Torah Trivia for Parshah 11. Vayigash
1.) Who approaches Yosef in an attempt to save Benyamin; what does that person offer for the release of Benyamin; and how does Yosef respond?
Answer: Yudah approaches Yosef (Bereshit 44:18); and Yudah offers himself, as a slave, in exchange for the release of Benyamin (Bereshit 44:33); and Yosef responds by expelling all the Egyptians from his presence, bursting in tears, and revealing himself to his brothers (Bereshit 44:1 – 3).
2.) How many years are remaining within the famine when Yosef reveals himself?
Answer: Yosef reveals himself 2 years into the famine, and there are 5 years remaining for the famine; Bereshit 45:6.
3.) On how many occasions does Yosef communicate to his brothers that he is actually Yosef: a.) 1 occasion, b.) 2 occasions, c.) 3 occasions, d.) 4 occasions, and/or e.) 5 occasions?
Answer: Yosef communicates to his brothers that he is actually Yosef on d.) 4 occasions: 1st, when Yosef initially reveals himself (Bereshit 45:3); 2nd, after his brothers are speechless, Yosef proclaims his identity again (Bereshit 45:4); 3rd, vicariously, when he tells his brothers to tell Yaakov that he, Yosef, is in Egypt (Bereshit 45:9); and 4th, when he addresses his brothers again, specifically including Benyamin, and identifies himself as Yosef (Bereshit 45:12).
4.) In what area of land does Yosef promise that Yaakov and his brothers can settle within Egypt?
Answer: Yosef promises that Yaakov and his brothers can settle within the land of Goshen; Bereshit 45:10.
5.) What gifts does Yosef provide to his brothers; what gifts does Yosef provide to Benyamin; and what gifts does Yosef provide to Yaakov?
Answer: Yosef provides his brothers with wagons, food, and new clothing (Bereshit 45:21 – 22); he provides Benyamin with 300 fragments of silver and (presumably) 4 additional sets of clothing (Bereshit 45:22); and he provides Yaakov with 10 male donkeys loaded with the finest delicacies, and 10 female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food (Bereshit 45:23); and he provides all his brothers with (within one English translation), a command to abstain from being quarrelsome, (and somewhat distinctly within another English translation), good tidings for a “safe and pleasant journey”; (Bereshit 45:24) J.
6.) What is Yaakov’s immediate reaction when hearing the news about Yosef being alive and well in Egypt?
Answer: There is the English translation that Yaakov’s heart “goes numb” or “skips a beat” (Bereshit 45:26); upon learning further and seeing the donkeys with gifts, Yaakov proclaims that he must go to see Yosef before Yaakov passes (Bereshit 45:28).
7.) Where does Yaakov stop, on the way to Egypt, to make an offering to Adonai?
Answer: Yaakov stops in Beer-Sheva, and Adonai speaks to Yaakov and informs him of Adonai’s plans for the Tribes of Israel (Bereshit 46:1, 2 – 4).
8.) Within what Aaliyah, within a 1-year cycle of reading the Torah, are the descendants of Israel listed within this Parshah of Vayigash?
Answer: The descendants of Israel are listed (presumably) within the 5th Aaliyah, Bereshit 46:6 – 27:
Reuven and his sons: Enoch, Palu, Hezron, and Carmi (Bereshit 46:9);
Simeon and his sons: Yemuel, Yamim, Ohad, Yakhin, Zohar, and Shaul (from a Canaanite woman) (Bereshit 46:10);
Levi and his sons: Gershon, Kehath, and Merari (Bereshit 46:11);
Yudah and his sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Peretz, and Zerah; with Er and Onan previously passing, and the sons of Peretz being Hezron and Hamul (Bereshit 46:12);
Issachar and his sons: Tolah, Puvah, Yov, and Shimron (Bereshit 46:13);
Zebulun and his sons: Sered, Elon, and Yachleel (Bereshit 46:14);
Gad and his sons: Zifon, Hagi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli (Bereshit 46:16);
Asher and his sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and Beriah’s sons, Hever, Malkiel (Bereshit 46:17);
Yosef and his sons: Manasseh and Ephraim (Bereshit 46:20);
Benyamin and his sons: Bela, Bekher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Echi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard (Bereshit 46:21)
Dan and his son: Hushim (Bereshit 46:23)
Napthali and his sons: Yachtzeel, Gum, Yezer, and Shilem (Bereshit 46:24);
Israel’s daughter: Dinah (Bereshit 46:15); and,
Asher’s daughter: Serach (Bereshit 46:17).
9.) How many of Israel’s blood descendants travel with him from Canaan to Egypt; and who is actually listed as a blood descendant of Israel, yet is apparently excluded from this migration?
