* PARSHA Q&A * In-Depth Questions on the Parsha and Rashi's commentary. Parshas Beshalach For the week ending 13 Shevat 5755 13 & 14 January 1995 =========================================================================== Parsha Questions 1. Why did Hashem direct the Jewish People away from the land of the Philistines? 2. Why did four-fifths of the Jewish People fail to leave Egypt? 3. Why did Pharaoh decide to pursue the Jewish People? 4. How was Hashem honored through Pharaoh? 5. On what day did the Yam Suf divide? 6. Why did the Egyptians want to pursue the Jewish People? 7. From where did the Egyptians obtain animals to pull the chariots? 8. In whose merit did the Yam Suf split? 9. When Moshe stretched out his hands to divide the Yam Suf, which waters divided? 10. Why were the dead Egyptians cast out of the sea? 11. From which verse do we see that the Egyptians merited a burial? 12. Why did "fear seize the inhabitants of Pelashes"? (15:14) 13. When did Miriam receive her prophesy? What was her prophesy? 14. Which sections of the Torah did the Jewish People receive at Marah? 15. What is a chok (statute)? 16. On which day did the food supply from Egypt run out? 17. Which individuals left over the manna until the next morning? 18. How did the non-Jewish world experience the taste of the manna? 19. Which prophet of a future generation rebuked the Jewish People by showing them jar of manna that was prepared by Moshe? 20. Why did Moshe's hands become heavy during the war against Amalek? Bonus QUESTION: When the Jewish People were trapped between the Egyptian army and the Yam Suf, Moshe prayed to Hashem for help. Hashem replied to Moshe that "Now is not the time to pray at length. The Jewish People are in danger" (Rashi 14:15). Why did Hashem find fault with Moshe's prayer? I Did Not Know That! When Moshe lifted his hands the Jewish People prevailed" (17:11). Could Moshe's hands win or lose the battle? Rather whenever the Jewish People looked toward Heaven and subjugated their hearts to Hashem, they would overcome their enemy. Rosh Hashanah 29a =========================================================================== Answers to this Week's Questions All references are to the verses and Rashi's commentary, unless otherwise stated 1. 13:17 - So that it would be more difficult for the Jewish People to return to Egypt. 2. 13:18 They died during the plague of darkness. (i.e., 3 million survived, 12 million didn't!). 3. 14:2 - When he saw that the Jewish People turned back toward Egypt, he thought that they had lost their way. 4. 14:4 - Through punishing him. When Hashem punishes the wicked His name is glorified. 5. 14:5 - The seventh day of Pesach. 6. 14:5 - To regain their wealth. 7. 14:7 - From those Egyptians who feared the word of Hashem and kept their animals inside during the plagues. 8. 14:15 - In the merit of the Jewish People's forefathers and also in their own merit since they trusted in Hashem and left Egypt. 9. 14:21 - All the waters of the world. 10. 14:30 - So that the Jewish People would see the destruction of the Egyptians and be assured of no further pursuit. 11. 15:12 - "The earth swallowed them." 12. 15:14 - Because they slew the members of the tribe of Efraim who had escaped from Egypt at an earlier time. They feared vengeance for this act. 13. 15:20 - In Egypt she foretold that her mother would give birth to the deliverer of the Jewish People. 14. 15:25 - Shabbos, Red Heifer, Judicial Laws. 15. 15:26 - A law whose reason we don't understand. 16. 16:1 - The 15th of Iyar. 17. 16:20 - Dasan and Aviram. 18. 16:21 - The sun melted what remained in the fields. This flowed into the streams from which animals drank. Those who ate these animals experienced the taste of the man. 19. 16:32 - Yirmiyahu (chapter 2, verse 31). 20. 17:12 - Because he was remiss in his duty, since he, and not Yehoshua, should have led the battle. Bonus ANSWER: Hashem's complaint against Moshe was that he prayed a long prayer. Since Hashem answers a prayer only after the prayer is concluded, Moshe was delaying the salvation of the Jewish People by praying at length. Gur Aryeh Moshe told the people to "Stand and watch" how Hashem will save them, and thought that no further action on their part was necessary. Hence, all that remined for him to do was to pray. Hashem told him, however, that the people needed to "take the first step." Rabbi S.R. Hisrsch =========================================================================== WHAT DO YOU DO WITH PARSHA Q&A? Test your kids? Test yourself? Look-up the answers or flip over the page? We'd like to know! Fax, E-mail or send via Post your responses -- we'll share them with all the Q&A readers! =========================================================================== This publication is available via FAX and REGULAR POST within Israel. 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