Chayei Sarah - Parsha Stumpers

~ Something to Think About ~

פרשת חיי שרה

Parsha Stumpers

By: Daniel Listhaus

1. (23:2) Rashi writes that Sarah’s death was a result of hearing the news that Avraham had gone to offer Yitzchak as a karbon. Why was Sarah’s reaction so different from Avraham’s?

2. (23:3) The Gemara Berachos [3b] brings an opinion that one it is assur to speak in front of a dead body. Bring a proof from this week’s parsha?

3. (23:4) Avraham challenged Efron and the B’nei Cheis that he was willing to act as a foreigner and pay for the Cave of Machpeilah, but that if they were not willing to sell it then he would force them to since he had a right to Eretz Yisroel. How was this attitude any different from Lot’s in last week’s parsha when his shepherds would allow their flock to graze on others’ property since it would one day belong to Avraham anyway?

4. (23:17) The passuk says “And Ephron’s field, that was in Machpeilah, that was facing Mamrei, stood…” Rashi offers two explanations for the passuk – one which he says is the simple explanation of the passuk. If Rashi knows the simple explanation of the passuk, why does he bring a second pshat?

5. (24:10) Rashi writes that Efron had become a leader that very day that Avraham approached him. As Rashi writes: Because of the importance of Avraham, who needed Efron, Efron ascended to greatness. Why was this necessary?

6. (24:10) Rashi writes that Avraham’s camels were different from many others’ because he was careful to muzzle them in order that they not graze from others’ fields. The gemara (Chullin 7a) says that Hashem doesn’t bring takalah to the animals of tzadikkim. If so, why did Avraham’s camels need to be muzzled?

7. (24:29) The passuk says, “…And Lavan ran outside to the man, to the spring…” Why does the passuk have to say that he ran outside? Certainly we would have figured out that in order to get from his house to the spring where Eliezer was he would need to go outdoors?

8. (24:32) The passuk relates that Lavan gave water to Eliezer and his men to wash their feet. This was the practice of Avraham and Lot as seen in previous parshios because they wanted to make sure that no avodah zarrah would be brought into their house. Lavan worshipped avodah zarrah, so why was he concerned of it being brought into his house?

9. (24:32) Rashi points out that Eliezer’s camels were muzzled so that they should not graze along the way in fields belonging to others. We know this was the practice of the house of Avraham already so why does Rashi feel the need to repeat it?

10. (24:36-30) Why did Eliezer feel the need to give Besuel details of the story which had no relevance to him, such as Avraham’s command not to find a girl for Yitzchak from Cana’an?

11. (24:42) Rashi quotes the Gemara that we learn from this week’s parsha that the conversations of the slaves of our avos is more pleasing before Hashem than the Torah of their descendents. Why is this so?

12. (24:47) Rashi writes that Eliezer switched the order of events in order that they shouldn’t catch him in a “lie” that how could he giver Rivkah gifts before knowing for certain who she was. What lie was he worried they would catch? He had already said that he made a sign and that it was only after he witnessed that being fulfilled that he gave her the jewelry, so who cares that he asked only afterward which family she was from? Certainly they wouldn’t have thought he was lying about his saying that Avraham told him not to choose a girl from Cana’an because if so, Eliezer would have married Yitzchak to his own daughter?

13. Did Eliezer perform kiddushin with Rivkah on Yitzchak’s behalf? If yes, how? If no, then what was Avraham so concerned about that he made Eliezer swear?

14. (24:50) Did Lavan believe in G-d despite his idols? Why not attribute the even to mere coincidence?

15. (24:55) Rashi writes that the malach came and killed Besuel for trying to interfere and kill Eliezer. Why was Besuel trying to stop him? Did he not want his daughter to marry into the prestigious family of Avraham?

16. (25:7) Rashi explains the passuk that when Avraham was 100 he was like he was 70, and when he was 70 was like he was 5, similar to the explanation Rashi gives in the beginning of the parsha when the passuk writes Sarah’s age. Why does Rashi not offer an explanation along the same lines when the passuk mentions Yishmael’s death and age?

Parshas Lech Lecha - Parsha Stumpers

~ Something to Think About ~

פרשת לך-לך

Parsha Stumpers

By: Daniel Listhaus

1. The Gemara says that because Avraham turned the spoils of the war in this week's parsha from the king of sodom, he merited the mitzva if tzitzis. However, in parshas Noach, Rashi said that because Shem covered Noach with a garment, Hashem rewarded him that his children merit the mitzva of tzitzis. How can we answer this contradiction?

2. (12:13) Why did Avraham mention getting gifts before mentioning having his life spared?

3. (12:13) Why was Avraham willing to take the gifts of Mitzrayim sand not the gifts after winning the war between the 4 and 5 kings?

4. (13:5) Why did Avraham take Lot with him?

5. (14:10) Rashi writes that it was only after seeing miracles for themselves that the kings believed that Avraham was right. This is similar to Haran who also only listened to Avraham after seeing him survive from the furnace. So why was Haran killed in the fire? Why was more expected of Haran than of the kings?

