No community start suggestion yet.
Why does the Torah (תורה) emphasize Esav selling the birthright over his worse sins—murder, adultery, denying God? The act of belittling (vayivez) the birthright exposes the worst spiritual defect: refusing to work on oneself. When we denigrate what we know is valuable instead of addressing our inadequacy, we become hopeless—no longer capable of growth or teshuva (תשובה).
Rabbi Zweig addresses a fundamental question in Parshas Toldos: Why does the Torah (תורה) devote five verses to Esav selling the birthright while only hinting at his far graver sins—murder, adultery, and denial of God—in Rashi (רש"י)'s commentary? If the Torah wishes to demonstrate Esav's wickedness, surely these heinous acts would be more telling than a business transaction that isn't even technically sinful. The key lies in the final phrase: "vayivez Esav es habechorah"—Esav belittled or abused the birthright. Rashi states this verse testifies to Esav's wickedness. The Midrash connects this word "vayivez" to Haman, who similarly "belittled" (vayivez be'einav) taking revenge only on Mordechai and instead sought to annihilate all the Jewish people. The Midrash calls Haman a descendant of Esav and labels Esav himself as "booz ben booz"—degraded, son of degraded.
Looking for the full summary?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Dedicate a Shiur in Parsha
L'ilui nishmas a loved one. In honor of a simcha or yahrzeit. As a zechus for a refuah sheleimah. Your dedication helps carry Rabbi Zweig's Torah to learners around the world.
Up Next in this Series
Why does the Torah emphasize Rivka's Aramean ancestry when describing her marriage to Yitzchok? The shiur reveals that Arameans were master manipulators with extraordinary sensitivity to others' psychology. Rivka inherited this keen insight but channeled it into genuine chesed, which requires understanding what recipients actually need rather than what givers want to provide.
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 25:29-34 (Parshas Toldos)
Looking for the full transcript?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Why does the Torah separate Avrohom's eulogy for Sarah from his crying for her? The shiur shows that Sarah required a public eulogy focused on the communal loss of a leader, not Avrohom's private grief. This teaches that we must view Jewish tragedies through a national lens first, seeing attacks on Am Yisrael as collective losses that dwarf personal concerns.
