(For the riddles, please see back page)
1) In Parshas Vayeitzei, Yaakov dreamed about malochim ascending and descending a ladder to heaven (28:12). Later, an angel told Yaakov in a dream to leave the house of the deceitful Lavan and return to his homeland (31:10-13). As Lavan was pursuing Yaakov, Hashem appeared to him in a dream and warned him not to speak good or bad to Yaakov (31:24). In Parshas Vayeira, Hashem ordered Avimelech in a dream to return Sorah to Avraham, informing him that she was not Avraham’s wife but his sister (20:3-7). In Parshas Vayeishev, Yosef had two dreams, one about his brothers’ sheaves of grain bowing down to his sheaf (37:5-7), followed by a second dream in which the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him (37:9). At the end of Parshas Vayeishev, Pharaoh’s שר המשקים (cupbearer) dreamed about pressing grapes from a vine into Pharaoh’s cup and placing it in his hand (40:9-11), and the שר האופים (baker) dreamed about birds eating food out of wicker baskets on his head (40:16-17). Parshas Mikeitz begins (41:1-4) with Pharaoh dreaming about seven lean cows eating seven robust cows, which caused him to wake up. After Pharaoh went back to sleep, he had a second dream in which he saw seven thin ears of grain swallowing seven full ears of grain (41:5-7). (Parsha Challenge)
2) The Radal (Bereishis Rabbah 68:12) interprets a Medrash as saying that there were three rungs on the ladder in Yaakov’s dream. The Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 2:10) quotes a different Medrash that says it had four rungs, which is also the opinion of the Kli Yakar and Megaleh Amukos (cited in the Yalkut Reuveni). In his commentary on Megillas Esther, the Rema (Mechir Yayin, Esther 1:14) quotes an opinion that maintains it had seven rungs. Rashi writes (Bereishis 47:28) that Yaakov called all his sons together before his death to reveal to them the קץ - the time when Moshiach will come. From where did Yaakov learn this secret? The Daas Z’keinim (47:28) writes that by counting the number of rungs on the ladder in his dream, he was able to calculate when Moshiach will arrive, which implies that there were many more rungs on the ladder. (Parsha Potpourri)
3) 2,2 – Lavan had two daughters, each of the שפחות had a בן שני.
3,3 – Three flocks of sheep by the well, three days distance between יעקב ולבן, on the third day לבן was told that יעקב ran away.
6 – Years יעקב worked for pay.
7 – Years יעקב worked to marry לאה, years he worked to marry רחל, and “days of travel” that לבן went in order to catch up to יעקב.
20 - Total years יעקב worked for לבן. (Parsha Challenge)
4) i) Lavan was known as Lavan Ho’Arami, Lavan the “trickster”, as that is what he was, one big trickster. In order that he would be able to trick Yaakov into marrying Leah and not Rochel, he made a big feast and planned on getting Yaakov drunk, this way he wouldn’t know the difference between Rochel and Leah. However, when it came to getting married the second time to Rochel, there was no need for a feast anymore, as he wasn’t planning any more tricks. (Da’as Zekeinim MiBa’alei HaTosfos).
ii) Lavan feared that if he would trick Yaakov into marrying Leah, he might just simply divorce her, therefore, he married her off in front of lots of people, this way it would be more embarrassing for Yaakov to divorce her. However, when it came to Rochel, Lavan knew that Yaakov loved her, therefore, there was no need to be worried that he may end up divorcing her. (Abarbanel)
iii) The Dubner Maggid explains that normally people first arrange a feast and then invite guests, however, Lavan Ho’Arami made his feast from the money of the guests. He would invite people, ask them riddles, and if they didn’t know they would need to pay him, and from this money he made the feast. It is clear from the pasukim as well, that first he invited people, and then he made the feast. Based on this we can explain that he could only trick people once, therefore, he could only afford to make the feast once. The second time already people wouldn’t fall for it, and he didn’t want to have to make the feast using his own money. (Marpeh Arucha, pg. 6).
iv) People normally attend a simcha to honor the ba’al simcha, however, if one makes two simcha’s one after the other, with just a week gap, people don’t come twice as it is a big effort. Since Rochel’s wedding was a week after Leah’s, Lavan didn’t make a feast as he feared that people wouldn’t come. (Gam Boruch Yiyeh)
v) Once Yaakov saw that he was swindled after the first chasunah and given Leah instead of Rochel, he was scared that something similar might happen a second time and Rochel might get swapped with Bilah or Zilpah, therefore, he preferred to forgo the chasunah feast, and get married in day light and stay focused, making sure there was no room for trickery.
5) i) The Sanzer Rebbe zt”l (cited in Yetziv Pisgom) answers: Eisav held that Yaakov tricked him twice, like he said, ויעקבני זה פעמיים , and he held that Yaakov was a thief. The halachah is that a Ben Noach is commanded against stealing. Additionally, a Ben Noach can be put to death for his sins based on the testimony of one witness, in front of just one judge. The Sanzer Rebbe explains that Eisav appointed Eliphaz as a shliach beis din to kill Yaakov, therefore, it comes out that Eliphaz wasn’t being instructed to do something wrong, and on the contrary, he had a mitzvah of kibbud av, to listen to what his father told him. Based on this, since Eliphaz was coming under the instructions of his father and being sent as a shliach of a dayan, he didn’t fit into the halachos of הבא להורגך השכם להורגו, therefore, Yaakov wasn’t allowed to kill him.
ii) In his sefer Tiferes Torah (Vayishlach), R’ Shimshon Pincus zt”l answers: Since Yaakov was able to appease Eliphaz by giving him all his money, he didn’t kill him. There is a very big mussar behind this, as even if according to halachah one may be justified in doing a certain act and causing certain destruction – if there is no need to destroy, don’t.
iii) The Ben Ish Chai answers: That Yaakov saw that Onkeles HaGer was going to come from him. This highlights the point we mentioned above, that even if one is angry and according to halachah he may be justified in doing something, one doesn’t know what destruction can come from his acts, therefore, one should stay calm and avoid being destructive. (Pikudecha Dorashti)
iv) You can say if Eisav didn't think he was dead, he would send someone else to kill him. (R’ Menachem Liberman)