6. (15:1) Rashi explains that Avraham was afraid that he had used up his reward in Olam Habbah as zechusim on Earth to be able to win the war. Hashem reassured Avraham, “Don’t worry…your reward is very great.” How did this reassure Avraham? Perhaps true that his reward was very great but maybe it was significantly less than it was? Was Avraham only concerned of losing all his Olam Habbah?

7. (15:5) Rashi writes that the changing of Avraham’s name changed his zodiac – however Rashi seems to imply that Avraham was still bound to astrological calculations (just not the same ones) even after the name change. Was he?

8. (15:6) The passuk says that Avraham trusted in Hashem, and that Hashem considered it as righteous of him. Shouldn't this have been expected of Avraham?

9. There are many examples throughout this week's parsha which demonstrate the importance of putting oneself with the right people and surroundings. What are some of these examples?

10. (16:4) If Avraham was able to have children, why did Hashem have to change his mazal?

11. (16:5) Rashi writes that Sarah accused Avraham of not davening for her earlier and for not saying anything despite hearing Hagar’s comments to Sarah. The only response that the Torah records to this was Avraham saying, ‘Hagar is your maidservant and you may do with her as you see fit.” Did Avraham in fact only daven for himself and not Sarah? Did he in fact stay silent and not back up his wife when Hagar made comments? If so, why?

12. (16:7) When Hagar ran away from Sarah, a malach came over and asked “Where have you come from...” Certainly the malach knew where Hagar had come from, and, as Rashi tells us, was only asking as a means to start a conversation. There are a couple of other places in the Torah where Hashem did a similar thing. When were these other times and how was each times' response different?

13. (16:8) The angel asked Hagar, “Where did you come from and where are you going?” Hagar answered, “I am running away from Sarah.” Where was she going?

14. (16:9) Rashi writes that every line of conversation was with another malach. Why a new angel to reply to each sentence?

15. (16:9) How could Hagar have received ruach hakodesh outside of Eretz Yisroel (between Kadeish and Barad – as the mishna in Gittin says)? Why did she merit seeing angels outside the house of Avraham?

16. (17:5) Rashi writes that Sarai’s name was changed to Sarah and that the letter “yud” complained and was added to Yehoshua’s name later. If letter’s need a place to go, where did the two “hey’s” – put into Avraham and Sarah’s names – come from?

17. (17:23)The passuk says that Avraham performed bris millah in the middle of the day. There are several other times in the Torah that this expression is used. When were these other times?

18. There are seven times in the Torah where it mentions a bracha to Hashem. One is in this week's parsha. Where is it in this week's parsha and where are the other six?

19. In this week's parsha Avram's name was changed to Avraham. The gemara in Berachos says that we could no longer refer to him as Avram. Where in davening everyday do we still call him Avram? And how can / why do we do so?

Parshas Noach - Parsha Stumpers

~ Something to Think About ~

פרשת נח

Parsha Stumpers

By: Daniel Listhaus

                                              A Riddle:

    סוף סוף ראשי     1.

  תחילת סוף סופי     

    ויבא נח...אל התבה      

            מי אני?ג    

2. (6:9) Where is there a remez in the beginning of the parsha that Noach was not involved in any of these three things?

3. (6:9) Rashi brings down an opinion that Noach was only great compared to those who lived in his generation, but had he lived in Avraham’s generation he wouldn’t have been anything remarkable. Why would we compare an individual to others? All that should matter was if Noach was righteous based on expectations of him alone, not based on what others are capable of?

4. (6:13) How could the dor ha'mabul be punished if there were no mitzvos yet? [Chizkuni]

5. (6:13) Rashi writes that because of the zenus of the generation, the gezairah (decree) was that all mankind – good and bad – were to die. Why should the good people be swept along with the bad?

6. (6:13) Rashi says that despite all the things that the dor ha'mabbul were doing, the gezairah was sealed because of robbery. Why robbery more than avodah zarrah or giluy arayos?

7. (6:14) Why did Hashem have Noach building the teivah specifically for 120 years and no more or less?

8. (6:14) According to Chizkuni that there was a miracle that the tar on the outside didn’t get burned, why couldn’t Hashem allow Noach’s teivah to be like Moshe’s with only tar on the outside and double-dip on the already necessary neis for either the outer tar not to get ruined in the hot water or for the protective layer of cold water whyich surrounded the teivah to separate it from the boiling water?

9. (6:17) Why did Hashem punish the world through means of a mabbul of water?

10. (6:18) Rashi emphasizes the two parts of the “bris” with Noach as a promise to keep the food from spoiling and to protect him from the people who would try to kill him.

a. Why was the promise only needed to ensure that the food stay good in the teivah?

b. Didn’t Hashem on His own want to stop the people who dared threaten Noach (as Rashi says in 7;17)?

11. (7:2) Even if Noach needed to bring Karbanos after surviving the mabbul, why were 7 pairs of each kosher animal necessary?

