Torah Teasers
Parshas Noach
1. The Torah warns us (Noach 9:6) that someone who spills the blood of another human, should be killed. Why? The Torah continues, “Ki Btzelem Elokim Asah Es HaAdam; Because, “in the image of Hashem, man was made”. Killing a person is tantamount to destroying the image of Hashem Himself. Notes Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky, “Murder is the most heinous crime known to man of any persuasion. Why does the Torah need to give a reason that you are destroying a Tzelem Elokim? Ans… Indeed, says Rav Yaakov, left to human logic and barest morality, people will murder. They will surely come up with reasons and justifications for doing it. The Torah needed to give us a reason that stands beyond human logic and reproach. It is laying a hand on the image of Hashem for which there is no excuse. From here we see, says Rav Yaakov, that without Yiras Shamayim nothing is sacred and nothing will escape the corruption and perversion of human logic.
2. Noach took one pair of each non-kosher animal species in order to keep the specie alive after the Mabul. He also took seven pairs of each kosher animal so that he could offer them as korbanos after the mabul ended. Why did he need fourteen of each? Ans…. The Maskil L’Dovid answers that when a Nes happens to a person, he must thank Hashem for saving him in the past and also daven for the future. SImilarly, after the Mabul, each person needed two animals of each for a korban. One for his salvation from the Mabul and one for the future. Noach, his sons, and their wives, were a total of eight people. From the fourteen animals, one pair was needed to be let free and multiply in the land. That left 12 animals for eight people. Since Cham and his wife were Reshaim and disobeyed the command not to have relations on the Teivah, they did not need any Korban ( Zevach Resha’im To’eivah). The six remaining people took two each for a total of twelve.
3. “Vayimach Es Kol HaYikum MeiAl Pnei HaAdama, MeiAdam Ad Beheima.” (Parshas Noach, 7:23) In the Mabul everything was wiped out starting with the people, and only after that, the animals according to the Gemara (Brachos 61a). Why did the animals die? Ans …The Vilna Gaon says that it wasn’t because of their sins. Although even the animals behaved in a corrupt way, they were not guilty since it was the influence of man. “If the animals really deserved to die,” says the Gra, “they should have died first, since when it comes to punishment, we start with the least important one first.” The reason why the animals died was that the animals were only created to complete the world for mankind, who is the purpose of creation. The Mabul was meant to punish man for his aveiros. However, once there was no mankind left, the animal lost their purpose, and therefore, they died as well.
4. The waters of the Mabul were 15 Amos taller than the tallest mountain.” The pasuk tells us that when the waters went down 15 Amos, the Tayvah landed on Har Ararat. This seems to be telling us that Har Ararat was the tallest mountain. Can this be? We know that Mt. Everest in the Himalayas and Mt McKinley in Alaska are both taller than Ararat. Ans… The Netziv answers that in those days Har Ararat was actually the tallest mountain. It was only due to the change of the earth’s surface after the Mabul that caused certain mountains to shrink and others to become taller. That is how these other mountains attained greater heights than Ararat.
5. Parshas Bireishis ends with the Torah telling us that Noach found favor in Hashem’s eyes. Parshas Noach begins by telling us the children of Noach. Why did Noach not die as a Kapara for the generation as Tzaddikim usually do? Ans…The Chasam Sofer explains the connection as follows. The Gemara in Shabbos (33b) tells us that a Tzaddik is taken from us as a kapara for the generation. The tzadik is the Korban that helps us avert disaster. The Chasam Sofer says that this, however, is not the case if the tzadik is destined to have worthy children. In that case, the tzadik must live and cannot save the generation. In Parshas Bireishis the Torah told us how the generation was very evil, and Noach was a Tzadik. In Parshas Noach, Hashem pays them for their bad ways with a Mabul. Why wouldn’t Noach’s petira be the perfect solution to save the world? To answer this question the Torah tells us, “Eileh Toldos Noach,” Noach had three children whom he needed to guide on the good path and wasn’t a viable option for a korban.
