Parsha Q&A - Parshat Lech Lecha

Parshat Lech Lecha

For the week ending 13 Cheshvan 5760; 22 & 23 October 1999

Contents:

Parsha Questions

Kasha

I Did Not Know That!

This issue is sponsored in merit of the complete recovery of
Yael Beracha bat Sarah Rayze

Parsha Questions

Answers | Contents

What benefits did Hashem promise Avraham if he would leave his home?
"And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you." What does this mean?
Who were the souls that Avraham and Sarah "made?"
What were the Canaanites doing in the Land of Canaan when Avraham arrived?
Why did Avraham build an altar at Ai?
What two results did Avraham hope to achieve by saying that Sarah was his sister?
Why did Avraham's shepherds rebuke Lot's shepherds?
Who was Amrafel and why was he called that?
Verse 14:7 states that the four kings "smote all the country of the Amalekites." How is this possible, since Amalek had not yet been born?
Why did the "palit" tell Avraham of Lot's capture?
Who accompanied Avraham in battle against the four kings?
Why couldn't Avraham chase the four kings past Dan?
Why did Avraham give "ma'aser" specifically to Malki-Tzedek?
Why didn't Avraham accept any money from Sodom's king?
When did the decree of 400 years of exile begin?
What did Hashem indicate with His promise that Avraham would "come to his ancestors in peace?"
How did Hashem fulfill His promise that Avraham would be buried in "a good old age?"
Why did the Jewish People need to wait until the fourth generation until they returned to Eretz Canaan?
Who was Hagar's father?
Why did Avraham fall on his face when Hashem appeared to him?

Kasha

(kasha means "question")

How would you answer this question on the Parsha?

Avraham didn't accept any money from The King of Sodom, not wanting the king of Sodom to say "I made Avraham rich." Why then was he willing to take presents from Pharaoh, King of Mitzrayim?

Answer:

If Avraham had refused the gifts offered for Sarah, he may have aroused Pharaoh's suspicion that he was indeed her husband, and spoiled the charade.

(Abarbanel)

Or: Avraham suspected that the King of S'dom would publicize the fact that he enriched Avraham. Pharaoh, on the other hand, wouldn't brag about his gifts to Avraham. Since they were given under embarrassing circumstances, Pharaoh would avoid mentioning them in order to avoid drawing attention to the incident.

(Heard from Rabbi Michael Bachar)

I Did Not Know That!

"And you will call his name Yitzchak… (17:19)"

Avraham's name was changed from Avram (Bereishet 17:5), and Yaakov's name was changed to Yisrael (Bereishet 32:29). Why was Yitzchak's name never changed? Because Avraham and Yaakov received their names from their parents, while Yitzchak received his name from Hashem.

(Jerusalem Talmud - Berachot 1:6)

Answers to this Week's Questions

Questions | Contents

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

What benefits did Hashem promise Avraham if he would leave his home?
12:1 - He would become a great nation, his excellence would become known to the world, and he would be blessed with wealth.
"And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you." What does this mean?
12:3 - A person will say to his child, "You should be like Avraham."
Who were the souls that Avraham and Sarah "made?"
12:5 - People they converted to the worship of Hashem.
What were the Canaanites doing in the Land of Canaan when Avraham arrived?
12:6 - They were in the process of conquering the land from the descendants of Shem.
Why did Avraham build an altar at Ai?
12:8 - He foresaw the Jewish People's defeat there in the days of Yehoshua due to Achan's sin. He built an altar to pray for them.
What two results did Avraham hope to achieve by saying that Sarah was his sister?
12:13 - That the Egyptians would not kill him, and would give him presents.
Why did Avraham's shepherds rebuke Lot's shepherds?
13:7 - Lot's shepherds grazed their flocks in privately owned fields.
Who was Amrafel and why was he called that?
14:1 - Amrafel was Nimrod. He said (amar) to Avraham to fall (fel) into the fiery furnace.
Verse 14:7 states that the four kings "smote all the country of the Amalekites." How is this possible, since Amalek had not yet been born?
14:7 - The Torah uses the name that the place would bear in the future.
Why did the "palit" tell Avraham of Lot's capture?
14:13- He wanted Avraham to die trying to save Lot so that he himself could marry Sarah.
Who accompanied Avraham in battle against the four kings?
14:14 - His servant, Eliezer.
Why couldn't Avraham chase the four kings past Dan?
4:14 - He saw prophetically that his descendants would make a golden calf there, and as a result his strength failed.
Why did Avraham give "ma'aser" specifically to Malki-Tzedek?
14:20 - Because Malki-Tzedek was a kohen.
Why didn't Avraham accept any money from Sodom's king?
14:23 - Hashem had promised Avraham wealth, and Avraham didn't want Sodom's King to say, "I made Avraham wealthy."
When did the decree of 400 years of exile begin?
15:13 - With the birth of Yitzchak.
What did Hashem indicate with His promise that Avraham would "come to his ancestors in peace?"
15:15 - That his father, Terach, would repent and become righteous.
How did Hashem fulfill His promise that Avraham would be buried in "a good old age?"
15:15 - Avraham lived to see his son Yishmael repent and become righteous, and he died before his grandson Esav became wicked.
Why did the Jewish People need to wait until the fourth generation until they returned to Eretz Canaan?
15:16 - They needed to wait until the Amorites had sinned sufficiently to deserve expulsion.
Who was Hagar's father?
16:1 - Pharaoh.
Why did Avraham fall on his face when Hashem appeared to him?
17:3 - Because he was as yet uncircumcised.

Written and Compiled by Rabbi Eliyahu Kane & Rabbi Reuven Subar
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Eli Ballon

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Parshat Lech Lecha

This issue is sponsored in merit of the complete recovery of Yael Beracha bat Sarah Rayze

Parsha Questions

Kasha

(kasha means "question")

I Did Not Know That!

Recommended Reading List

Answers to this Week's Questions

This issue is sponsored in merit of the complete recovery of
Yael Beracha bat Sarah Rayze