Last Week's ParshaPix Puzzle
TT330 (R'ei)

TT330PPP R'EI

[1] In the upper-left corner is the mathematical symbol for a RAY (a line with one endpoint with the line extending infinitely in one direction. A line segment has two endpoints with a finite length of line between them; a true line has arrowheads in both directions). Below the ray is an I and a -10, giving R'AY ANOCHI NO-TEN... - the opening words in the sedra.

[2] Below [1] is a dish antenna next to a washing machine,
combining to form DISH- WASHER. (I had a piece of clipart identified as a dishwasher, but it looked like a stove, so I made my own pictogram of a dishwasher.) Dish Washer in Hebrew is Mei'di'ach (keilim), which is the same word asthe one who entices others toward AVODA ZARA.

[3] Upper-right to middle, there is a safe above a representation of the Lotto, with a flattened tiger below that, giving: LOTO-SEIF ALAV V'LO (and a low) TIGRA... the twin prohibitions against adding to or taking away from the Torah.

[4] To the left of the low tiger is a three-legged stool with an eye on it, representing SHALOSH P'AMIM (three times, elsewhere - Bil'am - the phrase Shalosh R'galim is used; R'galim and Raglayim, three legs, as in the stool) YEIRA'EH  (the eye)...

[5] Which leaves the six pix at the bottom, all of which represent non- kosher birds listed in the sedra. From left to right, we have a KOS, NEITZ (a bird & a term for sunrise), headphones in Hebrew - OZNIYA with and ALEF-AYIN  switch, the bat is for the Bat, the ATALEF, the ribbon is a price, pross, PERES, and the saw, is a play on saw (past of to see), RA'AH.

Radio Riddles for R'EI (Torah Tidbits Audio, Arutz-7, 98.7FM were:

Once in Israel; four times elsewhere.

And

Had 19th century Russian composer been Jewish and/or lived in Israel, he might have been inspired to compose his famous symphonic poem by what?

The answers will appear later. In the meantime, test yourself. Give them a try.

Havdala Harati were first on the board with a solid partial, including interpreting the LOW TIGER as a long cat or KA'AT, another one of the non-kosher birds. DYANEC had a very good partial, plus two great "wrong" answers. Zvi gets perfect hits for [1,3,5]. DM delivered a fine partial. Steinhart submitted a near perfect solution. They're the ones to beat this week. We'll see, when access to the email is restored. Albeck also submitted a near per fect solution. E.S. - solid partial; so too, Zvi Roth; Asher A - perfect [2] and [5]. NTBNC on the rest; near perfect solution for Ofra Shelnitzes; solid partial from MM-Bklyn; Ariel Nir PT -  partial & nice tries; so too for Benji etc.

Answers to the Radio Riddles. The last part of Parshat R'EI is the Torah reading for the 8th day of Pesach, the 2nd day of Shavuot, and Shmini Atzeret, the three extra days of "yom tov sheni shel galuyot". In Israel, we read that portion once, on Shabbat Parshat R'ei. Abroad it is read four times. Interestingly, the portion in question presents the Chagim in their agricultural association. This gives it a particularly sharp message value to Jews of the Diaspora.

The other riddle was meant to tap the cultured knowledge of some TTA listeners and/or TT readers. In addition to Pictures at an Exhibition, which many of us remember from the unappreciated Music Appreciation we were forced to take in high school and/or college, Mussorgsky wrote Night on Bald Mountain. Had he been Jewish or had he lived in Israel, he might have been inspired to compose it by HAR EIVAL, which, according to Tradition, remains barren,
because of the K'LALOT associated with it.

This week's PPP Sho'f'tim

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