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Why does the Torah (תורה) threaten catastrophic punishment for serving God without simcha when we have everything? The shiur argues that unhappiness in avodas Hashem (ה׳) reveals a fundamental misunderstanding: we feel manipulated by God's commands and rewards rather than recognizing that the entire system of mitzvos is designed for our benefit. Avrohom's test of Lech Lecha was to believe "it's for your good," not merely to obey for the rewards.
The shiur opens with a stark observation: people approach the High Holidays with dread rather than joy, yet Chazal describe Elul as "Ani l'dodi v'dodi li" — a time of love and closeness between God and the Jewish people. This contradiction demands explanation. Rabbi Zweig turns to Parshas Ki Savo, which threatens devastating punishments — including galus and destruction foreshadowing the Holocaust — for a seemingly minor failing: "Tachas asher lo avadta es Hashem (ה׳) Elokecha b'simcha u'v'tuv leivav me'rov kol" (Devarim 28:47). The Jewish people will be punished not for failing to serve God, but for serving Him without joy, even while possessing everything (me'rov kol). This raises fundamental questions: Where does the Torah (תורה) command us to be happy in our service? Why is this lack of simcha so severe that it warrants two thousand years of exile? And most puzzling: if we had everything, why weren't we happy?
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Up Next in this Series
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 Ki Savo (Devarim 28:47); Parshas Lech Lecha (Bereishis 12:1-2)
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