6. The story of the Dor Haflaga is one of the very enigmatic stories in the Torah. What happened and what was their aveira? Like the Drashos HaRan asks, “What is wrong with unity?” Ans… Rav Isaac Sher explains the Ibn Ezra who says that Nimrod was “Gibor Tzayid”, meaning that he slaughtered animals to Hashem. Nimrod respected power. He didn’t bring domestic animals for Korbonos, he brought lions and eagles, the mightiest animals of the animal kingdom. This was a symbol of strength. Nimrod respected Hashem and since he was so powerful himself, he ruled the world while Hashem ruled the Heavens. This infatuation with power did not let him humble himself before Hashem. The reason why he built the tower was to prevent them from doing avoda zara. He wanted to rule over a place of Torah and ruchniyus and didn’t want them to err and cause another Mabul. On the outside his plan looked good; however, his intentions were not as pure, since he couldn’t bring himself to humble himself before Hashem. That is why it says Hashem went down to see the Migdal. Hashem needed to look deep into the heart of the leader of this seemingly beautiful colony. Hashem understood the danger in a leader like Nimrod, and, therefore, spread the people far and wide to get them away from him.

Among the great tzaddikim of the generations was the Gaon Rav Shimshon, z’tl, who the Av Beis Din of Zivlin. Not much was known about him, but a few stories about him were passed down through the generations. The Admor Rav Avraham Weinberg, z’tl of Slonim, would frequently tell over this story about him with great emotion.
When Rav Shimshon was chosen to serve in Zivlin, he made his position contingent on two conditions. The first condition was that the kehilla would not make any changes without his agreement. The second condition concerned his constant toil in Torah. In order not to lose precious time from his learning, he would judge kehilla matters and answer questions only on Motzei Shabbos.
One weekday, Rav Shimshon’s wife went to the market, and spotted a fish she wished to buy Lekavod Shabbos. The wife of a rich man in town was standing there, and she wanted the same fish, and she raised the price and bought it. During the discussion between the two women, the woman spoke extremely brazenly against the Rebbitzen. Everybody around was shocked at the woman’s harsh language, and people started murmuring, “It’s an offense to the kavod of Torah; the wife of a chaver is like the chaver.”
The heads of the city decided that this woman and her family must be penalized for her offensive behavior. However, they were obligated to procure the agreement of the Rav, and that could not happen until Motzei Shabbos. Meanwhile, the heads of the city approached the Rebbitzen, and they asked her to prepare the groundwork by bringing up the painful story to her husband over Shabbos.
On Friday night, the Rebbitzen told R’ Shimshon the story of what happened to her, and how the leaders of the city were prepared to discuss it with him on Motzei Shabbos.
Rav Shimshon asked his wife, “When did this happen?” She answered, “On Tuesday.”
Rav Shimshon paled and called out in a stricken voice, “Tuesday, Tuesday! And from Tuesday until today, you have held a grudge in your heart against a Bas Yisroel!!” At the sound of his mighty voice, the Rebbitzen became frightened, and accepted his rebuke. She quickly said, “I forgive her with complete forgiveness.”
However, Rav Shimshon was not yet satisfied with his wife’s forgiveness. “You must go appease her.” Immediately, they went together to the rich man’s house. When they knocked, and the family inside heard the Rav identify themselves, they became frightened. Who knows what kind of din the Rav would decide for them?
They opened the door, and the people in the household fell at the feet of the Rav, crying and pleading that he please forgive them. “You have to ask forgiveness from us?” the Rav cried. We have come to request forgiveness from you, for a grudge harbored in the heart since Tuesday!”
When they heard this, they cried out, “You need to ask forgiveness? We caused this terrible incident, by offending the kavod of the Torah.” The two sides wept on each other’s shoulders and parted in shalom. (Chayim Sheyash Bahem -Yalkot Lekach Tov)
Who Knows One
Q. Of which two people in the Torah can it be said that their names spelled backwards are words used by the Torah to describe them?
Answer: Noach and Er, son of Yehuda. Concerning Noach the possuk says “Noach found favor (chein) in Hashem’s eyes.” In Hebrew, Chein is Noach spelled backwards. Concerning Er the possuk says “and Er, Yehuda’s firstborn, was evil (rah) in Hashem’s eyes. In Hebrew, Rah is Er spelled backwards.
