Parsha Stumpers - Something to Think About: Parshas Vayeitzei

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ויצא פרשת

Parsha Stumpers

By: Daniel Listhaus

Three types of people are called “dead” even while they are alive. All three appear in this week's parsha and Rashi. What are they and where do they come up in the parsha?

(28:11) What is the significance of naming a city? Who is allowed to name a city?

(28:11) Rashi comments that the stones were all fighting which would be the one to have Yaakov’s head rest on. Since when do rocks fight?

(28:12) Rashi writes that the angels first ascended the ladder before the others descended. Shouldn’t it have been the opposite in order for Yaakov not to be left alone even for a moment without “protection”?

(28:13) Rashi writes that Hashem attached His Name to Yitzchak because Yitzchak was 1. blind and 2. confined to his house - and therefore as if he was dead. Why does Rashi add in that Yitzchak was “confined to his house”?

(28:15) Rashi writes that Hashem needed to reassure Yaakov that everything would be okay. Why did Yaakov need the reassurance? Did he not know on his own that Hashem was with him?

(29:11) Rashi writes that instead of killing Yaakov as his father, Eisav, commanded, Eliphaz robbed him of everything he had. If Eliphaz really came to kill Yaakov, what convinced him to go along with Yaakov’s plan to just rob him instead? And if he knew he could not kill Yaakov, why did he bother trying? Even if Eisav would have killed him for not listening, certainly murder is one of the cardinal three sins which is yaharog v’al ya’avor (better be killed than transgress) and Eliphaz should have given up his own life. So how could we understand this strange event?

(29:11) Rashi writes that Yaakov cried because he foresaw through ruach hakodesh that he would not be buried with Rachel. Why was Yaakov shown this through ruach hakodesh at this point as soon as he met her?

(29:12) Rashi comments that if Yaakov said, “If Lavan chooses to be deceitful than I too am deceitful, but if Lavan comes as a decent person than I am also the son of Rivkah his decent sister.” a. Why was Yaakov deceitful in his own right an only decent for being the son of Rivkah? b. Where did Yaakov pick up this “talent” of trickery that he was confident he could outwit Lavan?

(29:25) Yaakov and Leah’s marriage was certainly one of ta’us (mistake) on Yaakov’s side, so why was the marriage valid?

(29:35) Why did Leah only name her fourth son Yehuda? Was she not thankful for the first three?

(30:15) Rashi writes that because Rachel gave up her time with Yaakov in exchange for a few flowers, she did not merit to be buried with him. Wasn’t the reason she wasn’t buried with Yaakov because of Yaakov’s curse later in the parsha on the one who stole the avodah zarrah from Lavan?

(30:23) Rashi writes that when Rachel thanked Hashem for sending her a son which saved her from disgrace, she had one of two things in mind. Either that she was thankful that the rumors that Yaakov would divorce her and she would have to marry Eisav would stop; or that now she had a kid to blame things on. How could we understand these seemingly selfish thoughts at such a time from such a tzadekes?

(30:24) As the passuk continues, Rachel named her son Yosef with a tefillah that Hashem add to her another son. How could we understand this? Rachel finally gave birth to a son and instead of stopping and being thankful she davens that Hashem grant her another one?

Where do you see in this week's parsha that “stealing” could be said in reference even to intangible things?

There are two times other then the episode with the shepherds by the well that Yaakov seems to go on a rant, so to speak, and “lose his cool”. What is the connection between these three times? [See D’var Torah: Truth Be Told]

(31:18) Why does the Torah feel it necessary to tell us what Yaakov spent his money on?

(31:24) How could Lavan continue going to Yaakov after Hashem told him explicitly not to? Who else in the Torah did a similar thing?

(31:32) Why did Yaakov curse the one who took Lavan's idols? [See D’var Torah: Truth Be Told]

(31:39) Rashi tells us that Yakkov told Lavan that he was very careful when watching his sheep and whether things were stolen during the day or night, Yaakov paid for it all. What would have been the hava amina to differentiate between things stolen during the day and things stolen at night?

(31:47) What was the difference between the way Lavan and Yaakov each named the גל?

Parsha Stumpers - Something to Think About