1)

(a)Klal Yisrael arrived at Har Gerizim and Har Eival on the day that they crossed the Yarden - a distance of sixty Mil.

(b)The Torah writes with regard to the conquest of Kena'an "Es Eimasi Ashalach Lefanecha va'Hamosi Es Kol ha'Am Asher Tavo ba'Hem". "Va'Hamosi" means - that whoever tried to stand up to Yisrael, would become soiled (see Agados Maharsha).

(c)We learn from the double expression used by the Pasuk "Ad Ya'avor Amcha Hash-m, Ad Ya'avor Am Zu Kanisa" - that, when they returned from Galus Bavel with Ezra, they were destined to witness the same miracles that Hash-m performed with them when they entered Eretz Yisrael with Yehoshua, and that they would enjoy the same freedom as they enjoyed then.

(d)This did not happen - on account of their sins.

2)

(a)After having ...

1. ... constructed the Mizbe'ach on Har Gerizim, before they read the Berachos and the Kelalos - they brought Shelamim and Olos, ate and drank.

2. ... read the Berachos and Kelalos - they took down the Mizbe'ach and carried the stones to Gilgal.

(b)To reconcile the Beraisa, which states that the hornet did not cross the Yarden, with the Pasuk in Mishpatim, "v'Shalachti Es ha'Tzir'ah Lefanecha", Reish Lakish explains - that the hornet remained on the east-bank of the Yarden and shot poison across the river, blinding the Kena'anim and castrating them.

(c)According to Rav Papa - there were two groups of hornets, one crossed the Yarden, the other, did not.

3)

(a)Rav Kahana learns from the Pasuk (in connection with the tribes on Har Gerizim and Har Eival) "v'Chol Yisrael ... Chetzyo El Mul Har Gerizim veha'Chetzyo El Mul Har Eival" - that the order of names on the two stones of the Efod was identical to the order of names that the Pasuk lists here.

(b)The Tana Kama of the Beraisa explains that "k'Soldosam" which the Torah writes in Tetzaveh, is confined to the second stone of the Efod, but not the first. What prevents the names on the second stone from following the order of birth - is the fact that Yehudah appears first on the stone, and not fourth.

(c)The first three names in their right order on the ...

1. ... first stone were Yehudah, Reuven and Shimon - the remaining three names in their right order were Levi, Dan and Naftali.

2. ... second stone were Gad, Asher and Yisachar - the remaining three names in their right order were Zevulun, Yosef and Binyamin.

(d)Each stone contained twenty-five letters.

4)

(a)According to Rebbi Chanina ben Gamliel, the stones of the Efod did not follow the order of birth at all and "k'Soldosam" means - that they did not engrave on them the names that Moshe called them (Reuveni, Shimoni ...) but the names that their father Yakov called them (Reuven, Shimon ... ).

(b)The names did not follow the order that they appear at the beginning of Bamidbar - but the order that they appear in Shemos; the sons of Leah on one stone, and the sons of the maidservants on the other, flanked by the sons of Rachel.

(c)According to Rebbi Chanina ben Gamliel then, the order on the second stone was Binyamin, Dan, Naftali, Gad, Asher and Yosef, and the order on the first stone - Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yisachar and Zevulun.

5)

(a)The tribes that ascended Har Gerizim were Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yisachar, Yosef and Binyamin, and those that ascended Har Eival - Reuven, Gad, Asher, Zevulun, Dan and Naftali.

(b)We prove from the current Beraisa - that Rav Kahana's interpretation of "veha'Chetzyo" (that the order on the Efod followed that of Har Gerizim and Har Eival) is wrong.

(c)We learn from "veha'Chetzyo" (written in connection with Har Eival) - that less people ascended Har Eival than those that ascended Har Gerizim.

(d)The numbers on Har Gerizim were more numerous than those on Har Eival - because the tribe of Menasheh, which had increased remarkably, was among them. When the Tana of the Beraisa ascribed it to the fact that (part of) Levi remained at the foot of the mountain - he really meant that they were more numerous (not because [part of] Levi remained at the foot of the mountain. but) in spite of it.

6)

(a)The tribe of Menasheh complained to Yehoshua - because they had grown so numerous that they considered their territory too small.

(b)When Yehoshua advised them to go and live in the forests to avoid Ayin ha'Ra (though this was not a real solution to their problem, which was not in his hands to solve) was - they responded that there was no point in doing that, because the tribe of Yosef was not subject to Ayin ha'Ra anyway.

(c)Rebbi Avahu explains the Pasuk in Vayechi "Ben Poras Yosef, Ben Poras Alei Ayin" to mean that Yosef's descendants will increase rapidly because they are not subject to Ayin ha'Ra. Rebbi Yosi b'Rebbi Chanina cites as the source for this - the Pasuk there "Ve'yidgu la'Rov b'Kerev ha'Aretz" (like fish, which are not subject to Ayin-ha'Ra).

