Parshas Vayeira - Parsha Stumpers

~ Something to Think About ~

פרשת וירא

Parsha Stumpers

By: Daniel Listhaus

1. The passuk relates that the malachim “ate” the food which Avraham prepared for them. Rashi explains that the reason they pretended to eat is because it is proper not to deviate from the minhag (custom) of the place. Obviously this concept is important enough for the malachim to proactively eat, as opposed to passively just say that they are not hungry. What is so important about not deviating from the minhagei ha'makom? Where in halacha do we see this concept as well?

2. (18:1) Rashi writes that after Avraham's bris Hashem made it extremely hot and sunny in order not to trouble Avraham with guests. When Hashem saw Avraham was upset that no guests were coming, Hashem sent three malachim. Why didn't Hashem just make it not as hot and sunny and have the normal traffic of visitors?

3. Rashi tells us that one malach cannot perform two missions. Yet we know that the same malach that came to heal Avraham was the one who went to save Lot from Sodom (see Rashi 19:1). How could that malach perform multiple missions?

4. (18:2) The Ba'al Ha'Turim writes that because of Avraham's humility of referring to himself as dust and ash, he merited the mitzvos of parah adumah and sotah. What is the connection between these mitzvos and the expressions of Avraham, beyond the words themselves?

5. (19:24) Could we bring a proof from this parsha regarding how long bein hashmashos is?

6. (19:29) Why did Lot keep quiet in Mitzrayim?

7. (19:34-35) Granted Lot’s older daughter could  mistakenly rationalize that the future of the world is in her hands, but what was the younger daughter’s excuse after the older daughter had already “taken care” of the problem at hand?

8. (20:13) Avraham told Avimelech that he had prearranged with Sarah to always say “she is my sister”. However, we don’t find that Avraham said such a thing. The Torah doesn’t make this clear in 12:12 when Avraham first tells this idea to Sarah. Furthermore, Rashi 20:2 says that at this point Avraham did so without Sarah’s consent. So how could we understand why Avraham said he said something which it doesn’t seem he does and why was it necessary to give the extra detail to Avimelech at all? Just simply say why he did so without the history of him making up with Sarah that they would do so?

9. (20:14) The Torah testifies that Avraham accepted a gift from Avimelech of flocks, cattle, servants, and maid servants. Similarly we see that Avraham accepted gifts from Pharoah in last week's parsha. Why was Avraham willing to take these, yet by the war of the four and five kings, Avraham refused to accept even a shoelace?

10.  (21:17) Rashi informs us that despite the malachim’s argument of why Yishmael should be left to die, Hashem said that he cannot be judged based on who he will become but rather who he is presently. Why then is the sorer u’moreh punished for the aveiros we assume he will do in the future?

11. (22:13) Why did the ram have to be created special from shushes y’mei beraishis? What was so important that this ram was created at the beginning of time, survive the mabbul and awaited to be shechted by Avraham avinu? Why couldn’t it have been any ram?