Parashat Mikeitz: Scavenger Hunt
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Devash: Scavenger Hunt

Parashah Scavenger Hunt שְׁאֵלוֹת הַשָּׁבוּעַ

Welcome to Devash's Parashah Scavenger Hunt for Parashat Mikeitz!
Aliyah 1 (Bereishit 41:1-14)
  • What two things did Yosef do to prepare for his meeting with Pharaoh?
  • In this aliyah, who mentions his own sin?
  • According to Yosef, why were Pharaoh’s dreams doubled?
  • When Pharaoh describes the dream with the cows, what detail does he include that does not appear in the previous aliyah, when we first hear about this dream?
  • What did Pharaoh place on Yosef’s neck?
  • What is described as being so much that it was impossible to measure, like the dust of the earth?
  • For how long did Yosef lock up his brothers?
  • How many times does the Torah mention that Yosef recognized his brothers?
  • Which two brothers argued with Yaakov that he should let Binyamin go down to מִצְרַיִם (Mitzrayim, Egypt) with them?
  • How much money did the brothers take the second time they went to Egypt?
Aliyah 6 (Bereishit 43:16-29)
  • What lie did the man in charge of Yosef’s house tell the brothers?
  • When Yosef finally sees Binyamin, he asks: “Is that your youngest brother whom you told me about?” Who answers Yosef’s question?
  • Yosef made sure that Binyamin got significantly more food at his house than any of his brothers. How much more food?
  • What does Yosef say about how he uses his silver goblet?
Look anywhere in the parashah to find the answer to these questions!
  • What did Yosef—supposedly a total stranger—do that shocked his brothers?
  • What was Yosef’s Egyptian name?
  • There are two seven-letter words in our parashah that have almost identical letters—except one letter differs—but have opposite meanings. What are these words?
  • What makes Yosef cry in this parashah?
  • How many times does the Torah tell us that Yosef’s brothers bow to him? When?
From the Haftarah for Shabbat Hanukkah (Zekhariah 2:14-4:7)
  • In this message from God, are חַיִל (hayyil, power) and כֹּחַ (ko’ah, strength) considered to be goals to strive for?
Scroll down to see the answers!
Answers: 
Aliyah 1
  • He shaved (or had a haircut) and changed his clothing
  • Pharaoh’s cupbearer (41:9)
Aliyah 2
  • As a sign that the message behind the dream was going to come true very quickly
  • That after the skinny cows ate the fat cows, the skinny ones were unchanged, and looked just as bad as ever (41:21)
Aliyah 3
  • A golden chain
  • The food that Yosef collected (41:49)
Aliyah 4
Aliyah 5
  • Reuven and Yehudah
  • Double the amount they first brought (43:15)
Aliyah 6
  • That he received their money for the grain and that the money in their sacks must have been a gift from God
  • Nobody! (43:29)
Aliyah 7
  • Five times more
  • For drinking and for divination (a kind of magical practice) (44:5)
From anywhere in the parashah
  • He seated them in age order
  • Tzafnat Paneiah
  • וַתִּכְלֶינָה/וַתְּחִלֶּינָה (va-tikhlenah/vatehilenah, they finished/they began)
  • Overhearing his brothers talking about their guilt for mistreating him (42:24) and seeing Binyamin together with the other brothers on their second trip to Mitzrayim (43:30)
  • Four times: (1) When they come to Mitzrayim for food for the first time (42:6); (2) when they arrive in Mitzrayim the second time and present their gifts to Yosef (43:26); (3) when they tell Yosef that their father is alive (43:28); (4) when they are brought back to Yosef after the goblet is found in Binyamin’s bag (44:14)
Haftarah
  • No. God tells Zerubavel (a leader in the Jewish community) that hayil and ko’ah are not what matter; God’s spirit is most important. (Zekhariah 4:6)