Parsha Q&A - Chayei Sarah

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Parsha Q&A

Parshas Chayei Sarah

For the week ending 25 Cheshvan 5756; 17 & 18 November 1995

Contents:
  • Parsha Questions
  • Bonus Question
  • I Did Not Know That!
  • Recommended Reading List
  • Answers to Parsha Questions
  • Answer to Bonus Question
  • Subscription Information
  • Ohr Somayach Home Page

    • Parsha Questions

    Answers | Contents
    1. Kiryat Arba (City of Four) was named for the four couples who are buried there. Name them.
    2. What event immediately preceded the death of Sarah?
    3. In verse 24:1, the Torah states that Avraham was blessed "bakol" (with all). What is this blessing?
    4. Where was Avraham born?
    5. How were Avraham's camels distinguished from other camels?
    6. Where was Aram Naharaim located?
    7. What special character trait did Eliezer seek, when choosing a wife for Yitzchak?
    8. Why did Avraham's servant, Eliezer, run toward Rivka?
    9. After Rivka began to draw water for the camels, Eliezer was still unsure. What information did he still need in order to know if his mission was a success?
    10. Why did Lavan run to greet Eliezer?
    11. When Lavan told Eliezer that the house was cleared out, what did he remove?
    12. Who did Eliezer wish that Yitzchak would marry?
    13. In addition to Eliezer and the camels, to whom else did Rivka offer to give water?
    14. Lavan answered Eliezer before his father, Besuel, had a chance. What does this indicate about Lavan's character?
    15. What blessing did Rivka's family give her before she departed?
    16. What three miracles that were present in Sarah's tent returned when Yitzchak brought Rivka there?
    17. Who was Ketura?
    18. What gift did Avraham give to Yitzchak?
    19. For how many years did Yaakov attend the Yeshiva of Ever?
    20. How does the Torah indicate that Yishmael repented before his death?

    Bonus Question

    Answer | Contents

    "You shall not take a wife for my son from among the daughters of the Canaanites" (24:3).
    Avraham's family were also idol worshippers. Why were they better than the Canaanites?

    I Did Not Know That!

    "And he gave straw...for the camels...and there was put meat before him to eat" (24:32-33).
    From here we learn that a person should feed the animals under his care before he himself eats.
    Midrash Hagadol

    Recommended Reading List

    Ramban
    22:9
    The Cave of Machpela
    24:1
    Blessed in all Things
    24:64
    Rivka's Modesty
    25:8
    Full of Years

    Sforno
    24:14
    Prayer or Divination
    24:65
    The Awe of Yitzchak
    25:8
    Avraham's Death

    Answers to this Week's Questions

    Questions | Contents

    All references are to the verses and Rashi's commentary, unless otherwise stated

    1. 23:2 - Adam and Chava, Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivka, Yaakov and Leah.
    2. 23:2 - The Akeda (binding of Yitzchak).
    3. 24:1 - That Hashem blessed Avraham with a son.
    4. 24:7 - Ur-Kasdim.
    5. 24:10 - They were muzzled, so that they would not graze in the fields of others.
    6. 24:10 - Between two rivers (the Tigris and the Euphrates).
    7. 24:14 - He sought someone who excelled in performing acts of kindness.
    8. 24:17 - He saw that the waters of the well rose when she approached.
    9. 24:21 - He didn't know if she was from Avraham's family.
    10. 24:29 - Lavan coveted his money.
    11. 24:31 - Idols.
    12. 24:39 - His daughter.
    13. 24:44 - To the men who accompanied Eliezer.
    14. 24:50 - That he was wicked.
    15. 24:62 - That the blessings given to Avraham would continue with her children.
    16. 24:67 - A light burned in the tent from one Shabbos to the next, there was blessing in the dough in that its quantity increased miraculously, and a cloud hung over the tent as a sign of Divine protection.
    17. 25:1 - Hagar.
    18. 25:5 - The power of blessing.
    19. 25:17 - Fourteen years.
    20. 25:17 - When reporting his death, the Torah uses the word "vayigva" (expire), a term reserved for the righteous.

    Answer to Bonus Question

    Question | Contents

    In addition to being idol worshippers, the Canaanites also were morally corrupt, whereas Avraham's family was morally upright. Therefore, Avraham felt that among his own family he would find a better mate for Yitzchak.
    Rabeinu Nissan

    Written and Compiled by Rabbi Eliyahu Kane
    General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
    Production Design: Lev Seltzer
    HTML Design: Michael Treblow
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