Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Parashah Scavenger Hunt שְׁאֵלוֹת הַשָּׁבוּעַ
Welcome to Devash's Parashah Scavenger Hunt for Parashat Vayeara!
Aliyah 1 (Bereishit 18:1-14)
- How does God change what Sarah had said when reporting it to Avraham?
- What question do Avraham’s guests ask?
Aliyah 2 (Bereishit 18:15-33)
- Avraham argues that if there are enough righteous people in Sedom, the whole city should be saved. What is the minimum number of righteous people Avraham asks for?
- According to Avraham, there might be some righteous people in Sedom. How many? What are the six possible numbers that Avraham mentions?
Aliyah 3 (Bereishit 19:1-20)
- There is a rare note called ׁשַלְׁשֶלֶת (shalshelet) in this parashah. It looks like this: ֓ On what word does it appear?
Look for the answer in Aliyah 4 (Bereishit 19:21-21:4)
- What curse did the household of Avimelekh suffer because he kidnapped Sarah?
- Who are the two people that God “remembers” in this aliyah?
Look for the answer in Aliyah 5 (Bereishit 21:5-21)
- What weapon is used to describe how far away Hagar sends her son?
- Why does Avraham throw a party?
Look for the answer in Aliyah 6 (Bereishit 21:22-34)
- What is the name of the general of Avimelekh, the king of the Plishtim?
- What does Avraham plant in Beer Sheva?
Look for the answer in Aliyah 7 (Bereishit 22:1-24)
- What is Rivkah’s relationship to Yitzhak?
- How many times are Avraham and Yitzhak described as “walking together”?
Look anywhere in the parashah to find the answer to these questions!
- This parashah explains how two cities got their names. What are they?
- How many words total does Yitzhak speak in this parashah?
- Aside from Sarah’s laughter, the parashah describes two other people as מְצַחֵק (metzahek, laughing/making fun). Who are they?
- Where was Hagar from?
- In this parashah, who calls whom a שֹׁפֵט (shofeit, judge)?
From the Haftarah (Melakhim Bet 4:1-23 for Sefardim and 4:1-37 for Ashkenazim)
- How is the woman able to repay her debts?
Scroll down to see the answers!
Answers:
Aliyah 1
- Sarah said, “וַאֲדֹנִי זָקֵן (va-adoni zakein, my husband is old),” but God reports that she said, “וַאֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי (va-ani zakanti, I am old),” when God discusses it with Avraham.
- “Where is Sarah, your wife?” (18:9)
Aliyah 2
- Ten
- 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, 10 (18:24-32)
Aliyah 3
- וַֽיִּתְמַהְמָ֓הּ (va-yitmahmah, he delayed)
Aliyah 4
Aliyah 5
- A bow-and-arrow: “כִּמְטַחֲוֵי קֶשֶׁת (kimtahavei keshet, as far as you would shoot an arrow)”
- For Yitzhak’s weaning (21:8)
Aliyah 6
- Pikhol
- An אֶשֶׁל (eshel, tamarisk tree) (21:33). According to R. Azariah in Midrash Tehillim, the three Hebrew letters in this word are an acronym for the ways that Avraham observed the mitzvah of הַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים (hakhnasat orhim, welcoming guests). Avraham provided אֲכִילָה (akhilah, food) and שְׁתִיָּה (shtiyah, drink) and לְוִיָּה (leviya, accompanying his guests on their way).
Aliyah 7
- She is the daughter of Betuel, who is the son of Nahor, who is the brother of Avraham, who is the father of Yitzhak; they are first cousins once removed
- Twice – once before Yitzhak asks where the animal for the sacrifice is, and once after (22:6,8)
From anywhere in the parashah
- Tzo’ar and Be’er Sheva
- Seven: “אֲבִי הִנֵּה הָאֵשׁ וְהָעֵצִים וְאַיֵּה הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה (father, here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the offering?)”
- Lot (described that way by his sons-in-law); Yishmael (seen this way by Sarah)
- Mitzrayim (Bereshit 21:9)
- Avraham calls God שֹׁפֵט כׇּל הָאָרֶץ (shofeit kol ha-aretz, Judge of the whole world) (Bereshit 18:25)
Haftarah
- Miraculous oil (Melakhim Bet 4:7)
-------------------
