
PARSHA-PIX - Parshat Sh'mini

ParshaPix
Modified version of an old PP.
In the upper-right is a representation of a dispute among commentaries concerning when the Eighth Day was. Some say it was the 8th day of Nissan, while others claim that it was Rosh Chodesh. See the Sedra Summary for a fuller explanation.
Under the numbers is a calf, an EIGEL, representing the first of the Kohen's many korbanot on that original 8th day. Rashi and others say that it was an atonement for the other calf, the golden one.
The ram next to the calf was the next korban he brought. The other animals are not depicted.
Fire in the upper-left is the Heavenly fire that lit the fires of the Mizbei'ach, as well as the fire that killed Nadav and Aviihu.
The wine in the negation circle is the prohibition of a kohen's drinking wine and them entering the Mikdash to perform Avoda. There is an interesting offshoot of this prohibition. See sedra summary.
The purpose of the restrictions on the kohanim was L'HAVDIL, to distinguish, between the holy and the profane, etc. So too are the kashrut laws as to which animals we may and may not eat, for the purpose of distinction between AM YISRA'EL and the other nations of the world.
The is a set of three kinds of kosher animals with a check mark (or vee, as it is called in Israel) and a set of non-kosher types with an X. Representing the mammals is the kosher sheep and the non-kosher camel. You see a scaly fish and a swordfish for the fish category, and a duck and an owl for our fine feathered friends.
Above the owl and camel are a scale and a fin (of an airplane), representing the two signs of kosher fish.
TTRIDDLES
TTriddles are Torah Tidbits-style riddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on the Chag of the week). The best SOLID solution set submitted each week wins a double prize — a CD from Noam Productions, located at 8 Malchei Yisrael in Geula and at the Rav Shefa mall, and a gift (game, puzzle, book, etc.) from Big Deal, located at 15 Malchei Yisrael in Geula, Rechov Lunz right of the Ben Yehuda midrachov in the center of town, and on Rabbi Akiva Street in Bnei Braq. Even if you can’t solve any, they are fun (and sometimes informative) to read about in the weekly TTriddles report (which is what you’re reading now).
Last week's (Tzav-HaGadol-Pesach) TTriddles:
[1] Cited for the good two, in contrast with 8 p'sukim later for the bad two
[2] Why did the frog cross the road... without looking?
[3] Steve Douglas or Ben Cartwright plus one
[4] V'EILU HEIN: 2,3,4,8,10 vs. 1,5,6,7,9
[5] The yes & no shared by the 14th & 15th this year
[6] Can refer to Shabbat or fast days
[7] John Montagu borrowed from the idea from whom?
[8] Usually last, this time it's first
[9] 637 between a deer and a kid
And the answers, please...
[1] Hate to admit it - I cannot remember the solution to this TTriddle. If I think of it, I’ll let you know.
[2] It’s really a dumb thing to do, to cross the road without looking. The frog in question must have been a DAM, TZFARDEI’A (as in the first two makot).
[3] Steve Douglas was the character played by Fred MacMurray in MY THREE SONS (there were 380 episodes of the show). Ben Cartwright of Bonanza was played by Lorne Greene. He also had three sons (430 episodes - name the cook). Add one to connect to the Hagada’s Four Children.
[4] V’EILU HEIN: is the introduction to the listing of the Ten Plagues. Divided the way they are in this TTriddle, plagues numbers 2,3,4,8,10 are attacks on the Egyptians by living beings: frogs, lice, wild animals, locust, and the first borns who were not only killed, but they attacked others in their panic and in an attempt to make sure the Jews were set free before the threatened tenth plague. The other five plagues were other types of affliction.
[5] On the 14th of Nissan this year, we read Parshat Tzav. It contains the command to eat the Mincha offerings (except for that which goes on the Mizbei’ach) as MATZA, and the command not to bake them CHAMETZ. Similarly, the Torah reading of the 15th, i.e. the first day of Pesach, contains the prohibition of Chametz and the positive command to eat Matza.
[6] V’ZOT TORAT HAMINCHA, as a play on words can mean, This is the Torah of Mincha. On Shabbat and fast days, when we have Torah reading, that phrase can be used.
[7] John Montagu was the fourth Earl of Sandwich, to whom is attributed the invention of the sandwich (said to be the way he had his meals prepared, so that he’d be able to eat at the gambling table without the necessity of taking a break). We know that the idea of a sandwich preceded the earl by many centuries, from the time that Hillel made a Korban Pesach and lettuce on Matza, with a dab of Charoset, hold the mayo.
[8] This time - the Haftara of Shabbat HaGadol - the pasuk V’ARVA LASHEM... is first. It is usually - well over a thousand AMIDAs throughout the year - the last pasuk.
[9] A deer here is ADIR, as in ADIR HU. The kid is the CHAD GADYA. Between those two songs at the end of the Hagada is ECHAD MI YODEI’A. Add up all the numbers mentioned. Each number from 1 to 13 is mentioned twice in the opening question and answer of each stanza. 1 to 13 add to 91. Twice each is 182. Then we need to add 1, 2+1, 3+2+1... to 13+12+11+...1. That is, we need to find the sum of the frist 13 triangular numbers: 1+3 +6+10+15+21+28+36+45+55+66+78+91 which is 455. Grand total: 637 between a deer and a kid.
This week's TTriddles:
[1] Sh'mini's Motza"Sh imperative
[2] The atoning endless wagon
[3] Who would identify the FM as R?
[4] Almost milk, mustard, and the donkey-hitter
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