Parshat R'ei

Explanations of this week's ParshaPix -

R'EI is a very busy sedra, with many things to discuss with your family and Shabbat guests.

Upper left corner are two hills, one with a dead tree, and one with a tree in full greenery. These rep resent Har G'risim and Har Eival, upon which the Blessings and the Curses would be presented. To this day, one can see the physical difference between these to hills.

Top-center is the prohibition of adding or detracting from the Torah.

Upper-right  is another negation symbol, this time, over an eraser. This refers to the prohibition of erasing G-d's names.

The camel in the negation symbol indicates that it isn't kosher.

To its left is a mountain goat with two thumbs-up beneath it, indicating that it passed inspection of the two signs of a kosher mammal - split hoof and it chews its cud.

Three other non-kosher mammals and nine other kosher ones are mentioned in the sedra.

At the right-middle is a stalk of wheat standing upright, like the numeral 1. It is preceded by a dot which is the decimal point. In the case of "one", the point makes one tenth. With the wheat it represents MAASER, the tenth of produce that is to be given to a Levi.

To its left and a bit up is a Tzedaka box. The mitzva comes from this sedra. Charity is one form of G'milut Chasadim, acts of kindness, which include much more than giving a few shekels.

Below the Tzedaka box is a man pulling bills out of his wallet, symbolizing lending, rather than giving. Lending, even though you get the money back (maybe) and in straight Tzedaka you don't, is considered a higher form of kind ness, because the poor person retains more of his dignity.

Lower-right are trees that are burning, representing our destruction of Avoda Zara in the Land.

Lower left corner is a representa tion of the Three Festivals - the 4 Species from Sukkot, three Matzot from Pesach, and the Luchot behind them, symbol of Shavuot.

Center-bottom is a sword, standing for the method of killing the people of an IR HANIDACHAT.

That leaves us with the meat on a plate, knife & fork at the ready. The sedra speaks of sacred meats, and also about meat that we eat just because we want to.

Depending upon the age and background of your family and guests, the PP can be a valuable learning & teaching tool.

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