* PARSHA Q&A *
                In-Depth Questions on the Parsha w/Rashi
                             * CHAYEI SARA *
                  
           
                             * RASHI REVIEW *

 1.  What does Rashi mean when he attributes Sarah's death to the 
     fact that he was "almost NOT slaughtered"?
 2.  How do we know that Ephron got the maximum from the transaction?
 3.  Why is Eliezer's oath taken under the thigh of Avraham?
 4.  What was different about Avraham's camels?
 5.  How do we know that Rivka came from an idolatrous household?
 6.  How do we know that Eliezer had a daughter?
 7.  From where do we know the importance of the Patriarch's servants?
 8.  Find a source for giving thanks upon hearing good news.
 9.  What is the reason for a 12 month engagement period?


                          * GENERAL QUESTIONS *
* These questions are answered by many commentaries. All are encouraged to
  submit answers w/sources. A selection of the best answers may be posted.

 1.  Why does the Chumash discuss at length the purchase of Sarah's  
     gravesite?
 2.  Why does Avraham insist on paying for the gravesite?
 3.  Why the emphasis on the exact location of the gravesite?
 4.  Why doesn't Yitzchak pick his own wife?
 5.  Why is Eliezer forbidden from taking a Canaanite woman for Yitzchak?
 6.  Why does Avraham forbid Yitzchak from leaving Canaan?
 7.  What was so significant about Eliezer's criteria for the right wife?
 8.  Why did Eliezer give Rivka gifts before knowing her origins?
 9.  Why did Eliezer repeat the whole story to Laban?
10.  What changes in the story did Eliezer make?  Why?
11.  Why is Avraham referred to as a man "full of years"?
                                                  

                           * BONUS QUESTION *

The Torah says : "Hashem blessed Avraham `bakol' (with everything)".
The Gemara (Baba Basra 16b) lists several opinions as to what the word
`bakol' comes to include. R.Yehuda says that `bakol' hints that Avraham  
and Sarah were blessed with a daughter. Since they had without exception
everything a person could desire, this would also include a daughter.    
Another opinion states that they had a daughter and her name was `bakol'. 
R.Meir states that `bakol' means that they had no daughter. Since it is a
very important mitzvah to be fruitful and multiply, and that we hold like
Beit Hillel who say to fulfill this mitzvah one must have both a son and
a daughter, and considering that in the Torah world all children are
desirable, how are we to understand R.Meir's opinion?
                                      

                            A Service of:                
     The Jewish Learning Exchange/JLE, Ohr Somayach/Tanenbaum College