T326PPP M&M

Last week's report was way too long; we're trying to streamline TT due to financial constraints. Therefore, the report will be curter (more curt?) than usual.

[1] AZ YASHIR... The meaning of the phrase is irrelevant and meant just to throw solvers off. Only the letters count. They are RASHEI HA MATOT, the heads of the tribes, as in the first letters of each Shevet (including Levi, Efra'im & Menashe).

[2] The cowboy boots form the letter E and represent the BOOTY of the Midyan war.

[3] The rabbinical-looking gentlemen with an M and C on their chests are the SAREI ALAFIM & SAREI MEI'OT, the officers of the army who reported to Moshe. M and C are Roman numerals for 1000 and 100. Onkeles renders sarei as RABANEI.

[4] (Candy) cane, staff, switched hands = KEIN MATEI BNEI YOSEF... Moshe's response to the reps of Menashe who were concerned about the land to be given to the daughters of Tzelafchad.

[5] Plane, diamond, pliers are three weapons mentioned in the SHOGEG killing - IR MIKLAT portion - a wood hand tool, a rock, and a metal tool.

[6] The fellow below the C-rabbi is a basketball referee giving the signal for TRAVELING, as in Mas'ei.

[7] Two sets of ten eyes each represents TENAI KAFUL, "double condition" imposed on the people of the 2½ tribes - If you do... AND if you don't do... From the few solutions I've already received (Motza'ei Shabbat), I see that there are some good answers as alternates to mine. In reporting solutions, answers that match mine are followed by "nice tries".

DYANEC: [2,3,4,5] [1,6,7], Beth [1, 7-], Yehuda in Tzfat:many nice tries. Best alterates so far are: [7] SH'TAIM (2) ESREI (10), 2 tens is 20, EINOT (eyes), really is the 12 springs of EILIM. [4] The cane and stick = MATOT. Also some real stretches for [1]. Rehovot K: [2,3-,5,6] [4,7]. MM Bklyn: [2-,3-,5,6] [4]. ES: [2,3-,5] [4,6-]. FTC: [6] [2-,4-,5- ] and a way out, far-fetch [7]. GMAB. RHM,BVG: [1-], only one so far, [5] [2,4]. Ramot Lerners: [2,3*,4*,5] [7]. Well done. Miryam B: some nice alternate solutions. The TT326PPP winners are DYANEC, gold; Ramot Lerners, silver; Rehovot Ks, bronze.