Answers to this Weeks Riddles

(For the riddles, please see back page)

1. R’ Meir MiPremishlan in his sefer Divrei Meir answers (בדרך צחות) based on the Chazal which says: הלכה בידוע שעשיו שונא ליעקב – “It’s a well-established halachah that Eisav hates Yaakov.” Balak fulfilled this halachah in the optimum manner, as he knew that Klal Yisroel were warned not to oppress Moav and they had nothing to be afraid of, yet he still hired Bilaam to curse the Jews just to fulfill the halachah “that Eisav hates Yaakov”. Since he was an erlicher goy making sure to fulfill this halachah in the optimum manner, it’s only fair he gets rewarded and has a parsha named after him.
2. In Parshas Balak, Hashem asks Bilaam (Bamidbar 22:9): “Who are these men with you?” In Parshas Bereishis (3:9), after Adam tries to hide, Hashem calls out to him: “Where are you,” and after Kayin kills Hevel, Hashem inquires (4:9): “Where is your brother Hevel?” In Parshas Vayeira, Sorah laughs when she hears that she will give birth, and Hashem asks Avraham (18:13): “Why did Sorah laugh?” (Torah Teasers)
3. The Gemara says that if this happens, one should say pasukim that begin and end either with Hashem’s name ק-ל or with the word לא. The example of the former is (23:22-23):ק-ל מוציאם ממצרים כתועפת ראם לו כי לא נחש ביעקב ולא קסם בישראל כע ת יאמר ליעקב ולישראל מה פעל ק-ל – “It is Hashem Who brought them out of Egypt according to the power of His loftiness, for there is no divination in Yaakov and no sorcery in Yisroel; even now it is said to Yaakov and Yisroel what Hashem has wrought.” The example of the latter is (23:19): לא איש ק-ל ויכזב ובן אדם ויתנחם ההוא אמר ולא יעשה ודבר ולא יקימנה – “Hashem is not a man that He should be deceitful, nor a son of man that He should relent. Would He say and not do, or speak and not confirm?”