Parashat Miketz - Questions
1. What is symbolized by the cows in Pharaoh's dream coming out of the Nile?
2. What is symbolized by the lean-fleshed cows swallowing the healthy cows?
3. "But there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh" – what do we learn from the words "unto Pharaoh"?
4. What does the title "Avrech" mean?
5. How was the food stored in the years of plenty?
6. Even though the people of Egypt had privet food storages it says that the whole of Egypt starved when the seven years of starvation began, why is this?
7. What did Yosef ask the Egyptians to do before providing them with food?
8. "And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt" – why are they not called sons of Ya'akov?
9. Why did Yosef's brothers not recognize him?
10. What was Yosef's basis for accusing the brothers of being spies and what was the brother's explanation?
11. Why did the brothers not realize that Yosef could understand their language?
12. What made Yosef cry?
13. "And he took Shimon from among them, and bound him before their eyes" what do we learn from the words "before their eyes"?
14. Why is it "an abomination unto the Egyptians" to eat with the Hebrews?

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Answers

1. It symbolizes that cows' nourishment is dependent on the water of the Nile.
2. It symbolizes that the all of the joy of the seven years of plenty will be forgotten in the seven years of hunger.
3. We learn that some interpretations ware offered but none of them satisfied Paraoh.
4. There are three opinions, 1. Father of Kingship. 2. Father of knowledge and young of age. 3. One before whom all bow.
5. The food was stored in many barns, each holding a small amount.
6. All the food in Egypt rotted except for the food stored by Yosef.
7. He asked them to circumcise themselves.
8. To teach us that they regretted selling him and had their heart set to treat him with kindness and pay any money for his freedom.
9. They did not recognize him because when they last saw him he did not have a beard.
10. The brothers had each entered the city through a different gate, which Yosef told them is proof of their searching for the city's weakness. The brothers explained that they were searching for their lost brother.
11. Because when they spoke to him he had an interpreter translate for him.
12. Yosef cried when he heard that they regretted selling him.
13. We learn that Yosef only kept him imprisoned until they left, after which he let him out and fed him.
14. Because the Hebrews eat lamb which is worshiped by the Egyptians.
Shabbat Shalom!