Parsha Q&A - Beshalach
Parshas Beshalach
For the week ending 13 Shevat 5756; 2 &3 February 1996
Parsha Questions
Answers | Contents- Why did Hashem direct the Jewish People away from the land of the Philistines?
- Why did four-fifths of the Jewish People fail to leave Egypt?
- Why did Pharaoh decide to pursue the Jewish People?
- How was Hashem honored through Pharaoh?
- On what day did the Yam Suf divide?
- Why did the Egyptians want to pursue the Jewish People?
- From where did the Egyptians obtain animals to pull the chariots?
- In whose merit did the Yam Suf split?
- When Moshe stretched out his hands to divide the Yam Suf, which waters divided?
- Why were the dead Egyptians cast out of the sea?
- From which verse do we see that the Egyptians merited a burial?
- Why did "fear seize the inhabitants of Pelashes"? (15:14)
- Why is Miriam referred to as the sister of Aaron and not as the sister of Moshe? (15:20)
- Which sections of the Torah did the Jewish People receive at Marah?
- What is a chok (statute)?
- Why were Bnei Yisrael given meat in the evening, which was an inconvenient time for its preparation?
- Why were they given Manna in the morning, which was a convenient time?
- How did non-Jews experience the taste of the Manna?
- Which prophet of a future generation rebuked the Jewish People by showing them jar of Manna that was prepared by Moshe?
- Why did Moshe's hands become heavy during the war against Amalek?
 Answer Contents | Why did the Jewish People not become physically exhausted by traveling both day and night? (see 13:21) |
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I Did Not Know That!
The miracle of Manna was far greater than any of the other miracles
that occurred - even the splitting of the sea - since it was with
the Jewish People without fail for 40 years while the others were
'one-time' events.
Ibn Ezra
Recommended Reading List
- Ramban
- 14:4
- The Miracle of Egyptian Pursuit
- 14:13
- Promise or Command?
- 14:15
- No Need to Cry
- 14:21
- Nature or Miracle?
- 15:19
- When the Shira was Sung
- 16:4
- (second part) The Purpose of Trial
- 17:9
- The War Against Amalek
- Malbim
- 14:11-12
- Red or Dead
- 14:16
- The Ten Miracles of the Crossing of the Sea
- Ibn Ezra
- 14:13
- Slave Mentality
- 14:29-30
- Drowning and Dry Land
Answers to this Week's Questions
Questions | ContentsAll references are to the verses and Rashi's commentary, unless otherwise stated
- 13:17 - So that it would be more difficult for the Jewish People to return to Egypt.
- 13:18 - They died during the plague of darkness. (i.e., 3 million survived, 12 million didn't!).
- 14:2 - When he saw that the Jewish People turned back toward Egypt, he thought that they had lost their way.
- 14:4 - Through punishing him. When Hashem punishes the wicked His name is glorified.
- 14:5 - The seventh day of Pesach.
- 14:5 - To regain their wealth.
- 14:7 - From those Egyptians who feared the word of Hashem and kept their animals inside during the plagues.
- 14:15 - In the merit of the Jewish People's forefathers and also in their own merit since they trusted in Hashem and left Egypt.
- 14:21 - All the waters of the world.
- 14:30 - So that the Jewish People would see the destruction of the Egyptians and be assured of no further pursuit.
- 15:12 - "The earth swallowed them."
- 15:14 - Because they slew the members of the tribe of Efraim who had escaped from Egypt at an earlier time. They feared vengeance for this act.
- 15:20 - Aaron alone risked his life for her when she was struck with Tzara'as. (See Bamidbar 12:12)
- 15:25 - Shabbos, Red Heifer, Judicial Laws.
- 15:26 - A law whose reason we don't understand.
- 16:8 - To punish them for their unjustified requests for meat. They could have slaughtered their own animals for meat, and in addition, meat was considered a luxury.
- 16:8 - They justifiably complained that they lacked basic food for survival. The Manna was given for this purpose.
- 16:21 - The sun melted whatever Manna remained in the fields. This flowed into the streams from which animals drank. Whoever ate these animals experienced the taste of the Manna.
- 16:32 - Yirmiyahu (Chapter 2, Verse 31).
- 17:12 - Because he was remiss in his duty, since he, and not Yehoshua, should have led the battle.
 Question Contents | Since they were a large camp and could only travel a short
distance at a time, they traveled a small distance by day, rested,
and then traveled a small distance by night and rested again. |
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Written and Compiled by Rabbi Eliyahu Kane
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Lev Seltzer
HTML Design: Michael Treblow
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