Riddles of the Week (Part 1)
(For answers see inside)
- Before his encounter with Eisav, Ya’akov sent goats, sheep, camels, cows, and donkeys as gifts intended to appease him (Bereishis 32:15). What other type of animal did Ya’akov send that is not mentioned in the Torah?
- In this week’s parsha (32:33) we have the mitzvah of not eating the gid hanosheh, sciatic nerve: "על כן לא יאכלו בני ישראל את גיד הנשה" – “Therefore, Bnei Yisroel shouldn’t eat the gid hanosheh”. Many reasons are given for this mitzvah, one such reason is to remember the miracle with Ya’akov Avinu who had a fight with the angel of Eisav, and instead of being killed, all that happened was he got hit on his thigh. The question is, if the mitzvah is to remember what happened to Ya’akov, why do we make a remembrance by not eating it, on the contrary we should make a remembrance by eating it, like on Pesach when we eat matzah to remember what happened in Mitzrayim?
Riddles of the Week (Part 2)
(For answers see inside)
- The Medrash Rabbah (82:7) teaches that three women had a difficult childbirth and died whilst having children. These are: Rochel Imeinu, the wife of Pinchos (the son of Eli HaKohen) and Michal bas Shaul (the wife of David HaMelech)”. How can we reconcile this Medrash with the Mishnah in Shabbos (31b) which teaches, “Women die during childbirth due to three sins, not being careful with niddah, challah, and candle lighting”. If the reason women die at childbirth is due to these three sins, how come these three righteous women died during childbirth, surely, they were careful with these three mitzvos?
- Rashi writes (35:8) that the date of Rivkah’s death was hidden so that people would not curse the womb from which Eisav emerged. Why wasn’t the date of Yitzchok’s death concealed for the same reason, as he was Eisav's father?
- In this week’s parsha we learn that Ya’akov set up a matzaveh [monument] for Rochel Imeinu. The pasuk says: "ויצב יעקב מצבה על קברתה הוא מצבת קבורת רחל עד היום" – “Ya’akov set up a monument over her grave; it is the monument of Rochel’s grave until today” (35:20). What is the pasuk coming to teach us, by telling us that this matzaveh is around until today?