No community start suggestion yet.
Why did the brothers sell Yosef when he had elevated the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah? Yosef's midah of chen gave him the ability to tell each person their true cosmic role, like a master architect placing each component. But the brothers feared he was manipulating them—a tragic refusal to accept who they really were in favor of who they wanted to be, a pattern that repeated itself in the sin of the golden calf and with Yerovam ben Nevat.
Rabbi Zweig delivers a profound analysis of Parshas Vayeishev, focusing on the sale of Yosef and its deep connections to the sin of the golden calf, Chanukah (חנוכה), and Yerovam ben Nevat's idolatry. The shiur opens with a fundamental question from the Ramban (רמב"ן): if Yosef had befriended and elevated the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, how could they possibly participate in selling him? This seems to demonstrate unprecedented moral duplicity. The key to understanding the entire narrative lies in Yosef's defining characteristic: chen (charm/grace). Drawing on Shlomo HaMelech's enigmatic statement that "chen is sheker" (false), Rabbi Zweig develops a sophisticated understanding of what chen truly means. Like colorless light that contains all colors within it but appears simple until diffused through a prism, chen means that a person contains within himself the ability for each viewer to see their own reflection and potential. The Gemara (גמרא)'s statement about Esther—that Persians saw her as Persian, Medes saw her as Median—illustrates this perfectly. Chen is the ability to include all perspectives within oneself, such that each person can find themselves reflected in you.
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 seeing a sotah inspire one to become a nazir? The nazir's abstention creates a pre-sin state where body and soul exist in perfect harmony. This 30-day period corrects the internal contradiction that led to his original transgression.
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 Vayeishev
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!
What is the primary purpose of the cities of refuge - protecting the accidental killer or something else? The shiur argues that creating respect for law takes precedence over providing sanctuary. True deterrence comes from recognizing the gravity of murder itself, not fear of punishment.
