Parshas Vayishlach - Parsha Stumpers/Something to Think About

פרשת וישלח

Parsha Stumpers/Something to Think About

1. Many know the famous Rashi in our parsha which says “with Lavan I have sojourned...and yet I have kept the 613 mitzvos”. However, many do not realize that that is the second explanation Rashi gives. The first is, “I did not become a dignitary or a notable, but rather a mere sojourner. It therefore does not befit you (Eisav) to hate me over the blessings of your father who blessed me, 'Be a lord to your brothers', for it has not yet been fulfilled in me.” Aren't these two explanations in a couple of ways contradictory to each other?

2. The passuk says (32:8), “And Yaakov became very frightened, and it distressed him....” Why was Yaakov afraid? Certainly a yarei shamayim like Yaakov avinu had complete bitachon in Hashem that his encounter with Eisav would be fine. After all, Hashem had promised to be with Yaakov. So, why was Yaakov afraid?

3. What is the difference between the way that Yaakov prepared to go to battle with Eisav and with the malach of Eisav? Why the differences?

4. Rashi explains that from the fact that Yaakov went back to retrieve the pachim k'tanim we see that tzadikkim stay away from stealing. What does going back for pachim k'tanim have to do with stopping from stealing?

5. Yaakov told the malach of Eisav to bless him, and in return the malach asked, “What is your name?” How was this a valid response to the question?

6. The Gemara in Berachos says that after Avraham and Sarah's names were changed, it is assur to call them by their original names. What is different about the name changing of Avraham and Sarah and the name change of Yaakov to Yisroel?

7. The Torah tells us that Yaakov heard what had happened to Dinah, but kept quiet until his children came back from the field. Why?

8. Despite the fact that now-a-days people name kids after deceased relatives all the time, it is pretty rare that you find names repeated in Torah. Why is that? And what are a few names in these week's parsha which are repeated elsewhere in Tanach?

9. Rashi again in this week's parsha says, “I do not know what this is coming to teach us”. Why does Rashi bother telling us that he doesn't know? Just write nothing!

Parshas Vayeitzei

פרשת ויצא

Parsha Stumpers / Something to Thing About

1. Where is there a ראיה in this week's parsha that one should wear a shtreimel?

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

3. How could Yaakov avinu come into a foreign land and start bossing around the shepherds and telling them that, as Rashi writes, “If you are hired workers, you have not yet completed the day's work. And if the animals are yours, there is still time in the day...”?

4. Eliphaz was sent by Eisav to kill Yaakov.

a. Why is this included in kibud av?

b. What did Yaakov do to get out of the situation?

c. Why did this satisfy Eliphaz?

5. 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?

6. Who named the shevatim?

7. Why did Leah only name her fourth son Yehuda? Was she not thankful for the first three?

8. Why did Yaakov curse the one who took Lavan's idols?

9. What is the significance of eating in this week's parsha? (continuing the theme from last week)

10. Where do you see in this week's parsha that “stealing” could be said in reference to intangible things which “can't be paid back”?

11. What was the difference between the way Lavan and Yaakov each named the גל?

Parshas Toldos

פרשת תולדות

Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

1. Rashi (25:20) writes that the Torah praised Rivkah that despite being a daughter of a wicked person, and the sister of a wicked person, still she did not learn from their deeds and instead was righteous. Yet, Rashi (25:21) comments that Hashem only answered the tefillos of Yitzchak – because the prayer of a tzadik ben rasha (a righteous person who is the son of a wicked person) is not comparable to a tzadik ben tzadik (a righteous person who is the son of a righteous person). Why is this so? Shouldn't the tefillos of someone who, despite their background, is a tzadik, be more dear to Hashem than someone who simply “grew up that way”?

2. The Torah relates that Eisav said to Yaakov, “Pour into me , now, some of that very red stuff for I am exhausted”. Did Eisav not know what the food was called that he had to say “that red stuff”?

