Answers to Last Week’s Riddles
- Rashi writes (18:2) that one of the three malochim [angels] was sent to heal Avraham from the pain of his bris milah. The Gemara in Bava Basra (16b) teaches that Avraham wore a precious stone around his neck that had the ability to heal any sick person who looked at it. Why did Hashem send an angel to heal Avraham when he could heal himself by gazing at this stone?
The Maharsha (Bava Basra 16b) suggests that although he was capable of healing himself through this stone, Avraham felt that the concept of temimus – being wholehearted with Hashem – mandated that he leave his recovery in Hashem’s hands. The Chida, Rav Moshe Feinstein, and Rav Chaim Kanievsky answer that Avraham’s pain was dear to him because it came from a mitzvah, so he did not want to do anything that could be interpreted as regretting the mitzvah due to its consequences. The Paneiach Raza cites the Gemara (Berachos 5b) that says that although Rebbi Yochanan healed others, he was unable to heal himself when he got sick because, אין חבוש מתיר עצמו מבית האסורים - one who is imprisoned cannot free himself from jail. Although Rabbi Yochanan and Avraham could heal others, they needed somebody else to help heal them. Finally, the M’rafsin Igri cites the Gemara in Ta’anis (20b), which teaches that miracles that are performed for a person reduce his reward in Olam Habah, so Avraham passed on a miraculous cure. (R’ Ozer Alport)
- Rashi writes (Bereishis 18:9) that the angels asked Avraham where Sorah was to send her the kos shel berachah, cup of wine used for birchas hamazon. Rashi writes (18:8) that although Avraham asked Sorah to make bread, it wasn’t served because it became impure when Sorah touched it, so why did they recite birchas hamazon?
Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin cites the Gemara in Berachos (35b), which discusses the possibility that one may be required to recite birchas hamazon if he is kovea seudah on wine, eats a full meal with wine as its primary component. The Gemara says that this question isn't presently relevant because people don't do so, but when Eliyohu HaNavi arrives, he will rule whether it is in fact possible. Rav Diskin suggests that just as Eliyohu will be able to clarify this subject, so too were Avraham and the malochim were capable of doing so, and because they ate a complete meal based around wine, they felt that they were obligated to recite birchas hamazon. Rav Simcha Zissel Broide maintains that the expression kos shel berachah doesn't refer to a glass of wine that was used for birchas hamazon, but rather to the cup that was used for kiddush, as Rashi writes (18:10) that this episode occurred on Pesach. The M'rafsin Igri suggests that Avraham was following the opinion of Rabbi Akiva (Berachos 44a) that birchas hamazon is required after the end of every full and nourishing meal, even if it consisted of boiled vegetables. Alternatively, as soon as his guests arrived, Avraham gave them a small amount of his leftover bread from the day before to tide them over until he had an opportunity to prepare fresh bread and meat. Although the new bread became impure and wasn't served, they still recited birchas hamazon due to the other bread that they ate. (R’ Ozer Alport)
- Because she violated the commandment not to look back at the destruction of Sodom, Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt (19:26). Did she first die and then become a pillar of salt, or did the transformation occur while she was still alive?
Surprisingly, the answer to this question can be found in a Teshuvah written by R’ Moshe Feinstein. The Gemara in Niddah (69b) relates that the people of Alexandria asked 12 questions to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: three of them were intelligent questions about matters of halachah, three of them were questions about areas of Aggadah, three of them were foolish questions, and three of them involved issues of derech eretz. One of the questions categorized as foolish was whether Lot’s wife renders impure like a dead person those who come into contact with her. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi responded that only dead people cause impurity, but not pillars of salt. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe, Yoreh Deah Vol. 1 230:8) questions why this is considered a silly question when the Mishnah in Ohalos (2:2) discusses various cases of decayed and decomposed bodies that still impart impurity. He answers that Lot’s wife must have been turned into a pillar of salt while she was still alive, and since she never died, the question was viewed as a foolish one. However, see the Terumas HaDeshen (2:102) where it’s clear that he understands that first she died, and only then did she turn into a pillar of salt.
- During selichos we mention: מי שענה לאברהם אבינו בהר המוריה הוא יעננו – “The One who answered Avraham Avinu on Har Hamoria should answer us”. The above is based on the Gemara in Taanis (15b). The question is, which tefillah are we referring to, where do we find Avraham davened on Har Hamoria?
