Understanding Our Divine Right to Eretz Yisrael - Rashi's Opening Question

Full Summary

Rabbi Zweig delivers a masterful analysis of Rashi (רש"י)'s opening commentary on Bereishis, exploring one of the most fundamental questions in Torah (תורה) study. Rashi asks why the Torah begins with 'Bereishis bara Elokim' rather than starting with 'hachodesh hazeh lachem' - the first commandment given to the Jewish people. Rashi answers that roughly 25% of the Torah serves to establish the Jewish people's legitimate historical claim to Eretz Yisrael, so when nations challenge our right to the land, we can respond that God created and owns the world and gave it to us. Rabbi Zweig tackles the apparent difficulty with this explanation: no non-Jew has ever accepted this theological argument, so what is its real purpose? He explains that the message is directed internally - 'koach ma'aseh higid le'amo' - God informed His people of His power. The Torah's historical account serves to ensure that when we act, we understand what we are doing rather than acting as blind automatons. The shiur develops a fundamental principle: if we perform actions - whether conquering the land or observing mitzvos - without understanding, we become mere machines or even perpetrators of immoral acts. When the Jewish people entered Eretz Yisrael, they had to understand their absolute right to the land and conduct warfare in a completely different manner than other nations - relying on divine intervention rather than superior military force, sending only the most righteous to battle, and following practices that demonstrated complete dependence on God rather than natural means. Rabbi Zweig extends this principle to all mitzvah (מצוה) observance. While we must have commitment (na'aseh v'nishma) to perform mitzvos even without full understanding, the ultimate goal is to develop understanding and feeling. Mitzvos performed mechanically, without thought or emotional engagement, fail to achieve their purpose of making us more like God (v'halachta bidrachav). The extensive laws of capital punishment in Torah, which were practically never implemented due to strict requirements, serve not as a legal system but as a value system - teaching us the importance of human life and proper conduct. The shiur emphasizes that Torah's purpose is not mechanical performance but character development and relationship with the Divine. Whether observing Shabbos (שבת), putting on tefillin, or sitting in a sukkah, our goal must be to understand and relate to these experiences rather than simply fulfilling obligations. This understanding transforms mitzvos from burdens into meaningful encounters with the divine will.