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Why does the Torah (תורה) describe the Ben Sorer UMoreh if it never actually occurs? The shiur develops a distinction between children who are truly evil versus those who are merely confused or immature. This explains why God saved Yishmael despite his future wickedness (he was confused) while a Ben Sorer UMoreh would be executed for future crimes (he is genuinely evil after proper education).
The shiur begins with the fundamental question about Ben Sorer UMoreh (the rebellious son): if Chazal say it "never was and never will be," why does the Torah (תורה) include these laws? The Torah is meant to be practical, not theoretical, yet here we have laws that seemingly have no application. Rabbi Zweig explains that the Ben Sorer UMoreh represents a child aged 13-13.25 years who steals from his parents to buy food and wine, is warned and punished, yet repeats the offense. The punishment is execution - seemingly extreme for mere theft. The Talmud (תלמוד) explains this is based on projecting his future: he will eventually steal from others, kill when resisted, and die guilty rather than innocent ("mutav sheyamus zakkai v'al yamus chayav").
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How could Avrohom keep the entire Torah before it was given, including rabbinical laws? The key insight is that mitzvos represent eternal spiritual realities, not just historical commemorations, so Avrohom could access these truths through his genuine search. His entire 172-year journey—even his early idolatry—retroactively became service of God once he reached ultimate truth.
