Test 3

Question 1

What are the parshiot in Breishit

Answer 1

בראשית, נח, לך לך, וירא, חיה שרה, תולדות, ויצא, וישלח, וישב, מיקץ, ויגש, ויחי

Question 2

Sefer

Answer 2

recieved at Har Sinai to Moshe from Hashem

Question 3

Parshiot

Answer 3

the breaks in the text were given to Moshe at Har Sinai, פתוחות וסתומות

Question 4

Sedra

Answer 4

the weekly parsha, established by the Jewish community in Bavel

Question 5

Perakim

Answer 5

established by the Christians (sometimes interpreted differently)

Question 6

All additions to the sentences/words..

Answer 6

Nekudot and Sof pasuk are from Masoretes, jewish scholars from the 6-10th centuries

Question 7

What’s the difference betwen P’shat and Midrash

Answer 7

P’shat is just explaining the basic meaning of the text (written in context)
Midrash is like filling in the gaps, stories, lessons, etc (written out of context)

Question 8

Pshat of Kayin and Hevel

Answer 8

Kayin was born followed by Hevel, Kayin was a farmer and Hevel was shepherd. Kayin brought an offering of fruit but Hevel brought his nicest first born sheep. Hashem accepted Hevelsofferung but not Kayins so he killed Hevel and then Hashem asked where his brother was and he said am I my brothers keeper. Hashem punished Kayin by the land wouldn’t weild for him and Hashem said no one could kill him and then Adam and Chava had shet

Question 9

Pshat of Migdal Bavel

Answer 9

The people spoke one language and they made bricks and said let’s make a city and a tower that reaches the sky and make a name for ourselves lest we be spread out. Hashem said if this is how they’re gonna act with one language then they’ll think they can conquer everything so let’s go mix up their language so that can’t understand each other and then Hashem scattered them all over the earth

Question 10

Why is the city called בבל

Answer 10

Because Hashem בלל them, mixed them up

Question 11

The different characteristics of Pshat and Drash

Answer 11

Pshat: the text itself (understanding it), filling in the pshat holes, historically accurate, the text speaks to learner
Midrash: stories, allegories, commentaries, fills in gaps, lessons, learner speaks to text

Question 12

אבן עזרא בראשית י”א– אין מוקדם ומאוחר בתורה

Answer 12

The people who came before said that Avraham was thrown in the firery furnace, he’s a pshatan but this is so widely accepted that i accept this one too.
He explains that Hashem first commanded Avraham and then the pasuk of Terach happened, the Torah isn’t in chronological order

Question 13

רודפי הפשט, Ibn Ezra about Rashi

Answer 13

He disagrees with Rashi, they weren’t stupid they didn’t think they could actually reach the sky. They wanted to settle a city and make a landmark so that people passing by would know and they would leave a legacy behind. Their sin was not realizing that hashem had a plan all along

Question 14

what does Rashbam say on the sin of Migdal Bavel

Answer 14

He explains that their mistake was simply going against Hashem’s command. He said to multiply and fill up the land and they wanted to populate in one area.

Question 15

Thematic approach; R’ Menachem Leibtag

Answer 15

They really just wanted to prove the power of man. They centered around man not G-d which is yet another generations mistake. For avraham, he knows what he has to do, center himself and the world around Hashem.

Question 16

Pshat of the storyline of Avraham

Answer 16

Terach had Nahor, Haran, and Avraham, Haran had Lot. Terach took Avraham, Lot, and Sarai and set out for Cana’an but they stopped in Charan. Hashem told Avraham to לך לך and promised him to become a nation and be a blessing etc, Avraham took Lot w him. He got to Shcem and Hahsem told him i will assign this land to ur offspring and Avraham built an altar there, then went to Bethel and set up tent and made an altar. Then there was a famine so Avraham went down to Egypt and told Paro that Sarai was his sister and then Paro found out and was mad but gave them riches and sent them on their way.

Question 17

מדרש בראשית רבה– כבשן האש

Answer 17

What does it mean that Haran died before his father? Terach sold idols and one time he left Avraham incharge. He shamed a 60 yr old customer away by saying how it was made yesterday and another lady offered food and Avraham went and smashed all the idols and Terach asked who did it and he made up the story abt the biggest one wanting the food first. Ofc Terach thinks its ridiculous and Avraham tries to turn it around on him. Terach takes Avraham to King Nimrod and they go in circles about what he should worship and Haran thought he was safe either way. Avraham was thrown into the fiery furnace and saved by Hashem and then Haran went in and died in front of Terach.

Question 18

רמב”ם הלכות עבודה זרה א:ג

Answer 18

Even when he was young, his mind wandered and he knew that there was someone running the world bc how could it and not have a leader? But how could he have known bc there was no “Avraham” to teach Avraham. When he was 40 that’s when he recognized his creation. He recognized that Hashem made everything and runs everything. Then he tried to tell people of Ur Casdim and break idols. He stands up and believes in Hashem and gets others to believe he basically markets Hashem to the world.

Question 19

Pshat: Summarized by Nechama Leibowitz

Answer 19

Avrahm was supposed to be tried 10 times by Hashem but it wasn’t relevant that he was son/subject or or Terach/Nimrod but only that he was supposed to be father of Jewish people and speaker of the word of Hashem. The fact that Hashem chose him is evidence for why he was worthy to be chosen. (Midrash here isn’t important, hashem chose him just bc of him, that’s why he’s worthy. P’shat isn;t interested in why bc it isn’t relevant.)

Question 20

רש”י בראשית יא:א/ מדרש בראשית רבה

Answer 20

They focus on דברים אחדים, they spoke harshly against Hashem= waged war against him, and they feared another mabul and the tower was supposed to support the sky which showed they didn’t trust Hashem. The sin was between Adam L’Makom

Question 21

Rambam “Hakdama to Perek Chelek”: 3 approaches to Midrash

Answer 21

-First group is people accept Midrash at first glance and don’t think any deeper of it don’t think there’s a deeper message rambam thinks its a silly way to think
-second group is accepting Midrashim literally and think Chazal meant them literally, basically saying Chazal is stupid
-third group is people who understand that chazal taught midrash to teach deeper meaning and that this is meant to teach smth

Question 22

רש”י בראשית י”ב:א

Answer 22

Rashi is explaining that Lech Lecha means go for your own benefit. avraham was missing kids and a home and Hashem was providing him with those things. there he will know himself and recognize himself as teacher

Question 23

מלבים שם

Answer 23

Hashem tolf Avraham to Lech Lecha bc he had to separate from the destructive people around him. In order to do this one has to literally separate from the land where they are, separate from the people are their influential behaviors, and three; leave the place he grew up in like that. together these parts will help him differentiate and change himself

Question 24

רדק יב:א

Answer 24

He explains that there’s no deeper meaning behind it. That is simply just how the Torah writes sometimes.

Question 25

רמב”ן על בראשית י״ב:א

Answer 25

His question is why does he say basically the same thing three times, whats the progression? its basically hard to leave the place you’re living and settled in. it’s harder to leave the place you grew up in and its hardest to leave your fam behind. This progression is to highlight how dedicated Avraham is to Hashem