Names
Which two nations come from Lot?
19:37-38
How old was Yishmael when Yitzchak was born?
14
(we learned at the end of last week's Parsha that Avraham was 99 years old when he gave himself a bris milah, and Yishmael was 13. Avraham was 100 when Yitzchak was born, meaning Yishmael was 14 years old.)
What expression does the Torah use for malachim at the beggining of the Parsha?
"Anoshim"
Why did everyone rejoice when Yitzchak was born?
Many women were able to have children, many people were cured from illnesses, many prayers were answered.
21:6
Where do we see the saying "אמור מעט ועשה הרבה " play out, in this week's Parsha?
Avraham tells the Malachim he will bring them a little bread and water, and instead gives them an entire feast.
18:4-8
What is the name of the city where Avraham and Avimelech made a peace treaty?
Why was it called by this name?
Be'er Sheva
"Well of the oath"
21:31
How many angels, how many jobs, and what were they?
1. To inform Sarah she would give birth
2. To destroy Sdom
3. To cure Avraham
In the story of Lot, what object is mentioned 4 times?
Wine
19:32
19:33
19:34
19:35
Of all the foods that Avraham had prepared for the angels, which one did he not serve to them in the end? And why?
Bread. Sarah started menstruating while in the middle of kneading the dough, making it tameh. (does not apply nowadays)
18:8
What type of meat did Avraham offer the angels?
Tongue with mustard
What two names do we have for Yerushalayim in this week's Parsha?
Eretz HaMoriah
22:2
Hashem Yireh
22:14
How many people went with Avraham to the Akeidah (up until the 3rd day)?
Who were they?
Avraham
Yitzchak
Yishmael
Eliezer
The name "Yitzchak" is mentioned 12 times in the Parsha. But the Shoresh appears many more times than that.
Which two times do we see the shoresh expressed in a negative manner?
כִמְצַחֵ֖ק
19:14
in the eyes of his sons in law, Lot appeared to be joking
מְצַחֵֽק
21:9
Yishmael 'made sport' (avodah zarah, giluy arayos, shfichas domim)
Where did the angels meet Lot, and why was Lot there?
At the gates to Sdom. He was sitting there, to welcome guests, as he had been trained while living in Avraham's household, in the importance of Hachnasat Orchim.
19:1
What expression in this week's Parsha is said in Mussaf of Rosh Hashana davening?
וַֽיהֹוָ֛ה פָּקַ֥ד אֶת־שָׂרָ֖ה
"And Hashem remembered Sara"
(Zichronos)
21:1
What was the name of Lot's wife?
- Iris
Baal HaTurim 19:26
(ותבט) אשתו בגימטריא היא עירית:
The phrase "(ותבט) אשתו" (and his wife looked back) in gematria is equal to "היא עירית" (she turned into a pillar of salt).
- Or Idit (Midrash Tanchuma)
Of all the descendants of Nachor, which one has the biggest gematriah?
Tachash
708
תַּ֖חַשׁ
What was done 3 times by Avraham, and once by Avimelech?
woke up early in the morning -וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֥ם בַּבֹּ֑קֶר
19:27 - Avraham
20:8 - Avimelech
21:14 - Avraham
22:3 - Avraham
How do we see that Sarah had a higher level of Nevuah than Avraham?
21:12
כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֹּאמַ֥ר אֵלֶ֛יךָ שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלָ֑הּ
Rashi:
שְׁמַע בקולה - Heed her voice. I.e., to the Holy Spirit of prophecy within her. From here we learn that Abraham’s prophetic insight was lower than Sarah’s. שְׁמַע בקולה. לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהָיָה אַבְרָהָם טָפֵל לְשָׂרָה בִּנְבִיאוּת:
Where in this week's Parsha, do we find the source of the Minhag for Kos Shel Bracha?
18:9 - end of the Rashi
Whose name is mentioned most often in Parshat Vayeira?
(50 bonus points if you can figure out how many times it is mentioned)
Avraham
63 times
Find a word that appears 4 times in 1 Passuk, each time with a different trop (cantillation).
22:7
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִצְחָ֜ק אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֤ם אָבִיו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָבִ֔י וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֶּ֣נִּי בְנִ֑י וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֤ה הָאֵשׁ֙ וְהָ֣עֵצִ֔ים וְאַיֵּ֥ה הַשֶּׂ֖ה לְעֹלָֽה:
What request did Avraham and Lot say in common, and what were the different reasons behind each request?
"Wash your feet" to the angels.
Avraham: wash feet before entering the house, to wash away the dust which some people in those days worshipped.
Lot: spend the night first, and only then wash your feet, in order to fool the people of Sdom into thinking the guests had only just arrived and did not spend the night.
19:2
From where do we learn the idea that Hashem judges us based on where we are now, not what we used to be like or where we will end up?
21:17
בַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר הוּא־שָֽׁם
Where in this week's Parsha, do we find an expression which is used when someone loses an item and wants to find it?
וַיִּפְקַ֤ח אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־עֵינֶ֔יהָ וַתֵּ֖רֶא בְּאֵ֣ר מָ֑יִם
21:19
There is indeed a traditional prayer and procedure to be followed when seeking G‑d's assistance in retrieving a lost object.
The following is recited:
RabbiBinyamin said: All are presumed blind until the Holy One, blessed be He, enlightens their eyes. We know this from the verse:1 "G‑d opened her eyes and she went and filled up the water skin."2
(Say three times:) G‑d of Meir answer me!3
In the merit of the charity which I am donating for the sake of the soul of Rabbi Meir the Miracle Worker may I find (---) which I have lost.
Here is the prayer in the original Hebrew:
אָמַר רַבִּי בִּנְיָמִין: הַכֹּל בְּחֶזְקַת סוּמִין, עַד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵאִיר אֶת עֵינֵיהֶם
מִן הָכָא: "וַיִּפְקַח אֱלֹהִים אֶת עֵינֶיהָ וַתֵּרֶא בְּאֵר מָיִם וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתְּמַלֵּא אֶת הַחֵמֶת
אֱלָהָא דְּמֵאִיר עֲנֵנִי, אֱלָהָא דְּמֵאִיר עֲנֵנִי, אֱלָהָא דְּמֵאִיר עֲנֵנִי
בִּזְכוּת הַצְּדָקָה שֶׁאֲנִי נוֹדֵב לְעִלּוּי נִשְׁמַת רַבִּי מֵאִיר בַּעַל הַנֵּס, זְכוּתוֹ יָגֵן עָלֵינוּ, לִמְצוֹא אֶת (---) שֶׁאִבַּדְתִּי
Money is then donated to support the poor in Israel.