1. How many years did Yaakov live?
2. Why didn't Yaakov want to be buried in Egypt?
3. Why was it Divinely decreed that Rachel be buried in the vicinity of Bethlehem?
4. Initially, why was Yisrael unable to bless Ephraim and Menashe?
5. Name one great descendant of:
   a) Ephraim; b) Menashe.
6. According to the Parsha, how will the Jewish People bless their sons?
7. What burial ground did Yaakov give to Yosef?
8. In what way did Yosef have the status of bechor (first-born)?
9. How did Yehuda react when Yaakov was about to bless him?
10. Which tribe is compared to a lion?
11. How did the tribe of Zevulun use the profits of its commerce?
12. Which member of the tribe of Dan took vengeance against the Philistines?
13. Which tribe had numerous olive trees in its territory?
14. Which tribe is compared to a deer?
15. Which members of Binyamin "will divide the spoils in the evening (49:27)"?
16. Why did the Egyptians mourn the death of Yaakov?
17. From whom did Yaakov buy his burial place?
18. Which dignitaries paid their respect during the burial procession of Yaakov?
19. Which of Yaakov's grandsons carried his coffin?
20. What did Yosef make his brothers swear to him before he died?

Answer Contents	In verse 48:5 Yaakov showed greater honor to Ephraim than to his older brother Menashe and Yosef didn't protest. So, why did Yosef protest later when Yaakov's blessing favored Ephraim over Menashe in 48:18?

The names Ephraim and Menashe have the same gematria (numerical equivalent) as Reuven and Shimon. This teaches that they have equal status regarding the division of Eretz Yisrael.
Baal HaTurim

Ramban

47:28

Egypt and Rome

47:31

Necessity for the Oath

48:1

The Division of Eretz Yisrael

48:7

Rachel's Tomb

48:15

(first part) Yosef's other children

49:10

(first part) Kings of Israel

49:17

Shimshon

49:31

Burial in the Ma'aras HaMachpelah

49:33

The Death of Yaakov

Sforno

47:31

Yosef's Oath

48:18

The Laying of Hands

49:7

The Humility of Dispersion

49:11

Signs of Mashiach

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Answers to this Week's Questions

Questions | Contents

All references are to the verses and Rashi's commentary, unless otherwise stated

1. 47:28 - 147.
2. 47:29 - For 3 reasons: a) its ground will be plagued in the future with lice; b) at the time of the resurrection those buried outside of Eretz Yisrael will have a special suffering; c) so that the Egyptians shouldn't make him into an idol.
3. 48:7 - So that in the future when Nevuzaradan would take the Jewish captives into Babylon, they would pass by Rachel's tomb and she would pray for their redemption.
4. 48:8 - The Shechina departed from him.
5. 48:19 - a) Yehoshua. b) Gideon.
6. "Yesimcha Elokim k'Ephraim v'ch'Menashe" - May Hashem help you to be like Ephraim and like Menashe.
7. 48:22 - Shechem.
8. 48:22 - His descendants received two portions in the Land when it was divided.
9. 49:8 - He started backing away, for he was afraid that Yaakov would admonish him just as Yaakov had admonished his three older brothers - Reuven, Shimon and Levi.
10. 49:9 - Yehuda.
11. 49:13 - They provided for the needs of the tribe of Yissachar so that Yissachar could learn Torah.
12. 49:16 - Shimshon.
13. 49:20 - Asher.
14. 49:21 - Naftali.
15. 49:27 - Mordechai and Esther.
16. 50:3 - Because he had brought blessing to Egypt and the famine ended.
17. 50:5 - From Esav.
18. 50:10 - All the kings of Canaan and all the princes of Yishmael.
19. 50:13 - Menashe and Ephraim.
20. 50:25 - That they will bring his bones to Eretz Yisrael.

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Question Contents	The honor originally shown to Ephraim was due to him as the greater Torah scholar. But the blessing was due mainly to the firstborn - hence Yosef's protest. Gur Aryeh

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Written and Compiled by Rabbi Eliyahu Kane
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Lev Seltzer
HTML Design: Michael Treblow

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