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How could the Avos and Imahos be associated with ramaus (trickery)? The shiur develops a fundamental yesod that ramaus is actually the ability to deeply understand what others truly desire. When channeled properly—helping people achieve their genuine goals rather than manipulating them—this becomes a crucial trait upon which Klal Yisroel was founded.
Rabbi Zweig addresses a fundamental difficulty in Parshas Vayeitzei: the entire parsha seems permeated with ramaus (deception/trickery). Yaakov himself declares "Ach ivani b'ramaus" (I am Lavan's equal in trickery), Rivka participated in deceiving Yitzchok, and Leah and Rochel were involved in the deception on the wedding night. This raises a troubling question: how can the founding of Klal Yisroel be built on ramaus, which appears to be a negative character trait? The shiur begins by examining Rashi (רש"י)'s comment in Parshas Chayei Sarah that describes Rivka as "the daughter of Betuel ha'Rami, from Padan Aram, the sister of Lavan ha'Rami." Rashi explains this teaches praise for Rivka—that despite being from a family and place of deceivers, she did not learn from their deeds. However, this explanation seems unnecessary since we already know from the previous parsha that Rivka was righteous and her family was wicked. What is the Torah (תורה) adding?
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Parshas Vayeitzei
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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.
