* PARSHA Q&A * In-Depth Questions on the Parsha with Rashi Parshas Beshalach For the week ending 10 Shevat 5754 22 & 23 January 1994 ========================================================================= Parsha Questions 1. What is the proper English translation of "Yam Suf"? 2. What word in 13:18 hints to what occurred to most of the Jewish People during the plague of darkness? (see also Rashi 10:22) 3. What did Pharaoh see that convinced him to pursue the Jewish People? 4. How was G-d honored through Pharaoh? 5. On which holiday do we read Shiras HaYam? Why? 6. What special functions did the Pillar of Cloud and Fire serve in the miracle of Krias Yam Suf? 7. Why did the sea eject the dead Egyptians? 8. Where does the Torah hint at resurrection of the dead? 9. How do we know that G-d revealed Himself to each individual Jew at Yam Suf? 10. Where do we learn that when one does a mitzvah he should do it in a beautiful way? 11. How were the Egyptians punished measure for measure at the Yam Suf? 12. How do we know that G-d buried the Egyptians? 13. Explain the reactions of the Philistines, the Edomites and Moabites to the miracle of Krias Yam Suf. 14. What was the "chok" and what the "mishpat" which Jews received at Marah? 15. In passuk 16:28, why did G-d also reprimand Moshe? 16. For how long did the manna fall? For how long did the Jewish People eat the manna? 17. Where do we see that the manna was given in the merit of Moshe? 18. What is the connection between 17:7 and 17:8? 19. Where does the Torah hint that not Moshe but Yehoshua would bring the Jewish People into Eretz Yisrael? Bonus Question Concerning Krias Yam Suf, the Torah states "The peoples heard and trembled..." (15:14). Rashi 14:21 says that when the sea divided, all the waters of the world divided. What lasting effect did this miracle have on the nations of the world? ========================================================================= Answers to Last Week's Questions - Parshas Bo Parsha Questions All references are to Rashi's commentary, unless otherwise stated. 1. 10:10 2. 12:13 - only inside their houses 3. 10:14,10:19 - since the Egyptians could have benefit from them, the West Wind drove them away 4. 10:22 - it lasted two periods of three days each rather than seven days 5. 12:2, 12:3, 12:6, 12:41 6. 11:4 7. 12:28 8. 12:2 - close to sunset, Rosh Chodesh Nissan 9. 12:3, 12:6 10. 12:7 - Mezuzos mean side posts. These are the upright posts on each side of the entrance. 13:6 - Tote means two in Katpi and Fos means two in Afriki. Totafos refers to the tefillin shel rosh which has four compartments. 11. 12:10 - The Korban Pesach must be eaten by daybreak of the first day of Pesach. What is left over must be burned after daybreak of the first day of Chol Hamoed. 12. 12:13 - Pesach: spare; spring over. 12:17 - Matzah: unleavened bread; mitzvah 13. 12:19 - Chametz refers to food that has become leavened; Se'or refers to something that causes food to become leavened. 14. 12:25 15. 12:30 16. 12:33 17. 12:41 - covenant between the parts, announcement of the birth of Yitzchak, birth of Yitzchak 18. 12:43-45 19. 12:39, 13:4 20. 13:8, 13:9, 13:14 21. 13:9 - the verses 13:1-10 and 13:11-16 are included in tefillin. 13:16 - the word "your hand", "yadcha" is written with an extra "H" (hey). This hints to "yad chiha" (weak hand). Bonus Question Rashi 10:22 points out that the Jews who died in the plague of darkness were evil Jews who "did not want to leave" Egypt. Dasan and Aviram were very poor (Rashi 4:14). In addition, they were continually dissatisfied with their surroundings. These two facts suggest that they were among those who were anxious to leave Egypt, and thus they did not die during the plague of darkness. We learn from the redemption of Dasan and Aviram that G-d will save even the worst rashaim (evildoers) provided that they themselves want to be redeemed. ========================================================================= Ohr Somayach Institutions is proud to present: THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH by Rabbi Dr. Dovid Gottlieb Transcribed by Joshua Hermelin Transcripts of 7 lectures by Rabbi Gottlieb o The Relevance of Religion o Religion: Pragmatism or Truth? o The Historical Verification of the Torah - Parts 1-5 Rabbi Dr. Gottlieb is a former professor of philosophy at Johns Hopkins University, is an internationally acclaimed lecturer and author of several books. He is presently a senior lecturer at Ohr Somayach Institutions in Jerusalem. These files are available on the Jerualem1 Gopher under the heading "Religion Institutions" and the sub-heading "Ohr Somayach" CompuServe users can also download these lectures from the CIS Religion Forum, Judaism Library (2), under the file name TRUTH.ZIP, or the file names TRUTH1.TXT through TRUTH8.TXT ========================================================================= Ohr Somayach produces three lists: weekly - summary of the parshas hashavua parasha-qa - questions and answers to the parshas hashavua ask - Ask the Rabbi Column To subscribe to any of these lists, send the message: subscribe {listname} {firstname} {lastname} to: listproc@jer1.co.il To unsubscribe, send the same message, but with the word "unsubscribe" This address is only for SUBSCRIPTIONS. If you have any comments, questions and suggestions, we'd love to hear them. 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