Q. Which person in Tanach was born before his mother ever was, died before his father, and is buried in his grandmother?
Answer: Hevel: Born before his mother ever was — his mother, Chava was never “born.” Died before his father Adam – Hevel was killed by his brother. Buried in his grandmother – his father, Adam, came from the earth, so the earth is his “grandmother.”
Q. Who was the first person to die after the Mabul?
Answer: On the possuk “Charan died in the presence of his father,” the Zohar states that Charan was the first person to die in his father’s lifetime. The Vilna Gaon explains that this refers to those who died after the Flood, because before the flood we do find those who died in their fathers’ lifetimes.
Q. Shemoneh Esrei consists of 19 brachos. Who, when, where and in what situation does a person say 21 brachos during the repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei?
Answer: A kohen in Yerushalayim davening for the amud on a fast day. On a fast day, the baal tefilah adds the “aneinu” bracha during chazoras hashatz in the morning and afternoon Shemoneh Esrei. If he is a kohen, he will also say a bracha before bircas kohanim. Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 566:1
Know Your Gedolim…
Who Is This?

Talk the Talk — Walk the Walk
It was a month before my Bar Mitzvah and we entered the dark cold suit department in a store in Boro Park. I felt the salesman’s cold fingers on my neck ushering me to the back near the dressing room. He was all business, sorting through the rack, re-arranging the five dark sleeves from which I was supposed to choose one. My heart sank at the sight of suits only my father might wear. I shrugged, eyes tearing.
“Try one on, just for size,” he said. Another salesman hurried over, baggy pants flopping over his brown shoes, “Just for size, young man. You don’t have to get it.”
I was old enough to know what they were doing, but too young to stop it. I knew then that I would end up with the same suit I tried on, so I tugged on the least old-man-ish one of the five. My mother said it was charcoal grey and very handsome.
The salesman held out the jacket like a matador holds a cape. As soon as I was locked in, he jerked down the back, walked around to the front and tugged at the lapels, then the sleeves, then buttoned all three buttons – despite my protest that I would never button my jacket.
“Perfect!” he exclaimed to my mother. I was then handed the slacks and ordered into the changing room where the tailor was located. The slacks were two feet too long, baggier than my pajamas, and the crotch was located somewhere near my knees.
I waddled out of the dressing room with a wad of grey material bunched around my white socks and a silly grin on my face, anticipating the howls of laughter when they realized their error.
“Gudt!” spat out the short, balding tailor, pins between his shadowy lips. He also wore baggy pants; his sleeves were rolled and his tie loosened. He said, “Get up there,” pointing to the carpeted riser.
The man then put his stubby fingers through the belt loops near my hips and hiked the pants up just below my neck. “Dat’s not vere a man vears his pants, sonny…on your vaist!”
“But I don’t…”
“You’ll vear ’em on your vaist,” followed by another tug on the belt loops.
Next he slid the yellow tape measure from around his neck, pressed one end all the way up my thigh and slid the other down to my ankle making me bend over, a shocked giggle at this invasion of privacy. “Straighten up, sonny!” he scolded.
I straightened up, turning for support to my mother who was then busy fussing with things in her purse. “Remember, Ma?” I sputtered, “I want no cuffs?”
“Vat?” said the tailor.
“No cuffs,” I mumbled, “all the kids–”
“No!” he cut me off. “Dese aren’t dunkarees, sonny. You vant to be a man, you dress like a man!”
He then solemnly scratched his hieroglyphics all over the material with a thin sliver of chalk and, when he was finished, took my limp palm as if we were shaking hands: “I’ll make y’adeal, sonny. I’ll make ’em small cuffs!”
I shut my mouth and smiled. Derech eretz, I was told, comes before anything else.
At my bar mitzvah, a month later, I looked like I had gone up to our hot attic and slipped on something my father wore to work–big padded shoulders, oversized pants up to my chest, and enormous cuffs that fell like living room drapes around my shiny black shoes. All day, which included the unrelenting demand for manly handshakes from uncles and relatives I didn’t know, I felt like a boy in man’s clothes. That night I hung the suit in my closet and thought about the tailor’s words — You vant to be a man, you dress like a man. I was now a man and needed to dress like a man, so I grabbed my jacket and hat and rushed to go to maariv. Maybe one day, I would wear that suit again…or maybe not.
