World of the Sages
1.
Was Noah called a
“Tzadddik” without qualification? Explain
2.
How were the comments of
Rashi regarding Noah “asymmetrical”?
3.
How did Rashi’s comments
compare to the sources he was gleaning from?
4.
Which biblical character
did Rashi compare Noah to?
5.
Which biblical characters
did the Midrash compare Noah to? Why?
6.
Where did Noah and Avraham
“overlap”? what happened?
7.
What would indicate that
Noah suffered from post-traumatic stress and depression?
8.
What does the Zohar call
Noah?
and more…
1.
How old was Avraham when
God told him to leave his birthplace? How old was he when he actually left?
2.
What emerged when we
compared the text describing Avraham leaving Haran with his leaving to perform
the akaida (the binding)
3.
How old was Avraham at the brit
bein habitarim (covenant of the pieces)?
4.
How long did God say at the
brit bein habitarim (covenant of the pieces) did God say the
“estrangement and slavery” last?
5.
How long did the
“estrangement and slavery” last according to the narrative in the book of
Exodus (Shnot)?
6.
How did Rashi reconcile the
numbers 400 and 430?
7.
Does the Torah ever say
that God saved Avraham from the furnace? Explain
8.
What two things did Terach
do which may have had a major impact on his son’s religious outlook?
9.
Which nascent philosophical
arguments can you discern from the midrashim, which describe Avraham’s
iconoclasm?
1.
When the “Akaida” (Binding)
is introduced the Torah writes “and after these things” which things? (2
possibilities)
2.
What is the connection
between ethics and monotheism?
3.
Why would killing his son
have been difficult for Avraham (4 reasons)?
4.
In which even in Avraham’s
life is the Akaida foreshadowed (2 examples – one in Midrash, and one in the
Torah text)
5.
What about the dialogue
between Avraham and Yitzchak indicates tenderness?
6.
Whose idea was the actual
tying (in the Akaida)? Why?
7.
What does the angel say to
Avraham that he now knows about him?
8.
How does the episode with
Avimelech shed light on the Akaida story?
9.
What does Avimelech say
which indicates that he was a “moral relativist”?
Chaya Sara
1.
Were Avraham and Sarah spiritual
equals?
2.
Who claimed that Avraham
and Sarah were not spiritual equals?
3.
Why did Hagar think she was
superior? Who disagreed?
4.
What were the origins of
Hagar – from a textual perspective?
5.
What were the origins of
Hagar – from a midrashic perspective?
6.
According to the Midrash –
to whom should we be comparing Hagar?
7.
What was special about the
tent of Sarah?
8.
At which point of Avraham’s
life did he approximate one aspect of the tent of Sarah?
9.
What is the earliest
reference which could be made for the spiritual equality of Avraham and Sara?
10.
What unified Sarah’s tent
and Avraham’s sojourn to perform the akaida? What can we learn from this?
Parshat Vayishlach (and some Toldot and Vayetze)
1.
In what way was the
Yitzchal/Rivka family dysfunctional?
2.
When Rivka was troubled
about her pregnancy – in what way did God provide “too much information”?
3.
How can we tell from
Yitzchak’s intended blessings what he thought the relationship between Yakov
and Esav SHOULD be?
4.
When Esav asked for food –
how did Yakov then know that his mother was right? how did he respond?
5.
When Yakov dreamed of the
ladder – what did God say? What did God not say?
6.
When Yakov came back to
Israel – what was he afraid of?
7.
Who was the person that
Yakov “wrestled” with? How is the adversary described by the Torah? Rashi?
8.
Why did Esav not harm Yakov
when they finally met? What did Esav see? Who had had previously seen this?
9.
What date was the meeting
between Yakov and Esav according to the Zohar? How does the Zohar know this?
10.
How is the conflict of
Yakov resolved? What does this have to do with Sukkot?
Vayeshev
1.
What does it mean that
Yakov wished to “live in tranquility”?
2.
Which brother suggested to
kill Yosef?
3.
Which brother suggested to
let Yosef die?
4.
Which brother suggested to
sell Yosef?
5.
What “sign from heaven”
convinced Yehudah that he should get rid of Yosef?
6.
How did the brothers inform
Yakov of Yosef’s death?
7.
Which thematic issues link
the chapter describing the sale of Yosef (37) and the chapter with Yehuda’s
“fall” (38)?
8.
How should Yehuda have
responded to his son’s death?
9.
What does the Midrash say
God was “doing” during the sale of Yosef?
10.
How would you compare Yosef
and Tamar with Yosef and Mrs. Potifar?
11.
Why does messaich come from
Yehudah and not Yosef?
Miketz
1.
What was the initial plan
which Yosef devised? What did he hope would happen when his brothers arrived
2.
What was Yosef’s “plan b”?
3.
What did Yosef want his
brothers to respond when he accused them of being spies? What did they in fact
respond?
4.
Why did Yosef put his
brothers in prison?
5.
What did Yosef wish to
imply when he put the money in their bags?
6.
What was the emotional
significance of having their bags searched? When did this happen before?
7.
In what way was the
negotiations between Yosef and the brothers counter intuitive?
8.
Why did the brothers say
they deserve to be enslaved?
9.
In what way did Yosef
provide the brothers with an excuse if they wanted to abandon Binyamin and
leave?
10.
What was the purpose of the
entire charade which Yosef performed?
11.
What was “plan c”?
Parashat Vayigash
12.
What is the overarching
theme of the book of Bereishit (Genesis)?
13.
In what way is the end of
Bereishit a happy ending?
14.
How did Yosef reveal
himself to his brothers?(which precise words did he use?)
15.
How did the brothers
understand Yosef’s when he revealed himself? Bring textual proof
16.
How did the rabbis in the
Midrash understand Yosef’s when he revealed himself?
Parashat Vayehi
17.
What scared Yakov on his
death bed?
18.
Who is the
“klipah”(counterfeit) of Avraham? In what way?
19.
Who is the
“klipah”(counterfeit) of Yitzchak? In what way?
20.
What did the sons
(brothers) do to relive Yakov’s fear?
21.
When we say Shema – who is
the “Yisrael” we refer to?
22.
Why do we cover our eyes
when we say Shema?
Shmot
23.
How did the sister of Moshe
save his life?
24.
How does the behavior of
Miriam contrast with the behavior of siblings in Bereishit?
25.
What did the daughter of
Paroh name Moshe? Why?
26.
When paroh’s daughter
offered to pay Yocheved – in what way was this a hint of the future redemption?
27.
When Moshe left the palace-
what was he looking for? How did it indicate his mother succeeded?
28.
How did Moshe impact his
adopted mother?
29.
Which “Jewish” behavior did
the Jews retain?
30.
In what sense was Moshe an
unexpected and “undeserving “ savior? What does this teach us?
31.
How would the Rambam
explain the loss of “free will” of Paroh?
32.
How would the Seforno
explain the loss of “free will” of Paroh?
33.
How does the devolution of
the crocodile to serpent impact the discussion on Paroh’s free will?
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