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1)

(a) What does Rav mean when, based on the Pasuk in Zecharyah "Madu'a Shovevah ha'Am ha'Zeh Yerushalayim, Meshuvah Nitzachas", he says that K'lal Yisrael had an irrefutable reply to the Navi's call to do Teshuvah, because their fathers, who sinned, were no longer there?

(b) What made them nevertheless retract and admit that the Navi was right (see Agados Maharsha)?

(c) According to Shmuel, their irrefutable reply took the form of ten men who came and sat before the Navi.
What did they claim (in connection with a master who had sold his servant)?

(d) What was the Navi's reply?

(a) Which Pasuk does Resh Lakish quote from Yirmiyah to offset the fact that Hashem did sell Yisrael to Nevuchadnetzar? How does Yirmiyah refer to Nevuchadnetzar?

(b) What did Yechezkel, quoting Hashem Himself, have to say about those people who insisted that Hashem did indeed sell Yisrael, and that they were now free of His yoke?

(c) And what did Rav Yosef comment about that ('Kol Ki Hai Rischa')? (d) Rabah bar bar Chanah explains a Pasuk in Yeshayah.
What did Yisrael answer when the Navi told them ...

1. ... to do Teshuvah?
2. ... to keep their Yetzer-ha'Ra in check?

(a) What is 'Bilam' the acronym of (besides 'Bala' [with an 'Ayin', meaning that he tried to destroy the people]), or "b'Lo Am" [with an 'Alef'], meaning that he has no portion in the people [Yisrael], in spite of his request "Tamos Nafshi Mos Yesharim")?

(b) And what do we Darshen from "ben Be'or"?

(c) Be'or had quite a distinguished history.
Who, besides Lavan in the past, was he destined to become in the future?

(d) Why does Bilam, in Balak, refer to himself as "b'no Be'or" (rather than 'ben Be'or')?

(a) What do we extrapolate from the fact that specifically Bilam has no portion in Olam ha'Ba?

(b) According to Rebbi Eliezer in a Beraisa, the Pasuk in Tehilim "Yashuvu Goyim li'She'olah" refers to the sinners of Yisrael who will go to Gehinom, and not receive a portion in Olam ha'Ba.
To whom does "Kol Goyim Shechechei Elokim" then refer to?

(c) How does Rebbi Yehoshua interpret the Pasuk?

(d) Who is now the author of our Mishnah?

(a) What did Bilam mean when he said "Tamos Nafshi Mos Yesharim, u'Sehi Acharisi Kamohu"?

(b) The Torah describes how the elders of Midyan and Moav went to Bilam. How do we explain this in light of the fact that these two nation were always at war?

(c) What Mashal do we give to two dogs?

(d) And what adage did Rav Papa quote about a weasel and a cat that is based on the same idea?

(a) Why did only the elders of Moav remain with Bilam overnight? What happened to the elders of Midyan?

(b) How does Rav Nachman explain the fact that Hashem later permitted Bilam to accompany the elders of Moav, after having first refused?

(c) How did Rav Sheishes describe Chutzpah?

(d) How did he prove it from the words of David Hamelech "ve'Anochi ha'Yom Rach u'Mashu'ach Melech, ve'ha'Anashim ha'Eileh ... Kashim Mimeni"? To which men was he referring?

(a) How does Rebbi Yochanan explain the difference between the Pasuk "Vayeilech *Shefi*" (in Balak, in connection with Bilam) and that of "*Shefifon* Alei Orach" (in Vayechi, in connection with Shimshon)?

(b) And how does he explain the Pasuk in Balak ...

1. ... "S'sum ha'Ayin"?
2. ... "*Nofel* u'Geluy Einayim" (based on the Pasuk in Esther "ve'Haman Nofel al ha'Mitah")?

(c) In a separate Machlokes, Mar Zutra agrees with Rebbi Yochanan's last statement.
How does Mar B'rei de'Ravina interpret "Nofel" (see Hagahos ha'G'ra), based on the Pasuk in Shoftim (in connection with Ya'el and Sisra) "Bein Raglehah Kara, *Nafal*, Shachav"?

8)

(a) What is strange about the description of Bilam "ve'Yode'a Da'as Elyon"?

(b) What did Bilam reply when the men who were accompanying him asked him why he was riding on an ass and not on a horse?

(c) And what did he reply when the ass asked him whether he was not ...

1. ... his ass? ...
2. ... on whom he rode?