7)

(a)We learned earlier that there were twenty-five letters on each stone of the Efod. Initially, there would appear to be only twenty-four on the second stone. We reject the suggestion that, based on the Pasuk in Tehilim "Edus bi'Yehosef Samo", Yosef had an extra 'Vav' - because of the Pasuk "k'Soldosam", which implies that the names (at least on the second stone, in similar vein to what we explained on the previous Amud) were spelt as they were when they were born.

(b)We therefore account for the twenty-fifth letter - by spelling Binyamin with an extra 'Yud', which is indeed the way it is spelt at his birth.

(c)Yosef earned the extra 'Vav' (causing his name to contain three of the four letters of Hash-m's Name) because he sanctified Hash-m's Name (in private) - by refusing to accede to the demands of his mistress, the wife of Potifera.

8)

(a)Rebbi Yochanan interprets the Pasuk in Vayeshev "Va'yehi k'ha'Yom ha'Zeh, Va'yavo ha'Baysah La'asos Melachto" to mean that Yosef actually entered the house with the express intention of committing adultery with Potifera's wife. Either Rav or Shmuel also agrees with Rebbi Yochanan's explanation. The other one explains - that he entered the house in order to do his work, and Potifera's wife caught him by surprise.

(b)The Torah records that "v'Ein Ish me'Anshei ha'Bayis Sham ba'Bayis". The reason that such a prestigious household was devoid of people, says Tana d'Bei Rebbi Yishmael is - because they had all gone to participate in the celebrations of a national holiday.

(c)Potifera's wife exploited the situation - by feigning that she was sick and returning home, where she knew she would find Yosef.

9)

(a)What inspired Yosef to desist from sinning was - the image of his father which appeared in the window, just as he was about to accede to her demands.

(b)His father asked him - whether he would like his name to be omitted from the stones of the Efod, to be called instead, one who sustains prostitutes.

(c)Rebbi Yochanan quoting Rebbi Meir explains the Pasuk ...

1. ... Va'tashav b'Eisan Kashto" - to mean that the heat of his desires cooled down.

2. ... "Va'yafozu Zero'ei Yadav" - that he fell on his finger-tips to disengage himself from the urge to sin, and as he did so, the seed emerged from his ten finger-tips.

3. ... "Midei Avir Yakov" - that it was his father's appearance that saved him, to ensure that his name would be engraved on the Efod (Rashi seems to include the words "Even Yisrael" in this Derashah).

4. ... "mi'Sham Ro'eh Even Yisrael"- that this episode earned him the title "Ro'eh Yisrael" ('Shepherd of Yisrael, because he sustained them and looked after them for eighty years).

(d)Yosef resembled his father in many ways (as the Torah testifies "Eleh Toldos Yakov, Yosef"). What caused him to forfeit fathering twelve children like him - was the very fact that, like his father, he would emit twelve 'drops' of seed in his lifetime, and no more; and ten of those drops, he had already lost during his confrontation with Potifera's wife.

10)

(a)In a certain sense, the remaining ten sons descended from him anyway - because Binyamin his brother (maternal as well as paternal), fathered ten sons, all of whom he named after his lost brother.

(b)Binyamin named his first two sons 'Bela' and 'Becher', after Yosef, who was swallowed up among the nations and who was the first-born son of his mother. He called ...

1. ... his third son 'Ashbel' - because Hash-m brought about his capture ('Shav'o Keil').

2. ... his fourth son 'Geira' - because he sojourned in a foreign country.

3. ... his fifth son 'Na'aman' - because of his good looks.

(c)It is obvious why he called his sixth and seventh son 'Eichi' and 'Rosh'. He called ...

1. ... his eighth son 'Mupim' - because he studied Torah 'from the mouth' of his father.

2. ... his ninth son 'Chupim' - because he and Yosef did not attend each others' weddings'.

3. ... and his tenth son 'Ard' - because his face resembled a rose ('Vered').

11)

(a)When his astrologers objected to Yosef ruling on the grounds that he was a slave whose master bought him for twenty silver pieces - Par'oh replied that he saw in him the makings of a king.

(b)When they demanded that he should at least be conversant in the seventy languages (which he was not) - Gavriel attempted to teach them to him, though he did not initially succeed.

(c)The significance of the Pasuk "Edus bi'Yehosef Samo" in this regard (although earlier, we explained it differently) is - that Gavriel then added a 'Vav' to his name, after which, he had no problem teaching him the seventy languages (although earlier, we explained the 'Vav' differently).

(d)Yosef gained the upper hand over Par'oh - when he spoke Lashon ha'Kodesh, with which Par'oh was not conversant (and which, for some reason, he was unable to master).

12)

(a)Par'oh made Yosef swear that he would not divulge the fact that Yosef knew a language that he did not. Yosef would exploit this seventeen years later - when Par'oh initially refused him permission to bury Yakov, until he pointed to the oath that his father had made him swear. When Par'oh suggested that he have his oath to his father rescinded, he replied that, in that case, he would also have the oath that he had made him rescinded. That was when Par'oh relented.