12. (7:4) Why does Rashi refer to the children of the adulterous unions at the time of the mabbul as “mamzeirim”? Isn’t that specifically if the parents are Jewish?

13. (7:7) Rashi both in 6:18 and 7:7 writes that it was forbidden to have marital relations in the teivah. However, Rashi in 7:7 adds that the reason for this was because the world was in a state of distress...

(a) Why does Rashi repeat himself?  (b) Why does Rashi in 7:7 add the reason? (c ) Why is this a valid reason? Clearly the people dying in the mabbul deserved it. Shouldn't it have been considered a “joyous” time for the world?

14. (7:12) Where do we see from this week's parsha that the day starts at night? Why is it that there is a concept of miktzas hayom k'kulo only if the night is part of the “miktzas”, yet if have even the full day without the preceding night, this concept is not applicable?

15. (7:17) The Torah uses the phrase בעצם היום הזה in this week's parsha as well as three other times in chumash in the same way. Where are these four times [Beraishis 7:17 ; Beraishis 17:37 ; Shemos 12:21 ; Devarim 32:48] and what is the connection between them?

16. (7:17-20 and 8:4) The teivah was submerged 11 amos and the water came above the highest mountains by 15 amos. It comes out that there was always a minimum of 4 amos between the bottom of the teivah and the ground. Why was this necessary? Do these 4 amos have a particular significance?

17. (7:23) Why did Og get Saved? How did he survive being outside of the teivah?

18. (7:23) Rashi writes that about Noach it is written (Mishlei 11:31), “Behold the righteous one is paid [punished] on earth” referring to the fact that he was bitten by the lion in the teivah. What was he punished for?

19. (8:7) Why did Noach send out the raven and the dove? Why not just trust that Hashem would tell him when to come out of the teivah?

20. (8:8) Why did Noach assume that if the dove found land that it wouldn’t return the teivah where its species was?

21. (8:10-11) The passukim describe that the second time Noach sent out the dove, it came back with an olive branch in its mouth. Rashi comments that the dove was trying to tell Noach the following: “Better let my food be bitter as an olive and provided by the hand of Hashem, and not sweet as honey but provided by the hand of man...” (a) The dove should have had hakaras hatov to Noach and his family. Why at the first opportunity does the dove say such a remark? (b ) The dove's statement makes absolutely no sense! The entire time Noach and the animals were in the teivah they experienced open miracles. The whole teivah was something which opposed teva. Wasn't it pretty apparent that Hashem was present every step of the way?

22. (8:14) Rashi writes that the world needed a complete solar year of destruction, yet Rashi said earlier (7:12 #2) that the first day didn’t count because it wasn’t a complete day without the night before. If so, how was there a complete year of destruction?

23. (8:21) Surely Hashem knew even before the mabbul that people are bad from youth. So, either way – if that’s not a reason to destroy the world then why did Hashem destroy it? And if it is a valid reason then why never again? What changed? Also, what is the connection between this “decision” and the fact that it seems to have been decided as a result of Hashem “smelling” the re’ach hane’choach of Noach’s offering?

24. (9:1) Why did Hashem need to give Noach a beracha that the animals would fear him? Wasn't this already built into the world from the sheishes y'mei beraishis?

25. (9:9) Why did Hashem approve of Noach’s necessity to demand a bris if Hashem had commanded him already to have children in 9:1?

26. (9:24) How did Noach know it was Cham who dishonored him?

27. (9:25) Did Noach do the right thing by cursing Cna'an?

28. (9:25-26) Why did Noach have to curse Cham’s children to be slaves to his brother, and also bless Shem that Cham be his slaves? Wouldn’t one of these be enough?

29. (11:1) One of the reasons Rashi gives as the reason behind why the dor haflaga began to build the tower is because they thought that the world was on a cycle that every 1656 years Hashem wold bring another flood, so they wanted to be prepared with supports for the skies. If so, why was Hashem so upset? Why not just let the people think this incorrectly as long as they aren't bothering anyone?

30. If the dor haflaga wanted to 'wage war' with Hashem, why did they buildמגדל  בבל  in a valley? They should have built it on top of a mountain!?

31. (11:28) Rashi brings down the story from the famous medrash how Haran (Avraham's brother) stood and observed the episode of Avraham being thrown into the fiery furnace. Haran decided that Avraham's fate would determine his own faith in Hashem. The medrash continues that indeed when Avraham emerged unscathed, Haran joined his side and was consequentially thrown into the fire – and burned to death. What did Haran do wrong? The Ramban at the end of Parshas Bo writes that Hashem does not perform miracles for every kofeir that decides not to believe in Hashem. This is why we have t he Torah and mitzvos which direct us to remember Yetziyas Mitzrayim and Kriyas Yam Suf as a forever certificate of Hashem's capabilities. Haran obviously lived before matan Torah and kriyas yam suf, so what was so bad with him wanting to see Hashem perform an open miracle first before fully believing in Hashem?