Parsha Q&A - Miketz

Parshas Miketz

For the week ending 28 Kislev 5758; 26 & 27 December 1997

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Parsha Questions

Bonus Question

I Did Not Know That!

Parsha Questions

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How did Pharaoh's recollection of his dream differ from Nevuchadnetzar's recollection of his dream?
Who told Pharaoh about Yosef? How did he know Yosef?
What was significant about the fact that Pharaoh dreamed repeatedly?
Pharaoh gave Yosef the name "Tsofnas Panayach." What did that name mean?
What happened to the Egyptians' grain that was stored in anticipation of the famine?
What did Yosef require the Egyptians to do before he would sell them grain?
Did Yaakov and his family still have food when he sent his sons to Egypt? If yes, why did he send them?
What prophetic significance lay in Yaakov's choice of the word "redu" - "descend" (and not "lechu" - "go") - when telling his sons to go to Egypt?
Why does the verse say "Yosef's brothers" went down to Egypt (and not "Yaakov's sons")?
When did Yosef know that his dreams were being fulfilled?
Under what pretext did Yosef accuse his brothers of being spies?
Why did the brothers enter the city through different gates?
Who was the interpreter between Yosef and his brothers?
Why did Yosef specifically choose Shimon to put in prison?
What was Yaakov implying when he said to his sons: "I am the one whom you bereaved?"
How did Reuven try to persuade Yaakov to send Binyamin to Egypt?
When did Yehuda approach Yaakov about bringing Binyamin to Egypt?
How much more money did the brothers bring on their second journey than they brought on the first journey? Why?
What was special about Yosef and his brothers drinking wine together?
When the brothers were accused of stealing Yosef's silver goblet, they refuted the claim with the logical principle known as kal v'chomer. What did they say?

Answer Contents	When the Egyptians came to Yosef to buy food, he told them that they must first circumcise themselves. Why?

Pharaoh gave Yosef Potiphar's daughter Osnas as a wife. Actually, Osnas was not Potiphar's daughter by birth but had been adopted by him. Osnas was Dina's daughter from Shechem, who ran away due to her disreputable birth. Before she left, Yaakov tied an inscription around her neck stating: "Whoever marries this girl marries someone from Yaakov's family."

(Maseches Sofrim)

Answers to this Week's Questions

Questions | Contents

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

41:8 - Pharaoh remembered the contents of his dream but didn't know its meaning. Nevuchadnetzar forgot even the contents of his dream.
41:9-13 - The wine steward. He remembered Yosef from the dream he had while in prison.
41:32 - It showed that the seven good years would start immediately.
41:45 - He who explains things that are hidden and obscure.
41:55 - It rotted.
41:55 - Become circumcised.
42:1 - Yes, but he sent them because he did not want to cause envy in the eyes of those who did not have food.
42:2 - It hinted to the 210 years that the Jewish people would be in Egypt: The word "redu" has the numerical value of 210.
42:3 - Because they regretted selling Yosef and planned to act as brothers by trying to find him and ransom him at any cost.
42:9 - When his brothers bowed to him.
42:12 - They entered the city through ten different gates rather than through one gate.
42:13 - To search for Yosef throughout the city.
42:23 - His son Menashe.
42:24 - Because he was the one who cast Yosef into the pit, and he was the one who said, "Here comes the dreamer." Alternatively, to separate him from Levi, because together they posed a danger to Yosef.
42:36 - That he suspected them of having slain or sold Shimon, and that they may have done the same to Yosef.
142:37 - Reuven said: "You can kill my two sons if I fail to bring Binyamin back to you."
43:2 - When the grain they had purchased in Egypt was finished.
43:12 - Three times as much. This enabled them to repay the money they found in their sacks and to buy more food, even in the event that the price of food had doubled.
43:34 - It was the first time that Yosef or his brothers had drunk wine since Yosef's sale.
44:8 - They said "Look, we returned the money we found in our sacks; therefore, how can it be that we would actually steal from you."

Question
Contents

All of Yosef's actions were in preparation for the Egyptian exile. Yosef feared that his descendants in exile might abandon the mitzvah of bris milah in order to assimilate among the Egyptians. He therefore told the Egyptians to circumcise themselves in order to ensure that the Jews in exile would not be ashamed of their circumcision and would continue to fulfill the mitzvah.

(Ein Yaakov)

Written and Compiled by Rabbi Eliyahu Kane & Rabbi Reuven Subar
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Lev Seltzer
HTML Design: Eli Ballon
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Parshas Miketz

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