For the week ending 30 November 2002 / 25 Kislev 5763
Parshat Vayeshev
Questions
- "These are the offspring of Yaakov: Yosef...." Give three reasons why Yosef is considered Yaakovs main offspring.
- What was praiseworthy about the fact that Yosefs brothers did not speak to him in a friendly manner?
- How do we see from Yosefs dream about the sun, moon and stars that all dreams contain some untrue element?
- Who brought Yosef down to Egypt?
- Where was Reuven when Yosef was sold?
- In addition to the brothers, who else knew that Yosef was alive?
- Why didn't G-d reveal prophetically to Yaakov that Yosef was alive?
- For how long did Yaakov mourn the loss of Yosef?
- Verse 37:35 states "his father wept." To whom does this refer?
- Who was Tamars father?
- In what merit did Tamar deserve to have kings as her descendants?
- Why is the word "hand " mentioned four times in connection to the birth of Zerach?
- Why does the Torah relate the incident with Potiphars wife immediately after the incident of Yehuda and Tamar?
- How did Potiphar "see" that G-d was with Yosef?
- Who in this weeks Parsha pretended to be sick?
- Why were the butler and the baker imprisoned?
- For how long were the butler and the baker in prison?
- How did the baker know that Yosef had correctly interpreted the butlers dream?
- What prompted the butler and baker to tell Yosef their dreams?
- How was Yosef punished for asking the butler for help?
Answers
- 37:2 - (a) Yosef was the son of Rachel, Yaakovs primary wife. (b) Yosef looked like Yaakov. (c) All that befell Yaakov befell Yosef.
- 37:4 - They did not act hypocritically.
- 37:10 - The moon represented Rachel. Since she had already died, it was impossible for that element of the dream to come true.
- 37:28 - A caravan of Midianites.
- 37:29 - He was attending to Yaakov.
- 37:33 - Yitzchak.
- 37:33 - Because the brothers had issued a ban against revealing the truth to Yaakov, and G-d, so to speak, abided by their ban.
- 37:34 - Twenty-two years.
- 37:35 - Yitzchak, who wept because of Yaakovs suffering.
- 38:24 - Shem.
- 38:26 - In the merit of her modesty.
- 38:30 - To allude to his descendent, Achan, who sinned with his hand by taking four things from the spoils of Jericho.
- 39:1 - To teach us that just as Tamar acted with pure motives, so did Potiphars wife.
- 39:3 - Yosef mentioned G-ds name frequently in his speech.
- 39:11 Potiphars wife.
- 40:1 - The butler was imprisoned because a fly was found in the kings goblet, and the baker was imprisoned because a pebble was found in the kings bread.
- 40:4 - Twelve months.
- 40:5 - The baker dreamed the interpretation of the butler's dream.
- 40:6 - Yosef asked them why they looked troubled.
- 40:23 - He remained in prison an additional two years.
All references are to the verses and Rashis commentary, unless otherwise stated.
