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What makes teshuvah work overnight when the Rambam (רמב"ם) requires lengthy processes for most sins? The shiur develops a revolutionary understanding: teshuvah through bechirah creates immediate identity transformation, not just behavioral commitment. Torah (תורה) study facilitates this identity change — the same power described in "lo bashamayim hi" where we become arbiters of truth.
The shiur begins by examining the machlokes between Rashi (רש"י) and Ramban (רמב"ן) on the pasuk "ki karov eilecha hadavar meod" - whether it refers to Torah (תורה) or teshuvah. The difficulty with the Ramban's interpretation that it refers to teshuvah is the context of "lo bashamayim hi," which the Gemara (גמרא) explicitly applies to Torah. Rabbi Zweig explains that "lo bashamayim hi" appears here for the first time because after Moshe's death, Torah authority transferred to Klal Yisrael. The Rambam (רמב"ם) places his discussion of bechirah (free will) in Hilchos Teshuvah rather than Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah, which seems problematic since free will underlies the entire system of reward and punishment. The shiur analyzes two distinct Rambam passages about bechirah, revealing that the Rambam addresses two different misconceptions: predisposition versus complete determinism.
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Parshas Nitzavim 30:11-14
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Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
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What is the primary purpose of the cities of refuge - protecting the accidental killer or something else? The shiur argues that creating respect for law takes precedence over providing sanctuary. True deterrence comes from recognizing the gravity of murder itself, not fear of punishment.
