CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE WEEKLY SEDRAH - PARSHAS PARSHAS LECH L'CHO 5770 - BS"D
1) Chapter 12, v. 2: "V'e'escho, va'avorech'cho, va'agadloh" - Rashi explains that Hashem promised Avrom that he would be wealthy, would be blessed with children, and would become famous. With Hashem guaranteeing all of the above, what was the test?
2) Ch. 14, v. 18: "U'Malki Tzedek"- Our verse starts by describing Malki Tzedek as a king. Then it says he gave Avrom bread and wine. Then it goes back to describing Malki Tzedek again as a Kohen, then back again to what he did, he blessed Avrom. Why the back and forth, and not giving us a continuous list of descriptions of who Malki Tzedek was, and then what he did?
3) Ch, 14, v. 23: "Mi'chut v'ad sroch na'al" - The Shulchan Oruch O.Ch. #2 says that one should put on his right shoe before his left one, but tie his left shoe first, similar to the binding of tefillin, where one binds the shel yad onto his left upper arm. Upon learning the gemoros Shabbos perek Kol Kisvei, one sees that many articles of clothing had right and left laces that were tied to keep them in place. If so, why is this halacha only mentioned regarding shoelaces?
4) Ch. 16, v. 7: "Va'yimtzo'oh malach" - Why does it say he FOUND her rather than he APPEARED to her?
5) Ch. 16, v. 12: "V'hu yi'h'yeh perre odom" - Shouldn't it say odom perre, since the noun always precedes its descriptive adjective?
ANSWERS:
#1
The Sfas Emes answers that this was exactly the point of the test. Hashem specifically let him know that he would be successful in all the above, and his motivation should be only because of the command. Indeed, the Torah points out that he went only because of Hashem's command, v. 4, "ka'asher dibeir eilov Hashem."
#2
Rabbi Meir of Premishlan answers that Avrom learned avodah from Malki Tzedek and Malki Tzedek learned g'milus chasodim from Avrom. The verse reads, "And Malki Tzedek the king of Salem, hotzi," extracted from his guest Avrom, "lechem vo'yo'yin," doing kindness by feeding guests, "v'hu," and he, Avrom, extracted, "Kohein l'Keil elyon," how to serve Hashem, from Malki Tzedek.
The Kehilas Yitzchok answers that the verse explains Malki Tzedek's ability to offer Avrom a lavish meal, because he was a king, i.e. wealthy. The verse then goes on to say that he blessed Avrom, and this was because he was a holy man, a Kohein.
#3
Possibly the types of clothing mentioned in the gemara were not commonplace at the time of the Shulchan Oruch and therefore not mentioned, but indeed if one were to wear something that requires tying both a right and left side, the left comes first. However, the Tosfos Rabbi Akiva Eiger on the above halacha quotes the sefer Eimek Hamelech, who says that since the gemara Sotah 17a says that in the merit of Avrom's saying that he would not even accept a shoelace, his descendants merited to have tefillin straps, it is specifically by the tying of shoelaces that we copy the tying of tefillin, and by no other garment.
#4
The Ragotchover Gaon says that since Hogor was on the path to Shur, which the Targum translates as Chagra, and the gemara Gittin 2a says that Chagar is outside of Eretz Yisroel, an angel does not usually appear in a visible manner in chutz lo'oretz. Therefore a term of finding is used to indicate that this was like perchance happening.
#5
Rabbi Shimshon R'foel Hirsch answers that the angel told Hogor that Yishmoel would be a "perre," a wild creature, "odom," in a human form. (V'chamoh keinim d'vorov)
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