Riddles of the Week

Riddles of the Week

1. When Yehudah, Leah’s fourth child, was born, the pasuk says, “Vatomer hapaam odeh es Hashem, al kein karah shemo Yehudah — And she said, ‘This time, I will thank Hashem.’ Therefore, she called his name Yehudah” (Bereishis 29:35). It says in Berachos (7b), “From the day that HaKodosh Boruch Hu created His world, there was no person who thanked HaKodosh Boruch Hu until Leah came and thanked Him.” We know that Adam HaRishon said, “Tov le’hodos laShem — It is good to thank Hashem” (Tehillim 92:2). All three of our Avos brought sacrifices to show gratitude to the Ribbono Shel Olam. What does the Gemara mean?
2. As we just mentioned, we learn in this week’s sedra how Leah thanked Hashem. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 219) mentions that there are four groups of people that must thank Hashem: One who is let out of prison, one who travels through a dessert, one who travels through the sea and one who is ill and recovers. What’s the halachah if one is in prison in a country overseas, and when he is eventually let out of prison he flies back home. Is he obligated to recite birchas hagomel twice, once for being let out of prison, and once for the journey, or is one birchas hagomal enough?
3. The pasuk (29:22) tells us, that when Lavan tricked Yaakov into marrying Leah: ויאסף לבן את כל אנשי המקום ויעש משתה – “Lavan invited all the people of the town, and made a great feast”. Why don’t we find a similar thing when he married Rochel, why didn’t Lavan make a big feast for Rochel’s chasunah as well?
4. Rashi writes (29:25) that to prevent potential trickery by Lavan, Yaakov gave certain simanim (signs) to Rochel that only she would know. When Rochel realized that Lavan intended to send Leah under the bridal canopy instead of her, she feared the humiliation her sister would face and told her the simanim so that she could pass for Rochel. Even if Leah knew the simanim, why wasn’t Yaakov able to recognize that her voice wasn’t that of Rochel?
5. Rochel’s intention in stealing her father’s terafim [idols] was to prevent him from idol-worship (Rashi Bereishis 31:19). Does this mean that if somebody possesses something forbidden it is permissible to steal it from him? (Ayeles HaShachar, Meshech Chochmah 31:32)

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