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Why does the Torah (תורה) use three different words for mourning — vayavu for Yaakov, vayimlu for Aharon, and vayitmu for Moshe? The shiur develops a profound yesod: crying reflects feeling trapped without a relationship. Aharon's death severed the connection completely; Yaakov remains intermittently present (Yaakov lo meis); but Moshe's death created no separation at all — "lo chasah einav" means his vision persists, and every Torah idea we repeat draws life from him, making mourning unnecessary.
The shiur opens with a textual question from Parshas Vayechi regarding the mourning for Yaakov Avinu. The Torah (תורה) uses the word "vayavu" (passed/was over) to describe the end of the crying period for Yaakov, whereas for Moshe Rabbeinu it uses "vayitmu" (were completed), and for Aharon it simply says they cried for thirty days. The Midrash notes that Moshe "shelo hayu lo bochim" — he didn't have those who cried for him — which seems strange and even insulting. The meforshim struggle with this, suggesting either that Moshe's sons had died or that the nations didn't mourn him as they did Yaakov. Rabbi Zweig rejects these approaches as forced and proposes a revolutionary understanding. The key to understanding the different expressions lies in comprehending what crying truly represents. Rabbi Zweig explains that the Hebrew word for crying (bachah) is cognate with the word for being trapped (nevuchim). Crying occurs when a person feels utterly trapped with no solution to their predicament — they have given up hope. When someone simply has a problem, they seek solutions and maintain hope. But crying reflects the emotional state of believing there is no way out, no possibility of resolving the situation. This is why Rashi (רש"י) explains "Eimek Habachah" not as "valley of tears" but as "valley of being trapped."
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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.
Bereishis 50:3-4 (Parshas Vayechi); Devarim 34:7-8 (Moshe's death); cross-referenced with meraglim narrative
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