The Geula — What to Expect
The Rainbow, Its Symbolism, And Why It Didn’t Exist Before The Mabul
The rainbow is shaped like an archer’s bow. The Nevi’im tell us that when Moshiach comes, the Keshet or bow will no longer be an instrument of battle and death, it will be used to help mankind sustain life by working the ground. “Similarly,” says Rav Yehonoson Eibushitz, “when Hashem is battling us, Chas V’Shalom, the bow would be facing downwards to the earth, to shoot arrows. His promise after the Mabul is that if He wants to battle us, he will flip the bow upside down. This shows that we are the ones fighting Hashem but in his mercy he will not punish us.”
“The rainbow,” says Rav Yehonoson Eibushitz, “is a natural phenomenon made up of dirty cloudy air, struck by the rays of the sun. These two element symbolize a human being’s two main excuses for failure to live up to his mission in life of keeping Torah and mitzvos. First, is that we are made of earth which dirties and clouds our pure and clean neshama. Our second excuse is that we were born with bad mazal. Our inborn traits prevent us from doing Hashem’s will. Mazal is represented by the sun. Therefore, when Hashem is angry, He looks at the rainbow and consoles himself over human failings and does not vent His wrath upon us.”
Before the Mabul the air was always crisp and clear. A rainbow was not possible. Only after the Mabul, when the atmosphere became less pure. was a natural rainbow possible.
The Comfort In Eretz Yisroel’s Indigestion
Rashi says that it is a great favor for Bnei Yisroel that when we are spit out from Eretz Yisroel and sent into Galus, the land will be desolate and our enemies will not be able to successfully inhabit it. What difference does it make to us if someone else inhabits Eretz Yisroel in our absence or not? In fact it may even be beneficial to have someone keep it warm, so that when we return it will not be a wasteland and we will not need to build from scratch.
The Bais HaLevi explains that the reason we are sent out into galus is because Eretz Yisroel is the Makon HaShechina and is an acutely sensitive land. It is completely Kadosh and cannot tolerate aveiros. If in our absence it remains desolate and uninhabited by others, it is a sign that its kedusha has not gone away, and Eretz Yisroel will not accept any other sinful nation. This is testimony to the fact that Eretz Yisroel is still waiting for her struggling sons and daughters who linger in the galus. She is yearning for us to do Tshuva and return home to the loving embrace of her borders.
Eretz Yisroel’s Border Patrol And The Leaders Of The Free World
Parshas Lech Licha, Hashem tells Avrohom that he will give his children Eretz Yisroel, “LaAchuzas Olam” (17:8). Rashi says that Hashem will be our Hashem in Eretz Yisroel. However says Rashi, a Ben Yisroel who lives in Chutz LaAretz, is as if he doesn’t have a Hashem. The Sifsei Chachomim brings the Maharal in Gur Aryeh, that says that each nation has a Sar, a minister in heaven that oversees the needs of that country. Eretz Yisroel has no Sar. Hashem’s directly oversees all that goes on within its borders. A person who crosses the border out of Eretz Yisroel is leaving the direct control of Hashem and subjecting himself to a Sar.
Of course a Sar has no power other than is allocated to him by Hashem. The ministers all line up at the border of Eretz Yisroel and wait for the spillover of Shefa Bracha that Hashem sends down to the world through Eretz Yisroel. They then take it back to their nation. A country’s prosperity depends on the power of its Sar in Shamayim. When Hashem wants to topple a nation, he topples its Sar in Shamayim. The earthly leader of the nation is in the same mold as their Sar above. (The Minchas Eluzer of Munktach, in the 1930’s, said of Czechslovakia that they are not a legitimate nation, since he knows they have no Sar in Shamayim. This angered the government to no end.)
As you can imagine the Yehudim of each nation are not first on the distribution list when the Sar divides up its allocation. We must wait our turn to get the leftovers from what the Sar has obtained. So while in Eretz Yisroel the Yehudim get their bracha directly from Hashem, in Chutz LaAretz we must subsist on leftovers of the leftovers. Im Kol Zeh Achakeh Lo B’Chol Yom SheYavo!

This week’s Torah is B’Zchus:
Distributed by the Chevre Marbitz Torah D’NMB

Created By Rov Allen Sherman