(d) The ass' final words on the matter were not very complimentary. Besides reminding Bilam that he had never ridden on any horse, what do we learn from the Gezeirah-Shavah "ha'Hasken Hiskanti" from "Vatehi Lo Sochenes" (Melachim [concerning Avishag ha'Shunamis and David Hamelech])?

(a) So what does "ve'Yode'a Da'as Elyon" mean?

(b) How will this help us to understand the Pasuk in Michah "Ami Z'char Na Mah Ya'atz Balak ... Lema'an Da'as Tzidkos Hashem"?

(c) What did that cause Bilam to declare to Balak?

(d) What do we learn from the Pasuk in Tehilim "Ki Rega be'Apo" to explain the Pasuk there "ve'Keil Zo'em be'Chol Yom"?

(a) That moment would occur some time during the first three hours of the day.
What caused Hashem to get angry then?

(b) What sign did Hashem plant in the creation to know when it arrived?

(c) But did that not happen all the time?

(d) What happened to Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi, when he attempted to curse a heretic who caused him constant trouble, by tying a rooster to his leg (to curse the heretic, the moment its comb turned white)? What lesson did he learn from the incident?

(a) What does Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar in a Beraisa learn from the fact that ...

1. ... Avraham arose early to go to the Akeidah?
2. ... Bilam saddled his own ass to go and curse Yisrael?

(b) What did Balak do to merit a descendant of the caliber of Rus?

(c) What does Rav Yehudah Amar Rav learn from there?

(d) What was the name of Rus' father (or grandfather)?

(a) Rava asked Rabah bar Mari how Benayahu ben Yehoyadah could possible say to David "Yeitiv Elokim es Shem Shlomoh mi'Shimcha, ve'Yigdal es Kos'o mi'Kis'acha" (Melachim). To answer the Kashya, Rabah bar Mari took his cue from the Pasuk in Shoftim "Tevorach mi'Nashim, Ya'el, Eishes Chever ha'Keini". To which women does "mi'Nashim" refer?

(b) Based on that Pasuk, how does Rabah bar Mari interpret the Pasuk in Melachim?

(c) Rebbi Yossi bar Choni however, learns the Pasuk in Melachim literally.
What does he derive from ...

1. ... there?
2. ... the Pasuk also in Melachim (in connection with Elisha and Eliyahu) "Viyehi Na Pi Shenayim be'Ruchacha Eilai"?

(d) Alternatively, he learns the latter Chidush from the Pasuk in Pinchas (in connection with Moshe and Yehoshua) "Vayismoch es Yadav Alav Vayetzaveihu".
What is the proof from there?

(a) According to Rebbi Elazar "Vayasem Davar be'Fi Bilam" refers to an angel, who made sure that Bilam did not curse Yisrael. How does Rebbi Yonasan explain it?

(b) Based on the Pesukim in Balak "Mah Tovu ... ", when Bilam said "Mah Tovu Ohalecha Ya'akov, Mishkenosecha Yisrael", he meant that Yisrael should not have Batei Kenesiyos and Batei Medrashos.
What did he mean when he said ...

1. ... "ki'Nechalim Nitayu"?
2. ... "ke'Ganos Alei Nahar"?
3. ... "ka'Ahalim Nata Hashem"?

(c) If "ka'Arazim Alei Mayim" implies that Bilam did not want Yisrael to have kings of stature, and "Yizal Mayim mi'Dalyav" that their kings should not be sons of kings (there shouldn't be a dynasty), what can we imply from ...

1. ... "ve'Zar'o be'Mayim Rabim"?
2. ... "Veyarem me'Agag Malko"?
3. ... "Vesinasei Malchuso"?

(d) What does Rebbi Aba bar Kahana learn from the Pasuk in Ki Seitzei "Vayahafoch Hashem Elokecha Lecha es ha'Kelalah li'Verachah ... "? What is the significance of the singular use of the word "ha'Kelalah"?

(a) In what connection does Rebbi Yonasan interpret the Pasuk in Mishlei "Ne'emanim Pitz'ei Ohev ve'Ne'etaros Neshikos Sonei"? What does "Ne'etaros" mean?

(b) We just learned that when Bilam blessed Yisrael, he compared them to a cedar which (according to his intentions) does not grow beside water. To what did Achiyah ha'Shiloni compare them when he cursed them?

(c) What basic disadvantages does the cedar have compared to the cane?

(d) And what additional advantage does the cane have over the cedar?

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