Parsha Q&A - Vayera
Parshas Vayera
For the week ending 20 Cheshvan 5757; 1 & 2 Novenber 1996
Parsha Questions
- Why did Hashem appear to Avraham after the Bris Mila?
- Why was Avraham sitting at the entrance to his tent?
- What were the missions of the three angels?
- Why did Avraham enjoin the guests to wash the dust off their feet?
- Why did Avraham ask Yishmael to prepare the food for the guests?
- The angels asked Avraham where Sarah was. Why?
- When Hashem related Sarah's thoughts to Avraham, He did not relate them precisely. Why?
- What "cry" from Sodom came before Hashem?
- How many angels went to Sodom?
- Why was Lot sitting at the gate of Sodom?
- Lot served the angels matzos. Why?
- Why did Lot delay when he left Sodom?
- Why were Lot and his family not permitted to look back at Sodom?
- Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. Why was she punished in this particular way?
- In what merit did Hashem save Lot?
- Why did Avraham relocate after the destruction of Sodom?
- Why did Avimelech give gifts to Avraham?
- Why was Avraham told to listen to Sarah?
- Why did Hashem listen to the prayer of Yishmael and not to that of Hagar?
- Who accompanied Avraham and Yitzchak to the Akeidah (binding)?
 Answer Contents | Lot said to the angel "Behold, this city is nearby...let me escape there...." The angel responded, "Behold, I will grant your request in this matter, that I not destroy the city about which you have spoken (19:20,21)." It seems that Lot's prayer saved the city of Tzoar, while Avraham's prayer - which included Tzoar - was ineffective. How can this be? |
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I Did Not Know That!
Avraham had received a command to sacrifice Yitzchak directly from Hashem. Yitzchak had only heard it from his father. Yet, "they went both of them together (22:6)" with the same zeal and determination.Rav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk
Recommended Reading List
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Answers to this Week's Questions
- 18:1 - Avraham was sick, so Hashem came to 'visit' him.
- 18:1 - He was looking for guests.
- 18:2 - To announce to Sarah that she would give birth, to heal Avraham and to destroy Sodom.
- 18:4 - He thought they were Arabians who worship the dust, and he didn't want any object of idolatry in his home.
- 18:7 - To train him in the performance of mitzvos.
- 18:9 - To call attention to Sarah's modesty, so as to endear her to her husband.
- 18:13 - For the sake of peace.
- 18:21 - The cry of a girl who was put to death because she gave food to a poor man.
- 19:1 - Two; one to destroy the city and one to save Lot.
- 19:1 - He was a judge.
- 19:3 - It was Passover.
- 19:16 - He wanted to save his property.
- 19:17 - Since they too really should have been punished, it wasn't fitting for them to witness the destruction of Sodom.
- 19:26 - She was stingy, not wanting to give the guests salt.
- 19:29 - Lot had protected Avraham by concealing from the Egyptians the fact that Sarah was his wife.
- 20:1 - Because travel in the region ceased and Avraham could no longer find guests.
- 20:14 - So that Avraham would pray for him.
- 21:12 - Because she was greater in prophecy.
- 21:17 - Because the prayer of a sick person is more readily accepted than the prayer of others on his behalf.
- 22:3 - Yishmael and Eliezer.
 Question Contents |
Lot and his daughter's arrival in Tzoar increased the city's
merit, bringing to ten the number of righteous people there. As
soon as there were ten righteous people in the city, it was saved
in the merit of Avraham's prayer. Abarbanel |
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Written and Compiled by Rabbi Eliyahu Kane
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Lev Seltzer
HTML Design: Michael Treblow
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