Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Parashah Scavenger Hunt שְׁאֵלוֹת הַשָּׁבוּעַ
Welcome to Devash's Parashah Scavenger Hunt for Parashat Vayigash!
Aliyah 1 (Bereishit 44:18-30)
- According to Yehudah, what two words did Yaakov use to describe Yosef’s apparent death? Note that these two words are the same except for their vowels.
- What are two different ways that Yehudah describes the relationship between Yaakov and Binyamin?
Aliyah 2 (Bereishit 44:31-45:7)
- How long had the famine been going on when Yosef revealed himself to his brothers?
- What do the Egyptians overhear when Yosef reveals his identity to his brothers?
Aliyah 3 (Bereishit 45:8-18)
- Where did Yosef plan for his family to live in מִצְרַיִם (Mitzrayim, Egypt)?
- What does Pharaoh think about Yosef’s brothers showing up?
Aliyah 4 (Bereishit 45:19-27)
- How many donkeys did Yosef send back to his father?
- How does Yaakov first react when he is told that Yosef is alive?
Aliyah 5 (Bereishit 45:28-46:27)
- How many children did Binyamin have?
- Who is Asher’s daughter?
Aliyah 6 (Bereishit 46:28-47:10)
- How old was Yaakov when he met Pharaoh?
- Whom does Yaakov bless?
Aliyah 7 (Bereishit 47:11-27)
- After they ran out of money, how did the Egyptians pay Yosef for grain
Look anywhere in the parashah to find the answer to these questions!
- The parashah says that Yaakov had 33 descendants through Leah, who came to Mitzrayim. Check the math! What is strange about this number?
- How many times in the parashah does it say that Yosef cried?
- What fraction of the Egyptian farmers’ produce had to go to Pharaoh as part of the deal made with Yosef?
- How long had the famine been going on when Yosef revealed himself to his brothers?
From the Haftarah (Yehezkel 37:15-37:28)
- What do the two sticks represent?
Scroll down to see the answers!
Answers:
Aliyah 1
- טָרֹף טֹרָף (tarof toraf, torn [by beasts])
- Yehudah says that Yaakov loves Binyamin (44:20), and that their souls are tied together (44:30)
Aliyah 2
- Two years
- Yosef crying (45:2)
Aliyah 3
- The land of Goshen
- He thinks it’s good (45:16)
Aliyah 4
- 10 male donkeys and 10 female donkeys
- He does not believe it (see Midrash section for an explanation of what makes Yaakov believe) (45:26)
Aliyah 5
- 10
- Serah (46:17)
Aliyah 6
- 130
- Pharaoh (47:10)
Aliyah 7
- With their animals (47:17)
From anywhere in the parashah
- If you count the people actually listed (excluding Er and Onan who already died, so they never made it to Mitzrayim), there are only 32
- Four times: when he first revealed himself (45:2), while embracing Binyamin (45:14), while embracing his brothers (45:15), and when reuniting with his father (46:29) – though in this last one it’s not obvious who is doing the crying, see פַּרְשָׁנוּת /Commentary.
- One-fifth
- Two years (45:6)
Haftarah
- The two kingdoms, Yehudah and the rest of Yisrael (led by Efrayim, who is Yosef’s son), joining together to become one unified kingdom (Yehezkel 37:16-19)
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