*Answer: (I am actually uncertain, as described within the discussion questions; the proceeding is a terse deduction based upon the explicit descriptions within this passage): Yaakov travels with 66 of his blood descendants, excluding the wives of his sons (Bereshit 46:26; 46:8 - 27); this excludes Yosef and his 2 sons, who are already in Egypt (Bereshit 46:27); this also apparently excludes Dinah (who, however, is presumably included, within the list, as 1 of the 33 blood descendants borne from Leah, which also seems to actually include Yudah’s 2 sons, Er and Onan, who previously pass away, in Canaan, and thus also presumably abstain from going to Egypt) (Bereshit 46:15); and this also apparently excludes Israel’s granddaughter, and Asher’s daughter, Serach (who, however, is also presumably included, within the list, as 1 of the 16 blood descendants borne from Zilpah) (Bereshit 46:17 – 18); Israel’s blood descendants from Rachel are listed at 14 (Bereshit 46:20 – 22); and Israel’s blood descendants from Bilhah are listed at 7 (Bereshit 46:23 – 25); this adds to a total of 70 people in Yaakov’s family residing in Egypt when Yaakov arrives in Egypt (Bereshit 46:27).
10.) Who does Yaakov send ahead of him to Goshen, and how many of his brothers does Yosef directly introduce to Pharaoh?
Answer: Yaakov sends Yudah ahead of him (Bereshit 46:28); and Yosef selects 5 of his brothers to directly introduce to Pharaoh (Bereshit 47:2).
11.) How old is Yaakov when he meets Pharaoh, and how many times does Yaakov bless Pharaoh?
Answer: The years of Yaakov’s sojourn are 130 (Bereshit 47:9); and Yaakov blesses Pharaoh twice, once when being introduced, and once when departing (Bereshit 47:7 – 10).
12.) On how many occasions are the arrangements discussed about Israel and his descendants living in Goshen: a.) 7 occasions, b.) 8 occasions, c.) arguably 9 occasions, and/or d.) 10 occasions?
Answer: the arrangements are discussed on c.) arguably 9 occasions:
Yosef first communicates the arrangements when he reveals himself (Bereshit 45:10);
Pharaoh then makes a general reference to Yosef for Yaakov’s family to settle in the most fertile land of Egypt (Bereshit 45:17 – 18);
then, there immediately is an “after-the-fact” description of Yosef’s brothers agreeing to Pharaoh’s instructions after Yosef apparently subsequently conveys these instructions to his brothers (Bereshit 45:21);
there is a later reference to these arrangements when Yaakov sends Yudah, ahead of him, to settle in Goshen, (Bereshit 46:28 – 29), the arrangements of which seem yet to be confirmed at this juncture because of the subsequent conversations with Pharaoh;
Yosef then approaches Pharaoh and communicates his family’s interest in settling within Goshen (Bereshit 47:1);
5 of Yosef’s brothers also similarly communicate an interest in settling within Goshen (Bereshit 47:2 – 4);
Pharaoh then responds by communicating directly to Yosef and permitting Yaakov’s family to live in Goshen (Bereshit 47:5 – 6);
there is then the description of Yosef making final arrangements for Yaakov’s family to settle within the “region of Rameses” (Bereshit 47:11);
and there is the concluding description of Yaakov’s family becoming prosperous during the famine (Bereshit 47:27).
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Discussion Questions:
Within this narrative of Yosef in Egypt, there is the consideration of Yosef being a visionary and commanding authority through his connexion with Adonai. And amidst this, there is the consideration of whether Yosef is inappropriately arrogant or simply fulfilling his responsibility as such a visionary. Yet, beyond this, there is also the consideration of how genuinely benevolent and compassion Yosef is, what lapses of compassion and benevolence may exist within his example, and what lessons may be derived from this. For example, there is the initial consideration of whether Yosef can be increasingly compassionate to the Egyptians, and rather than effectively capturing all the land and enslaving the Egyptians, he can provide sustenance equitably to the Egyptians, and whether that better compels the Egyptians to remember Yosef and his kindness hundreds of years later, rather than subsequently enslaving the Tribes of Israel? Also, when Yosef learns of the approaching famine, and amidst the substantial compassion he experiences towards Yaakov and his brothers and family, why does he abstain from sending warning to Yaakov and his brothers in Canaan about the famine? And, can there be any benefit in warning additional communities outside of Egypt about the famine so that these communities can also prepare, save grain, and endure the famine, or is there an intrinsic teaching for maintaining an advantage over others? Conversely, presumably the Egyptians are aware of Yosef stockpiling the massive mounds of grain within Egypt; so why do the Egyptians abstain from similarly saving grain in preparation for the famine? Can human slavery and warfare be prevented through proficient sharing and preventive cooperation? How does that look?
What is the nature of the communication between Yosef and Pharaoh, particularly regarding the invitation to the sons of Israel? Pharaoh essentially repeats exactly what Yosef initially communicates to his brothers, previously; however, it seems as though Pharaoh is making an authoritative proclamation of his own accord. Is this an accurate rendering amidst the English translation? Does Yosef initially communicate this invitation to Pharaoh and Pharaoh simply confirms this, or are Pharaoh and Yosef thinking in simpatico, or is Pharaoh overwhelmingly influenced by Yosef so that Pharaoh simply verbalizes Yosef’s suggestions, or is it something else?
