1. Besides Parshas Yisro, which other weekly Parsha are named after an individual who is not descended from Avraham?
Answer: Parshas Noach and Balak are named after individuals who are not descended from Avraham.
2. Who besides Moshe is a son-in-law of Yisro?
Answer: In Parshas Va'era, the Torah states that Elazar the son of Aharon married a daughter of Putiel (6:25). Rashi lists Putiel as one of the seven names of Yisro (Rashi - Exodus 18:1).
3. Name two cousins who appear in this Parsha that are "ten apart"?
Answer: Eliezar the son of Moshe, and Elazar the son of Aharon, are first cousins. Their names differ only by the letter yud - which has the gematria (numerical value) of ten!
4. Name two people in the Torah - one male, one female, one Jewish, one not - who have similar names that mean the same. One of the people is in this Parsha.
Answer: Tziporah the wife of Moshe, and Tzipor the father of Balak (Numbers 22:2), have similar names that mean a bird.
5. Where in this Parsha do eagles appear?
Answer: Moshe reminds the Jews that Hashem carried them "on wings of eagles." (Exodus 19:4. See Rashi for an explanation of the parable.)
6. In what context does this Parsha include a command involving clothing?
Answer: In preparation for the giving of the Torah, the Jews are commanded to wash their clothing (Exodus 19:10).
7. Where in the Ten Commandments is water mentioned?
Answer: In the second commandment, we are prohibited from making "any graven image or picture of any creature that is in the water" (Exodus 20:4).
8. Which two animals are mentioned in the Ten Commandments?
Answer: The tenth commandment forbids coveting anything belonging to our friend, including "his ox and his donkey." (Exodus 20:14)
9. Which word in this Parsha, synonymous with shofar, refers to a ram's horn?
Answer: The word "yovel" means "ram's horn" in the phrase: "With the blowing of the ram's horn, [the Jews] may ascend the mountain." (Exodus 19:13)
10. Which verse in this Parsha contains the word "lo" - "do not" - four times?
Answer: Following the regular cantillation, the commandments, "Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness," all appear in the same verse. (Exodus 20:13)
11. Where are "steps" referred to in this Parsha?
Answer: The very last verse states that it is forbidden to ascend the altar using steps, but rather a ramp must be constructed. (Exodus 20:23)