3. What is the significance of eating in this week's parsha?

4. Hashem promises again in this week's parsha (26:4) that B'nei Yisroel will increase as many as the stars. Now with the help of science we indeed know that there are billions of stars across the galaxies, etc. However, the Torah generally speaks in the lashon of people and in the way we perceive things from earth. Looking up on even the most starry night in the clearest sky, one could still put a relatively low estimate on the number of stars that the eye could see – whether it be 100,000 or perhaps a million or two million, the promise comparing us to the stars seems different in nature from the comparison to the sand – where even the amount of grains in a single sandbox seems infinite. How could we understand the promise of us being like the stars?

5. In Toldos 26:5, Hashem tells Yitzchak that Avraham kept “My safeguards, My commandments, My edicts, and My Torahs”. Rashi explains them, respectively, as follows: “Rabbinic decrees, common-sense mitzvos, decrees, and Torah shel baal peh” Why is this the order that the Torah lists them in? Shouldn't the order be: mishpatim, chukim, torah shel baal peh, and then the rabbinic decrees?

6. Why was Yaakov suddenly worried that he was going to die in פרק כז : פסוק ז ?

7. What was special about Eisav's garment? Where did he get it from? Why wasn't he wearing it?
8. The Torah tells us that Yitzchakl became visually impaired. Rashi offers three possible causes of/reasons for this. The first is that he was affected by the smoke of avodah zarrah incense of Eisav's wives. If so, why wasn't Rivkah affected in the same way?

9. In פרק כז : פסוק יט Yaakov tells Yitzchak, “ אנכי עשו בכורך". How could he say this, isn't it lying? And even according to Rashi that Yaakov stuck in punctuation to make it truthful, still wasn't Yaakov really the bechor – he bought it from Eisav?

10. In פרק כח : פסוק ה Rashi writes, “I do not know what it teaches us”. Why does Rashi tell us this? Just say nothing?

11. There are four times throughout the parsha (in Rashi) where the Beis Medrash of Shem and Aver is mentioned. Two of these times it is refereed to as “Shem and Aver”. Another time, though, it is referred to only as “Shem”, whereas another time only by “Aver.” Why the differences?

Parshas Noach - Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

פרשת נח

Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

1. A Riddle:

סוף סוף ראשי .

תחילת סוף סופי

ויבא נח...אל התבה

מי אני?ג

2. Where do we see from this week's parsha that the day starts at night?

2. Rashi (6:13) 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?

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

2. Rashi both in 6:18 and 7:7 writes that it ws 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?

2. 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 and what is the connection between them?

2. Why did Hashem punish through means of a mabbul of water?

2. There is a machlokes when the mabbul started. The same machlokes exists regarding the creation of the world. What is this machlokes and what is the connection?

2. The passukim (Noach 8:10-11) 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. Was it really Noach who fed and took care of the dove for the year in the teivah, or was it pretty apparent that Hashem was present every step of the way?

2. Why did Hashem (9:1) 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?

2. How did Noach know it was Cham who dishonored him?

2. One of the reasons Rashi (11:1) 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. They therefore wanted to be prepared with supports for the skies. According to this why was Hashem so upset? Why not just let the people think this incorrectly and waste their own time as long as they are not bothering anyone?

2. 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!?

Parshas Vayeilech - Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

פרשת וילך

Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

1. “Vayeilech Moshe...” Where did Moshe go?

2. The S'forno (31:1) and others explain that Moshe said to B'nei Yisroel, “ I am old 
   
   
   and no longer able to go and come back...and even if I was able to, still Hashem 
   
   
   
   
   said to me that I anyway cannot enter into Eretz Yisroel.” What was the point of 
   
   
   
   
   the first half of Moshe's statement? Let him just say that Hashem said he cannot 
   
   
   
   
   enter Eretz Yisroel?
   
   
   
   
3. What is significant about dying on the same day one is born?

4. There are many differences between what Hashem told Yeshoshua and what
   
   
    Moshe told Yehoshua. What are these differences? And why the differences?

5. Rashi (31:12) says that the men come to hakhel to learn, the women to hear, and 
   
   
   the children to give reward to those who brought them. What does this mean?