Amidst the famine being anticipated for only an additional 5 years, there seems to be a substantial amount of permanence within the description of Yaakov and his sons moving to Egypt. Is this move exactly intended to last longer than 5 years? What is the nature of such migratory patterns during this point and location of history?
Is there any significance in the manner in which the sons of Israel are listed within this Parshah? Rather than strict chronological order, beginning with the eldest, the sons are listed according to the respective mothers of the sons, with Leah’s children listed first and Rachel’s children listed second to last. Within this list, is the “best” being saved for “second last,” or is there an alternative, intentional prioritisation being communicated within this list? It also seems to be other than within the chronological order of which mother gives birth first, as Rachel and her sons are included before Bilhah and her sons. Is there any connexion between this listing, the blessings that Israel provides later within the next Parshah of Vayechi, the marching order of the tribes of Israel amidst the subsequent travels through the wilderness, and/or additionally?
Amidst the description of the 12 sons of Israel, are there any continuing implication specifically derived from the respective maternal lineages that the sons of Israel respectively maintain (beyond the implications of the transgressions and behaviours that the sons of Israel respectively enact)?
Is there any significance in Yosef having children with an Egyptian woman? Does this having any subsequent implication regarding the apparent subsiding of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh and amidst the apparent “rise” of the tribes of Levi and Yudah? Do Yosef and Moshe experience an apparent phenomenon of “Egyptian neglect”?
Why are Israel’s blood daughters included within the “pre-census,” yet excluded from the migration? Is this a complete listing of all of Israel’s immediate children or are there possibly additional children; out of all of Israel’s dozens of children and grandchildren, are only 2
actually female?
*What are the exact computations regarding the direct blood descendants of Yaakov? There is the description of:
The 33 blood descendants borne from Yaakov and Leah (Bereshit 45:8 – 15):
Son Reuven Simeon Levi Yudah Issachar Zebulun
Grandsons Enoch Yemuel Gershon (Er) Tolah Sered
Palu Yamin Kehath (Onan) Puvah Elon
Hezron Ohad Merari Shelah Yov Yachleel
Carmi Yakhin Peretz Shimron
Zohar
Shaul
Grand Grandsons Hezron
Hamul
Subtotal 5 7 4 5 (7) 5 4
Daughter: Dinah
Total from Leah: 30 Living Sons/Grandsons, 2 Deceased Sons/Grandsons, and 1 Daughter: 33 Blood Descendants;
The 16 blood descendants borne from Yaakov and Zilpah (Bereshit 45:16 – 18):
Son Gad Asher
Grandsons Zifon Imnah
Hagi Ishvah
Shuni Ishvi
Ezbon Beriah
Eri
Arodi
Areli
Grand Grandsons Hever
Malkiel
Subtotal 8 7
Granddaughter: Serach
Total from Zilpah: 15 Sons/Grandsons, 1 Granddaughter: 16 Blood Descendants
The 7 blood descendants borne from Yaakov and Rachel (Bereshit 45:19 – 22):
Son Yosef Benyamin
Grandson Manasseh Bela
Ephraim Bekher
Ashbel
Gera
Naaman
Echi
Rosh
Muppim
Huppim
Ard
Subtotal 3 11
Total from Rachel: 14 Sons/Grandsons: 14 Blood Descendants
And the 7 blood descendants borne from Yaakov and Bilhah (Bereshit 45:23 – 25):
Son Dan Naphtali
Grandsons Hushim Yachtzeel
Gum
Yezer
Shilem
Subtotal 2 5
Total from Bilhah: 7 Sons/Grandsons: 7 Blood Descendants
This leaves the proceeding total of Israel’s listed blood descendants living in Egypt: 33 (from Leah) + 16 (from Zilpah) + 14 (from Rachel) + 7 (from Bilhah) = 70 Blood Descendants (including his daughter, Dinah and his granddaughter, Serach).
So, do Dinah and Serach actually travel with Yaakov, as part of the 66, from Canaan to Egypt? If so, that seems to equate to 67 blood descendants, rather than 66. Are Dinah and Serach excluded from the 66, and is Yaakov included within that number, effectively making it 66? And if so, what is the purpose of including Dinah and Serach within the list (and presumably connoting a certain amount of recognition and significance for both), yet excluding Dinah and Serach from actually travelling from Canaan to Egypt (presumably connoting a certain amount of apathy and insignificance for both)? It also seems as though Er and Onan are included within this census of the descendants of Israel living in Egypt, even though both are deceased before Yaakov travels to Egypt; is this accurate: are Er and Onan included within this census?
Is there any metaphysical and/or esoterically moral significance within the experience of the Egyptians literally being stripped bare and only existing as “bodies” and “land”? How do the notions of maintaining humility before Adonai, and “starting from scratch,” exist within this consideration?
There seems to be an interesting correlation between Yosef’s transfer of Egyptians from the fields into the cities, and the similar, eventual transition of slaves within the United States; there is also a terser comparison of Yosef’s subsequent taxation of 20% of the produce and the historic practise of sharecropping; is there any relevance to this comparison? Bereshit 47:21.
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