Sarah, Queen of Egypt!
The Chasam Sofer quotes the Ramban that Sarah Imeinu was actually the Queen of Mitzrayim for six months! Only afterwards did Pharaoh receive his punishment.
The Power of the Imagination!
Chazal tell us that when Avraham Avinu fought with the four kings, he threw sand, which turned into arrows. The Yalkut Me’am Loez explains that the sand didn’t turn into arrows physically. Rather, when the kings saw Avrohom throwing sand, they imagined that it must be some dangerous gun powder, and they actually died from the fear generated by their own imagination.
Who Was Avrohom’s Mohel?
There are several opinions about who performed Avrohom’s bris. The Pirkei D’rebbi Eliezer says that Shem, the son of Noach, was the mohel. Another Medrash says that Avrohom did it himself, while Hashem held his hand to help him.
Story
There once lived a Yid named Yakov. He was a simple, honest Jew, who worked as a carpenter. His business went fine in general, and he was able to give tzedaka to support Torah learning. But personally, he was very bothered by his own level of learning. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t remember anything he learned!
One day, a very weak and frail Yid came to Yakov’s town. When Yakov asked why he was so weak, he answered that he had fasted for many years as a z’chus to help him understand his learning. Yakov decided then and there to do the same. He would fast and go out to the forest every day to daven to Hashem that he should also succeed in learning.
Once, while he was crying in the forest, a Yid walked over to him and asked him why he was crying. He explained what he was davening for, and this other Yid offered him a solution. If Yakov were to give him all his money and travel around the world in galus, he would be sure to master the entire Torah in three years. However, he insisted Yakov ask his wife before taking such a step. Yakov’s wife encouraged him to do it, and even told him that he must go immediately!
After three years, Yakov returned, having mastered all of the torah, including kabbalah! He built a new business and secretly kept learning, and had an amazing, fruitful life!
The Baal Hatanya related this story, and said that the Yid who took Yakov into galus with him was none other than the Baal Shem Tov himself, before he became revealed to the world.
The Baal Hatanya then added that when Yakov and his wife passed away, they were given an amazing portion in Gan Eden. And they would announce that everything Yakov had accomplished was truthfully because of his wife, who pushed him to grow. The Baal Hatanya concluded by applying the posuk from our parsha — “vchayso nafshi biglaleich, his nefesh lives on only because of her!”
#1 We know there was a famine in Eretz Yisroel. Did the famine spread elsewhere?
#2 We’re told that Avraham and Lot were “achim, brothers.” But we know that really, they were uncle and nephew. So what does the verse mean by calling them brothers?
#3 Was king “Malkitzedek” known by any other names?
Answers: 1) The famine stayed within the borders of Eretz Yisroel, to serve as a test of Avrohom Avinu. (Rashi 12:10) 2) Close relatives can also be referred to with the word “achim.” (Rashi 13:8) 3) Yes, he was actually Shem, the son of Noach!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 103.