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Why did Hashem (ה׳) answer only Yitzchok's prayer for children, not Rivka's, when the Torah (תורה) emphasizes her greatness despite coming from Besuel and Lavan? The shiur proposes that a tzaddik ben tzaddik has advantage in prayer specifically for descendants—creating continuity for grandparents, not just parents. This principle applies to prayers for children but may not extend to other contexts like choosing a shaliach tzibbur.
Rabbi Zweig opens with an analysis of the phrase "ve-eileh toldos Yitzchok ben Avrohom, Avrohom holid es Yitzchok" (Bereishis 25:19). Rashi (רש"י) explains that because scoffers doubted Yitzchok's paternity—suggesting Sarah conceived from Avimelech during her time in his palace—Hashem (ה׳) performed a miracle making Yitzchok look exactly like Avrohom. The question arises: why does the Torah (תורה) mention this miracle here, at the beginning of Parshas Toldos, rather than at Yitzchok's birth forty years earlier? The shiur suggests that the miracle's mention becomes relevant specifically when Esav appears in the narrative. The existence of a wicked grandson like Esav would give tremendous credence to the scoffers' claims. The Torah therefore emphasizes "Avrohom holid es Yitzchok" here to preempt such arguments. Furthermore, Rabbi Zweig proposes a profound chiddush: perhaps the miracle wasn't merely cosmetic but involved an actual internal transformation. When Hashem made Yitzchok resemble Avrohom physically, He may also have implanted some of Avrohom's spiritual characteristics into Yitzchok's essence. This would mean Yaakov and Esav carry not just recessive genes from their grandfather, but actual qualities of Avrohom built into their father's genetic code.
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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.
Bereishis 25:19-21
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