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Why does the Torah (תורה) repeat "I took you out from under the burdens of Egypt" after both the first and fourth expressions of redemption? The shiur explains that initially we understood leaving Egypt as escaping slavery, but after Kabbalas HaTorah (the fourth expression, velakachti), we realized that Egyptian bondage was actually our training to become avdei Hashem (ה׳). This reframes Egypt from shame into glory—the foundation of our future service.
This shiur examines the four languages of redemption (arba leshonos shel geulah) found in Parshas Vaeira, focusing on an apparent textual difficulty. The fourth expression, "velakachti eschem li la'am, ve'hayisi lachem le'Elokim" (I will take you for a nation and I will be your God), is followed by "ve'yidatem ki ani Hashem (ה׳) Elokeichem hamotzi eschem mitachas sivlos Mitzrayim" (you shall know that I am Hashem your God who took you out from under the burdens of Egypt). This is puzzling because the identical phrase "mitachas sivlos Mitzrayim" already appeared after the first expression of redemption, "vehotzeisi eschem," which Rashi (רש"י) identifies with the actual moment of leaving Egypt ("le'acharei chen yetzu birchush gadol"). Rabbi Zweig asks: if we already knew at the moment of leaving Egypt that Hashem took us out from the burdens of Egypt, why does the Torah (תורה) repeat this knowledge after the fourth expression? What changes between the first and fourth stages that we need to "know" the same thing again?
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Shemos 6:6-7 (Parshas Vaeira)
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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.
