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Why does Rashi (רש"י) condemn Lavan for speaking before Besuel when Yaakov's sons also spoke before their father in the Dinah episode? Two answers emerge: either a son may speak when the father chooses silence, or sons may speak to protect their father from the dishonor of answering an inappropriate party.
Rabbi Zweig examines an apparent contradiction in how the Torah (תורה) treats sons speaking before their fathers. In Parshas Chayei Sarah, when Eliezer comes to arrange a marriage for Yitzchok, Lavan and Besuel respond to the proposal. Rashi (רש"י) comments that Lavan answered before his father because he was a rasha (wicked person), implying that speaking before one's father is improper behavior. However, in Parshas Vayishlach, when Chamor and Shechem come to negotiate with Yaakov following the rape of Dinah, the Torah records that Yaakov's sons answered—with no mention of Yaakov himself speaking. If speaking before one's father demonstrates wickedness, why don't we find criticism of Yaakov's sons for this same behavior?
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Bereishis 24:50 (Chayei Sarah), Bereishis 34:13 (Vayishlach)
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
