Torah Study Questions

Parsha Miketz - At the end

B'reshit (Gen) 41:1 - 44:17

Mark R. Ensign, Adot Adonai, Amarillo, Texas

Introductory questions -- Brief answers, not for extended discussion:

1. At what point in history does this parsha unfold?

2. Where does this parsha take place geographically? What are the setting and environment?

3. Who are the primary actors in the parsha and what role or roles does each play? What is the

significance of each role? Who are the secondary actors and what roles do they play? What is the

significance of their roles?

4. What is the overall theme of this parsha? What are the subdivisions, if any?

Parsha Specific Questions -- for extended discussion:

Chapter 41

Imagine you are Yosef being interviewed by an historian who will write a book about your life. Please

respond to the following questions.

Who was the one who remembered you were in prison and why did he remember? How did he approach

Pharaoh and what did he say? What did Pharaoh do in response? How did the last two years pass for

you, physically, emotionally, and spiritually? In each of those three categories, how did you respond to the

call of Pharaoh? What was the source of your confidence in responding to Pharaoh's dreams? What was

your first statement to Pharaoh and why did you say that? What did you find significant about the two

dreams with one interpretation? What was YHVH telling Pharaoh he would do to his country and what

was YHVH's plan?

What was the first thing that you advised Pharaoh to do? Why were you so bold as to make this

statement? What further counsel did you offer Pharaoh? What was his initial response? What did he first

say to you? What did he recognize about the source of your information and advice? How did that make

your feel? What did Pharaoh do as a result? Within minutes after being delivered from your prison cell,

in what position did you find yourself? What did Pharaoh give you and where did you then go? How old

were you at this time? What happened in Egypt in the next seven years and what did you do in response?

What did you name your two sons and why? What happened at the end of seven years and what did you

do in response? How widespread was this famine and to whom did you sell provisions?

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Chapter 42

What did your father do in response to the famine? Who did he keep at home and why? What emotional

and physical response did you have when you first recognized your brothers bowing before you? Did this

bring anything to mind from your past and if so, what? Why did they not recognize you? Why did you

insist that they were spies and what did you require them to do to prove they were not? When you saw

them again, what was your first statement to them and why? What did you require them to do? How did

you feel when you heard them talking among themselves and what prompted your emotional response.

Who did you keep as hostage and why? As your brothers were leaving, what instructions did you give

your servants? What was the response of your brothers when they first noticed this? What was the

response of your father to the story your brothers told him?

Chapter 43

When your father told your brothers to go back and buy more food, what transpired between him and your

brothers? What things did your father send back with your brothers as tribute and payment? What

emotions ran through your mind as you saw your brothers return with Binyamin? What did you do in the

response? How did your brothers react? When you had lunch with your brothers, who did you ask about?

Then who did you speak to and what did you say? What happened to you next and why? How did you

distinguish Binyamin from the others when they were served and what was the reaction of your brothers?

Chapter 44

What instructions did you give your servants when they filled the sacks of your brothers? Then what did

you do after your brothers left? What accusation was made against them by your servants? How did you

single out your youngest brother? When they arrived at your house, what did you say to your brothers?

How did they respond? What was your instruction to them that closes the parsha?

What motivated you to treat your brothers in the ways described in this parsha? How did this make you

feel? What did you expect the result would be? Why did you not reveal yourself to your brothers on their

first trip and assist them in bringing the family to Egypt at that time? What were you thinking when you

demanded your brothers bring Binyamin and separate him from your old Father? How did you think your

father would react? Was there anything in the various responses of your brothers described in this parsha

that surprised you?

Looking back over your life up to this point, how do you feel about your relationship with your brothers

and how they treated you and how you treated them? Why did you not initiate contact with your family

in the seven years you were preparing for the famine? What regrets do you have about your life, your

relationship with your family, and your service to G-d? What lessons should the readers of the story of

your life learn from you so that they don’t have to learn these lessons the hard way?

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Closing Questions: For Personal Introspection

Why do you believe our loving Father provided us with this particular portion of his words? What was his

purpose and objective in preserving this portion of the Scriptures to this day? What benefit do they have

for Torah observant believers today?

What other insights has the Ruach HaKodesh given you in your study of this portion that you would like

to share with the group?

What questions from this portion have you had that have not been answered by the study?

What impact do you think the study of the words from your Father in this portion will have on your life?

How do you plan to implement his instructions in this parsha in your life?

Silently pray for the Ruach HaKodesh to implant his words like seeds, to nurture their growth in your heart,

and to enable you to respond fully as they do.