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Why does the Torah (תורה) repeat "an eye for an eye" in both Exodus and Leviticus, and what does this phrase actually mean? The shiur develops the principle that injuring a person violates two distinct dimensions: the victim's individual rights and the tzelem Elokim (divine image) embodied in every human being. This dual framework explains why physical harm deserves consequences far beyond monetary compensation.
Rabbi Zweig addresses the puzzling repetition of "an eye for an eye" in both Exodus and Leviticus, examining why the Torah (תורה) would restate this law in two different books. He challenges the apologetic approach that merely explains away "an eye for an eye" as monetary compensation, asking instead: if it truly means money, why didn't the Torah simply write that directly? The shiur also examines the Talmudic derivation that "an eye for an eye" must mean monetary payment (since we cannot precisely replicate the exact injury), questioning whether this reveals a limitation in human justice rather than the ideal form of justice. The shiur introduces a fundamental reinterpretation of the Kayin and Hevel narrative. Rather than simple sibling rivalry driven by jealousy, Rabbi Zweig demonstrates that Kayin's murder of Hevel was actually an attack against God Himself. When God accepted Hevel's offering but rejected Kayin's, Kayin became angry at God, not just his brother. Unable to strike directly at God, Kayin attacked God's greatest representative on earth—a human being created in the divine image. This interpretation explains Kayin's subsequent impudence when God asks, "Where is your brother?"—it represents a continuation of his rebellion against the Almighty, not a separate character flaw.
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Parshas Mishpatim (Exodus 21:24-25, Leviticus 24:19-20)
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