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Who was the first Jew, and what defines Jewish identity? The shiur explains that Jewish identity follows maternal lineage based on Kiddushin 68b's derivation from Deuteronomy 7:3-4, but this principle only began at Sinai. Avrohom, Isaac, and Yaakov were righteous individuals with divine covenants, but their descendants only became 'Jews' after accepting Torah (תורה) at Mount Sinai.
This shiur presents a comprehensive introduction to Jewish history and philosophy, structured around the rabbinic framework from Tractate Sanhedrin that divides world history into three periods of two thousand years each: the years of nothingness, the years of Torah (תורה), and the years of Mashiach. Rabbi Zweig begins by reviewing his previous class's proof that God's existence is a matter of knowledge rather than belief, emphasizing that Jewish history is based on factual transmission from generation to generation, not faith. The discussion addresses the apparent conflict between the Jewish calendar showing the world as 5,772 years old and scientific dating. Rabbi Zweig presents multiple approaches: either the world was created in a mature state (citing sources from Shavuos 68a, Tosafot, and other places), or the six days of creation were longer than twenty-four hours. He cites the Codex Judaica's explanation that the world was created fully developed and aged, with Adam created as a mature man.
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Deuteronomy 7:3-4, Kiddushin 68b
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