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Why was shiluach avadim—sending out slaves—the first mitzvah (מצוה) given to the Jewish people in Egypt, forty years before it would even apply? The shiur develops the insight that victims of abuse often become abusers as false therapy—proving to themselves they're no longer victims by becoming perpetrators. Hashem (ה׳)'s first command teaches that genuine healing from slavery doesn't come through enslaving others.
The shiur opens with the Yerushalmi in Rosh Hashanah teaching that when the Torah (תורה) states Moshe commanded the people, it refers to the mitzvah (מצוה) of shiluach avadim—sending out Jewish slaves after six years of service. This was the first mitzvah given to the Jewish people, even before Moshe approached Pharaoh in Parshas Vaera. This is puzzling: why would this relatively low-priority mitzvah be first, especially when it wouldn't apply for forty years until the Jews entered Israel and the laws of Yovel began? Why not start with fundamental mitzvos like Shabbos (שבת), kashrus, or lashon hara? Rabbi Zweig develops his answer through a profound psychological insight about abuse victims. Research shows that children who grew up abused often abuse their own children. The common explanation is that abused children couldn't recognize their parents' behavior as wrong, so it became part of their makeup. But this theory has flaws—it only works if parents were the abusers, yet much abuse comes from non-parental sources. Moreover, victims clearly know abuse is wrong; they experience terrible suffering and understand the evil of what was done to them.
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Up Next in this Series
Why does Rashi give conflicting descriptions of Israel's leaders in Egypt? The shiur explores how two different leadership styles emerged: those who pushed people to work harder while taking beatings, versus those who simply absorbed punishment to spare their people. The Torah prioritizes the first type - leaders who accomplish things even when unpopular.
Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Parshas Vaeira; Yerushalmi Rosh Hashanah
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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.
