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Why does the Gemara (גמרא) bring a pasuk if eating without a bracha is just a logical d'rabbanan obligation? The shiur develops the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s distinction between the Torah (תורה)-level issur of eating without acknowledgment (which violates Hashem (ה׳)'s intended relationship through His gifts) and the d'rabbanan mitzvah (מצוה) of specific bracha formulations. This resolves why brachos parallel mitzvos and explains the approach to safek brachos.
This shiur delves deeply into the fundamental nature of brachos through analysis of Brachos 35a and various Rishonim. Rabbi Zweig begins by addressing three major difficulties with the Gemara (גמרא)'s approach: if we know from logic (sevarah) that one cannot benefit without a bracha, and we know this can only be d'rabbanan (as proven from the Mishna regarding a bal keri), why does the Gemara bring a pasuk? Why the elaborate discussion if it's just logical? The shiur examines Tosafot's position that a sevarah cannot create more than a d'rabbanan obligation, yet the Gemara seems to treat this as having Torah (תורה)-level significance. Rabbi Zweig presents a revolutionary understanding of the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s position on brachos. The Rambam distinguishes between 'divrei soferim' and 'd'rabbanan' - divrei soferim refers to Torah-level concepts derived through interpretation, while d'rabbanan refers to purely rabbinical enactments. According to this reading, the issur of eating without a bracha is a Torah-level prohibition (divrei soferim), even though the specific mitzvah (מצוה) to recite particular brachos is d'rabbanan.
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Brachos 35a
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Should one learn Torah full-time trusting in Divine providence, or combine learning with work? The shiur distinguishes between Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai's approach of complete separation from worldly concerns versus Rabbi Shmuel's view that proper work itself becomes part of Torah. The key insight: true emunah means learning without demanding sustenance from either Hashem or community, unlike having a 'contract' expecting payment for learning.
