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Why do we recite Lavan's blessing to Rivka at the bedeken when Lavan himself had no sincere intent behind the words? The shiur develops the idea that precisely because Lavan didn't mean the blessing, he gave the optimal, unlimited blessing—no self-interest restrained him. The blessing's fulfillment came not from Lavan's power but from HaKadosh Baruch Hu and the merit of the recipients. That's why we use it: it defines the ideal with no boundaries.
The shiur opens with a question that has long troubled Rabbi Zweig: Ashkenazim have a custom for the father to bless his daughter at the bedeken with the words "achotenu at, hayei le'alfei revavah" (our sister, may you become tens of thousands). This blessing is taken from Bereishis 24:60, where Lavan and his family bless Rivka as she departs to marry Yitzchok. Why, Rabbi Zweig asks, would we take a blessing from Lavan—a rasha—when there are so many other suitable blessings from righteous figures in the Torah (תורה)? Why rely on Lavan's words? The Midrash Rabbah addresses this blessing and makes three seemingly contradictory points. First, the Midrash states that Lavan and his household's blessings were "devarin shefufin hayu"—they were insincere, superficial words, like the cunning of a snake. The blessing was merely for appearance, not from the heart. Second, the Midrash notes that Rivka did not become pregnant from the blessing; Yitzchok had to pray for her ("vayeitar Yitzchok le'nochach ishto"). This demonstrates that Lavan's blessing had no efficacy at all—it required Yitzchok's tefilah to bring about children. Third, however, a different statement in the Midrash seems to say the opposite: that the blessing was fulfilled—"revavos" (tens of thousands) came from Yaakov's descendants, and "alufim" (chieftains/leaders) came from Eisav's descendants. So was the blessing effective or not?
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Bereishis 24:60
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Why did the brothers hate Yosef when he received the kutonet pasim, yet strangers saw him as special? The kutonet represented Yaakov's recognition of Yosef's leadership ability—his power to uplift and unify. The brothers' jealousy blinded them; the Torah omits his name when they see him (just "oto"), but strangers always saw "Yosef." True chein comes from seeing others clearly, without the bias of our own needs.
Why did the materials for the Mishkan equal exactly what was needed with no waste, despite the principle that blessing doesn't rest on counted items? The shiur explains that Moshe's complete faithfulness—working solely for Hashem's agenda—transformed counting from an act of personal ownership into one that strengthened divine connection, thereby increasing blessings. Korach's self-interest inverted this principle, costing him everything.
Why does Rashi describe the Mishkan as "collateral" for Jewish sins? Rabbi Zweig develops the concept that God limited His own collection rights—accepting only the Mishkan's destruction rather than the nation's annihilation. This reflects the relationship of a father who reduces his own claims to ensure his children's survival.
Why does the Torah give a detailed accounting of silver and copper but not gold in Parshas Pekudei? The three metals represent three types of givers: those who give selflessly (gold), those seeking a two-way benefit (silver), and those buying honor (copper). The Midrash's three groups suspecting or praising Moshe reveal more about themselves than about Moshe—we judge others by our own standards.