6. Rashi (31:29), in an answer to a question of his, writes that a rebbe considers his 
   
   
   
   
   talmid like himself. If so, how did Rashi answer his question? If Yehoshua was 
   
   
   
   
   considered to Moshe like Moshe himself, then it should follow that Yehoshua's 
   
   
   
   
   talmid was viewed by Yehoshua as Yehoshua himself. The “chain rule” should then 
   
   
   
   
   say that Moshe would consider even his talmid's talmid's talmid's talmid..... as 
   
   
   
   
   himself. If so, how did Rashi answer his question?
   
   
   
   

7. [For those who didn't read the d'var Torah:] The Gemara Sanhedrin brings a 
   
   
   proof from our parsha for techiyas hamaysim. What is it?
   
   
   
   
8. In the Haftorah for Shabbos Shuva we read, “Shuva Yisroel ad Hashem 
   
   
   elo'kecha” (Repent, Yisroel, until Hashem your G-d). The choice of word to say “ad 
   
   
   
   
   Hashem” instead of “l'Hashem” (to Hashem) seems a bit strange. What is hinted 
   
   
   
   
   to in the passuk by writing it this way?
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. The passuk (31:14) says “hein karvo yame'cha lamus”. The simple way to 
   
   
   understand the passuk is “Behold, your days are drawing near to die...” However, 
   
   
   
   
   as a remez, the word “hein” – represented by the letters hey and nun – could also
   
   
   
   
   actually refer to Moshe rabbeinu. How is this?

Parshas Nitzavim & Rosh Hashanah - Parsha and Rosh Hashnah Stumpers and Something to Think About...

פרשת נצבים

&

ראש השנה

Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About...

1. At the end of parshas Nitzavim, Hashem tells us: הַחַיִּים וְהַמָּוֶת נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ, הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה; וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים--לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה, אַתָּה וְזַרְעֶךָ - “I have placed life and death before you, blessing and curse; and you shall choose life....”

A few questions should immediately come to mind:

a. Chazal teach us that a “nesinah” (a “giving”) is shaveh perutah (value of a perutah coin). In order for there to be two equal things that Hashem is giving before us, it must therefore be that they are both “valuable” (at least in our eyes). Last time I checked, though, Death's & Cursing's popularity was quite down. How could we understand that it is a “nesinah”?

b. Also, if this is our big choice of bechirah, isn't it a bit unfair to word the choice as a choice between life and blessing versus death and curse? It seems pretty obvious which one to choose. Shouldn't a real bechirah be between two equal options?

c. Being that the choice seems so obvious and clear, why is Hashem telling us which one to choose, as He says, “and you shall choose life”? And if it is not so obvious, why is He 'cheating' – so to speak?

2. Rashi (30:19) writes that “Hashem tells us to look at the sun, which obeys Hashem command perfectly – it rises and sets every day at the right time, even though it will not receive any reward for doing so. Therefore, certainly we who will get reward for listening to Hashem should do so...” How cold we understand this Rashi? There is a very simple pircha with this kal v'chomer that the sun is an inanimate object with no ability to think or decide, nor does it have any nesyonos to stop it. So how could it be so obvious that we should be expected to obey Hashem as well as the sun?

3. We know that a person's parnasah is fixed on Rosh Hashanah. Which three expenses are not included in this equation?

3. Why is it that two days of Rosh Hashanah are kept even in Eretz Yisroel, whereas other yomim tovim are celebrated there for only one day?
   
4. At the end of every slichos in the Tefillah of Mi She'anah we say, “Mi she'anah l'avraham avinu b'har ha'moriyah hu ya'a'nei'nu” - "He Who answered Avraham our father on Har HaMoriyah, may He answer us.” What, though, was Avraham's tefillah on Har HaMoriah?

3. Why are we allowed to eat honey? Usually, if an animal/creature is not kosher, then its products are not either kosher. A bee is not kosher, so why is its' honey?

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?