Torah Trivia for Parshah 1: Bereshit

Torah Trivia for Parshah Bereshit

1.) Within the story of Creation, which comes first, water or light?

Answer: Water is described first; Bereshit 1:2 – 3.

2.) What are the names of the 4 rivers in the Garden of Eden?

Answer: The rivers are: Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, Euphrates; Bereshit 2:11 – 14.

3.) What is the accurate order of the proceeding events:

a.) Adam and Chavah eat from the Tree of Knowledge;

b.) Chavah receives her name;

c.) Chavah bears Cain?

Answer: The order is a.) Adam and Chavah eat from the Tree of Knowledge, b.) Chavah receives her name, and c.) Chavah bears Cain; Bereshit 3:6; Bereshit 3:20; Bereshit 4:1.

4.) With whom does Seth have his son, Enosh?

Answer: There is an absence of any description of the specific name of Seth’s wife when describing the birth of Enosh; Bereshit 4:26. Presumably, his wife (wives) are either 1.) his sister(s), borne from Adam and Chavah and/or Adam’s descendents; Bereshit: 5:4; and/or, 2.) are Seth’s nieces (borne from Cain and/or his descendants; Bereshit 4:17 - 22).

5.) Out of the following lineage of fathers and sons, who lives the longest number of years: Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Yered, Enoch, Methuselah, Lemech?

Answer: The order, from longest-living to shortest-living, includes:

Methuselah, 969; Bereshit 5:27;

Yered, 962; Bereshit 5:20;

Adam, 930; Bereshit 5:5;

Seth, 912; Bereshit 5:8;

Kenan, 910; Bereshit 5:14;

Enosh, 905; Bereshit 5:11;

Mahalalel, 895; Bereshit 5:17;

Lemech, 777; Bereshit 5:31;

Enoch, 365; Bereshit 5:23.

6.) Out of these same men, who has children at the youngest age?

Answer: Technically, there is some uncertainty, because there is an absence of any explicit description when Cain is borne from Adam and Chavah. And further technically, there is an absence of the specific stipulation that the sons described, within each generation, actually being the first born, although there may be that presumption. From the explicit descriptions, the order, from youngest first-time father to oldest, includes:

Mahalel, 65; Bereshit 5:15; Enoch, 65; Bereshit 5:21;

Kenan, 70; Bereshit 5:12;

Enosh, 90; Bereshit 5:9;

Seth, 105; Bereshit 5:6;

Adam, 130; Bereshit 5:3;

Yered, 165; Bereshit 5:18;

Lemech, 182; Bereshit 5:28;

Methuselah, 187; Bereshit 5:25.

7.) According to the numbers, which of his descendants are actually born during the lifetime of Adam: Methuselah, Lemech, or Noah?

Answer: Methuselah and Lemech are born during Adam’s lifetime; Noah is born 126 years after Adam passes:

1.) Seth is born when Adam is 130; Bereshit 5:3;

2.) Enosh is born when Adam is 235 (Seth, 105); Bereshit 5:6;

3.) Kenan is born when Adam is 325 (Enosh, 90; Seth 195); Bereshit 5:9;

4.) Mahalel is born when Adam is 395 (Kenan, 70; Enosh 160; Seth, 265); Bereshit 5:12;

5.) Yered is born when Adam is 460 (Mahalalel, 65; Kenan 135; Enosh 225; Seth 330); Bereshit 5:15;

6.) Enoch is born when Adam is 622 (Yered, 162; Mahalalel, 227; Kenan, 297; Enosh, 387; Seth, 492); Bereshit 5:18;

7.) Methuselah is born when Adam is 687 (Enoch, 65; Yered, 227; Mahalalel, 292; Kenan, 362; Enosh, 449; Seth, 554); Bereshit 5:21;

8.) Lemech is born when Adam is 874 (Methuselah, 187; Enoch, 252; Yered, 414; Mahalalel, 479; Kenan, 549; Enosh, 636; Seth, 741); Bereshit 5:25;

9.) Noah is born 126 years after Adam passes (Lemech, 182; 58 years after Enoch passes; Yered, 596; Mahalalel, 672; Kenan, 731; Enosh, 818; 11 years after Seth passes); Bereshit 5:28 – 29.

Disclaimer: Yes, this Parshah is “Bereshit;” “Bamidbar” comes later J. However, you are welcome to check the math on this (I actually have to make some corrections when double-checking all the addition, and I have yet to make all the numbers coincide, however the numbers specifically regarding Adam seem solid).

8.) Out of Adam and all his descendants, who actually passes away first?

Answer: Abel passes first, and then Adam passes; however, Adam’s grand-grand-grand-grand-grandson, Enoch, only passes 68 years after Adam, and actually passes 47 years before Seth; Bereshit 4:25; 5:3 – 23.

9.) Is it interesting that Enoch lives the fewest number of years, and yet it is written that he is the one walks with Elohim, pleases Elohim, and disappears by being taken by Elohim?

Answer: “Yes,” “Maybe,” “Seriously?,”and/or “zzzzzz” J; Bereshit 5:22 – 24.

10.) Why do Cain’s son and Seth’s grand-grand-grand-grandson have the same name, “Enoch;” and why does Cain’s Enoch have a grand-grand-grandson and Seth’s Enoch have a grandson who are both named, “Lemech” (the former with a father named, “Methushael,” and the latter with a father named, “Methuselah”)?

Answer: Interesting question J; Bereshit, 4:17; 5:6 – 26.

11.) Is it possible that Shem, Ham, and Yefeth are triplets?

Answer: Maybe (I am honestly uncertain, yet think otherwise). It is written, in an English translation of Bereshit 5:32, that “(w)hen Noah was 500 years old, he had fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Yefeth.” Obviously this seems unusual, and the actual Hebrew may connote that, “by the time Noah is 500 years old, he has 3 sons,” rather than the literal, “when Noah is 500 years old, he has 3 sons.” There is also the possibility that Noah has three different wives, however, this seems even less plausible, particularly since, later in Bereshit 6:18, it is written: “Together you and your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives will be safe on the ark.” And it is similarly repeated further in the Parshah of Noah. However, this is simply a “TRIVIA” quiz, so where else can we put trivial questions J?

12.) After the Nephilim arrive, what is the life span limit that Adonai designates for mankind?”

Answer: The life span is 120 Years; Bereshit 6:3.

Discussion question: Why does God tell Adam and Chavah to abstain only from eating from the Tree of Knowledge, and then “lets” both eat from the Tree of Knowledge; and yet after both eat from the Tree of Knowledge, God expels both from the Garden of Eden before both can eat from the Tree of Life? Is it actually, initially OK for Adam and Chavah to eat from the Tree of Life, or is the Tree of Life the “serious” prohibition and the Tree of Knowledge simply a “reverse psychology” test from God wherein God plans the outcome? Bereshit 2:9; 3:22 – 24.