tizrok bo even" - don't throw stones at a well you drank from), this principle must be consistently applied.
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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.
Parshas Matos 31:2-6
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