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Why does the Gemara (גמרא) say that one who fails to merit the crown of Torah (תורה) becomes "estranged" (zar) rather than simply lacking a crown? The shiur explains that unlike other crowns, every Jew has the potential for Kesser Torah. Failing to pursue this achievable potential doesn't just mean missing an opportunity—it creates profound self-alienation, as a person becomes his own worst enemy for squandering what he could have become.
The shiur opens with a verse from Parshas Terumah commanding the construction of a crown (zer) around the Aron. The word "crown" is spelled Zayin-Reish in the text, missing the expected Yud, though it is read as "zeir." The Gemara (גמרא) derives from this unusual spelling: "Zocheh naseh lo zeir"—if a person merits, it becomes a crown for him; "lo zocheh naseh lo zar"—if he does not merit, it becomes estranged (zar). Rabbi Zweig asks a fundamental question on this formulation. The logic should be straightforward: if you merit something, you get it; if you don't merit it, you don't get it. Why does the Gemara use the word "zar" (estranged) for the person who doesn't merit the crown? It should simply say: if you merit, you get a crown; if you don't merit, you don't have a crown. Why introduce the concept of estrangement?
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Parshas Terumah (Aron crown), Gemara on zeir/zar wordplay
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