Riddles of the Week

1. To try and appease Eisav, Yaakov sent him: עזים מאתים ותישים עשרים רחלים מאתים ואילים עשרים - “200 she-goats and 20 he-goats; 200 ewes and 20 rams.” The Medrash says, that Yaakov sent animals which had blemishes, so that Eisav wouldn’t be able to use them for korbonos. The Ba’al HaTurim points out, the last letter of all the words in the aforementioned pasuk is a ‘mem’, this represent that he sent animals which were ba’alay mumim, blemished.
   The following question has bothered me for many years. The Gemara in Avodah Zorah (5b) says that a Ben Noach can offer up a korban which has a blemish, so what did Yaakov gain. It’s true that for a Ben Noach a mechusar ever, an animal missing a limb is disqualified, but it’s very unlikely that this is the blemish we are referring to, as how would lots of animal all missing limbs appease Eisav?
2. Rashi writes (Bereishis 32:23) that because Yaakov placed Dina in a box and withheld her from being a good influence on Eisav, he was punished when she was abducted by Shechem. What was his sin when the Gemara in Pesochim (49b) teaches that allowing one’s daughter to marry an ignoramus is tantamount to tying her up and placing her before a lion to be devoured?
3. On what day of the week did Shimon and Levi kill the males of Shechem?
4. Before his encounter with Eisav, Yaakov arranged his wives and their children, placing the maidservants and their sons first, then Leah and her children, and finally Rochel and her sons (33:2). Rashi explains that the more beloved to Yaakov they were, the closer to the back he placed them to protect them from Eisav. In Parshas Vayeishev, Yosef’s brothers became jealous of him due to an extra article of clothing he received from Yaakov (37:4). Why didn’t they similarly become jealous here, when their being placed closer to the front than Yosef could potentially be life-threatening?
5. Before his encounter with Eisav, Yaakov arranged his wives and their children, placing the maidservants and their sons first, then Leah and her children, and finally Rochel and her sons (33:2). Rashi explains that the more beloved to Yaakov they were, the closer to the back he placed them to protect them from Eisav. The question is, how could Yaakov do this, the Tosefta (Terumas 7:23) clearly says:דסיעה של בני אדם שאמרו להם נכרים תנו לנו אחד מכם ונהרגהו ואם לאו הרי אנו הורגין את כולם, יהרגו כולם ואל ימסרו להם נפש אחת מישרא -“If there is group of yidden, and goyim come to attack and say ‘give us one of yid and we will kill him and if not we will kill all of you’, the din is they should all be killed, and the life of an individual Jew shouldn’t be given over”. The Rambam (Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 5:5) and Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 157:1) rule accordingly, so how was Yaakov able to do what he did?

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