Answers to this Week’s Riddles
(For the riddles, please see back page)
- Although most people will answer that kangaroos, along with other animals, were created on the sixth day (Bereishis 1:24-25), the Ichud B’chidud (5777) points out that Rashi writes (1:14) that the celestial lights were formed on the first day, and on the fourth day Hashem commanded them to take their places in the heavens. Rashi adds that similarly, all products of the heavens and the earth – including animals – were made on the first day and were subsequently placed in the world on the day designated for each. Accordingly, kangaroos were created on the first day. (R’ Ozer Alport)
- The Shu”t Halachos Ketanos (1:223) actually asks this question and he answers: To make it harder for one to do an aveirah. If one could fly, he would quickly do any aveirah that popped into his mind and it would be too late to retract, however, now that we must walk it takes time, and before one gets there, one has time to retract from his sinful thoughts. Additionally, by not having wings we get more reward for doing mitzvos. If we could fly, we would quickly do a mitzvah, and that would be it. Now that we must walk, we get reward for every single step (sechar pesiyos). In the future, however, Hakodosh Boruch Hu will make wings for the tzadikim, and they will be able to fly (see Sanhedrin 92b).
- These questions have bothered me for a long time, and I don’t really have a satisfactory answer, however, at least this year I saw that the Otzer Pelois HaTorah brings that the Rit Elgazi asks these two questions.
- The Sefer Daf Al HaDaf (Chullin 139b) brings an interesting answer from Dayan Pozen of London: It’s true Adam was onus, however, he enjoyed what he was forced to eat, and wasn’t overly upset about it. On the contrary, he was very excited about it, and for that reason he was punished. Based on this, we can understand the Gemara in Chullin (139b) which says:המן מן התורה מנין שנאמר המן העץ – “Where is there a hint to Haman in the Torah? As it says in the pasuk “from the tree”. Klal Yisroel were punished for “benefiting from the seudah of Achasveirosh”. Why don’t Chazal say Klal Yisroel were punished because they ate from the seudah, why do they say “benefited”? The answer is: For the actual eating they had no choice as they were forced to, however, they didn’t have to enjoy it, the fact that they enjoyed it, is where they went wrong. With this we can understand the Gemara and the connection between Haman and Adam eating from the Eitz HaDa’as. Just like Adam was punished, because he enjoyed the sin, similarly, because Klal Yisroel enjoyed and benefited from the seudah of Achasveirosh, they were punished with Haman. ii) A number of Rishonim in Sanhedrin (75a) learn that a Ben Noach must give up his life in order not to sin. Adam had the status of a Ben Noach, so he was expected to give up his life. (R’ Ben Tzion Reich)
- The pasuk says: ותתן גם לאישה עמה ויאכל – “She also gave to her husband, and he ate”. Rashi quotes the Medrash that from the word גם – also, we learn: לרבות בהמה וחי ה – “To include animals and wild animals”. The Medrash Rabbah (19, d.h. R’ Yoisi) writes: “Chavah gave to eat from the Eitz HaDa’as all the wild animals, animals and birds except for one bird which refused to eat, and the name of this bird is Chol (חול).” The Medrash continues: Since it never ate, the curse of death was never decreed on it, and it lives forever. Some say that the long life of the Chol is hinted at in its name as חול is roshei teives חי וקיים לעד – “Alive and established forever”. The difficulty is, the Gemara in Sanhderin (108b) suggest a different reason for why the Chol bird merited to live so long. The Gemara relates: Noach found the Chol hiding in its place, and Noach