GEN1185 Seven things are [typical] in a clod, and seven in a wise man; [The Wise Man] speaks of first things first and last things last. Pirkei Avot V:9 … Avoth d’R. Nathan (A37, B40) give examples from Scripture.   When Jacob sent a gift to his brother Esau to appease his wrath and achieve a reconciliation, he told his servants, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, To whom do you belong? and where are you going? and whose are these before you? – then you say, To your servant Jacob; this is a present sent to my lord, to Esau; moreover, he is behind us.” Genesis 32:18-19   Expecting a multiple question from Esau, Jacob taught his servants to reply in order. Again, when Rebekah passed the test t the well which Abraham’s servant Eli’ezer had devised to find a suitable bride for Isaac, we read that Eli’ezer asked her two questions at once; “Whose daughter are you? Pray tell me. Is there room in hour father’s house for us to lodge in?” And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” And she said to him, “We have both straw and provender aplenty, and room to lodge in.” [this verse and v. 25] To his first question she gave her first answer; to his second, her second answer. This is the way of an orderly mind.   The commentary MaGenesis Avoth adds a further example. At the burning bush on Mount Sinai, when the Almighty bid Moses go to Pharaoh to have the Israelites set free, Moses protested, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11 Moses had two separate objections: First, how could he, a mere shepherd, confront the mighty Pharaoh? To this the reply was, But I will be with you Exodus 3:12 – have no fear of him. And he also asked: how could he lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt they would not believe in him. In response, the reply continued: “and this shall be the sign for you that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain” Exodus 3:12 – and then they will believe in you.  SINAI3 106-7