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Why did Hashem (ה׳) offer Torah (תורה) to all nations if He already had a special relationship with Israel? The shiur distinguishes between two relationships: other nations were offered mitzvos as subjects to a king, but only Israel received the intimate 'beloved' relationship of marriage. The Exodus and wilderness journey were actually a divine courtship period, making the Golden Calf and spies' rejection devastating acts of infidelity.
This shiur provides a deep analysis of pesukim from Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) that describe the Exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah (תורה) at Mount Sinai through the metaphor of a romantic relationship between Hashem (ה׳) and the Jewish people. Rabbi Zweig examines Rashi (רש"י)'s commentary on the verse "My beloved is mine and I am His," which Rashi explains refers to the korban Pesach (פסח), sanctification of the firstborn, the Mishkan, and the korban olah - all uniquely Jewish obligations. The central thesis addresses a fundamental question about maamad Har Sinai: why did Hashem offer the Torah to all nations if He had already established a special relationship with Israel through the Avot and the Exodus? Rabbi Zweig proposes a revolutionary distinction between two levels of relationship with the Divine. When Hashem approached other nations at Sinai, He offered them the opportunity to observe mitzvos - a relationship of subjects to a king. However, the relationship of "my beloved is mine" - the intimate bond of husband and wife - was never offered to the gentiles.
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Shir HaShirim 2:11-13
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