Riddles of the Week
(For answers see inside)
1) The Zohar (Vayeira 102, 2) tells us that Avraham Avinu had a special tree which was able to check who served the Ribbono Shel Olam and who served avodah zorah. If the person under it served the Ribbono Shel Olam, the tree would spread out its branches and provide him with shade. If, however, the person served avodah zorah, the tree would turn its branches upwards, and remove any shade.
Rashi (18:4) when it talks about the three malochim who came to visit Avraham Avinu writes: “He thought they were Arab’s who bowed down to the dust of their feet, and he was careful to make sure no avodah zorah entered his house.”
If Avraham only “thought” that they served avodah zorah, why didn’t he put them under the tree and confirm his suspicion, and only then ask them to wash their feet. Why did he tell them to wash their feet straight away before checking them?
2) Which man in Parshas Vayeira should statistically have been a woman?
3) In this week’s parsha we learn about Akeidas Yitzchok. The pasuk (22:9) says:ויבן שם אברהם את המזבח – “Avraham built there an altar”. R’ Chaim Kanievsky in Tama Dekra writes: Since the mizbayach for the Akeidah was built on the makom hamikdosh [place of the Beis HaMikdosh] it had to be built in accordance with the halachos of a real mizbayach. The Netziv (Ha’amek Shailah) already writes: “Avraham built a mizbayach, with a ramp, with the dimensions of a real mizbayach, with all the related halachos”.
From the lashon of the pasuk: ויבן שם אברהם את המזבח – “Avraham built there an altar”, it seems that Avraham built the mizbayach alone, without any help from Yitzchok, why didn’t Yitzchok help? Especially if it was build with a ramp and the dimensions of a real mizbayach which is not a simple task?
4) The pasuk by the Akeidah tells us: ויעקד את יצחק בנו וישם אותו על המזבח ממעל לעצים – “He (Avraham) tied Yitzchok his son and place him on the altar on top of wood.” Generally speaking, korbonos are shechted [slaughtered] in the azorah [courtyard] by the side of the mizbayach and not on top of it, so why when Avraham came to offer up his son Yitzchok as a korban olah did he put him on top of the mizbayach and not on the side?
