Riddles of the Week

Riddles of the Week

(For answers see inside)

1. This week’s parsha is called “Parshas Balak”. The Gemara in Yoma (38b) teaches that we don’t name things after reshoim, and on the contrary we say, “the name of the wicked shall rot”. If, so, how come we name a parsha in the Torah after Balak, who is someone the Medrash (Tanchumah) tells us: “Hated the Jews more than all of our other enemies”?
2. Parshas Balak contains one of the four places in the Torah where Hashem asks someone a question. How many of them can you identify?
3. The Gemara in Pesachim (111a) teaches that it is forbidden for a woman to walk between two men or a man to walk between two women. Should this happen, the Gemara advises saying certain pasukim to minimize the damage caused. The two pasukim mentioned by Rashi in his commentary are both in Parshas Balak. What are they? If a man is faced with such a situation, should he ask the women to move, or is it best to avoid talking to women and to simply walk between them? Does it help to hold something when walking between two women, or is it a problem even when holding something?
4. In this week’s parsha we have the pasuk: הן ע ם כלביא יקום – “Behold they are a nation that rises like a lion cub” (23:24). Rashi explains, Klal Yisroel wake up in the morning and grab mitzvos, they wear a tallis, read shema, and wear tefillin. If one misses out on saying krias shema in the morning, can he make up for it by reciting krias shema twice during Ma’ariv?
5. As we mentioned above, we have a reference to krias shema in this week’s parsha. The minhag is that we cover our eyes when reciting the first pasuk of shema (see Orach Chaim 61:5, and Be’er Heitev). What is the reason for this? And if one wears glasses, should he remove them?
6. Hashem attempted to impede Bilaam by sending a sword-wielding angel to block his path, but only his donkey saw it. When the donkey tried to turn to avoid the angel, Bilaam got angry at the donkey, striking it and threatening to kill it (Bamidbar 22:23). Since Bilaam’s power lay in his mouth, why didn’t he simply curse his donkey?