Parshas Ki Savo - Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

פרשת כי תבא

Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

1. [For those who didn't read the d'var Torah:] Why is it that upon the time of 
   
   
   bringing bikkurim is the proper time to say the whole tefillah of history starting 
   
   
   
   
   from Lavan and Yaakov? What is the connection to bikkurim? And why must it be 
   
   
   
   
   said to the kohen as opposed to one saying it to himself in the field?
   
   
   
   
2. The Mishna in Bikkurim (1:4) states that a ger (convert) brings bikkurim but 
   
   
   
   
   cannot be korei (read) the paragraph which is recited because he is not able to 
   
   
   
   
   say “l'a'voseinu” since his ancestors were not Jewish. If so, why is it that a ger
   
   
   
   
   could say “elokeinu v'elokei avoseinu” in shemoneh esreh?
   
   

3. There is a passuk in this week's parsha with a remez to the five seforim of the 
   
   
   
   
   Torah. Which passuk is it? What are the remazim? And how do they hint to 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   their respective sefer they are hinting to?

4. In the passuk of “baruch ata b'vo'echa...” Rashi explains that just as one 
   
   
   
   
   enters the world pure and without sins, so too will one leave the world with 
   
   
   
   
   no sin. However, following this explanation, it should be that the meaning of 
   
   
   
   
   the passuk in the to'che'cha of “arur ata b'vo'echa...” should mean that just 
   
   
   
   
   as you were cursed coming into the world, so too will you be when you leave. 
   
   
   
   
   How could this be true, though? Certainly everyone comes into the world 
   
   
   
   
   pure?
   
   
   
   
5. The Gemara in Ta'anis (2a) says that there are three keys that Hashem has 
   
   
   
   
   which he doesn't give to a shli'ach. One is hinted to in this week's parsha.
   
   
   
   
6. Which is the one hinted to in this week's parsha? What are the other two?
   
   
   
   
    How could we resolve the fact that there are stories in tanach and gemara 
   
   
   
   
   about individuals who seem to have had control over one (or more) of these 
   
   
   
   
   keys?