PARSHA-PIX - Parshat Sho'f'tim

Parsha Pix

An old & new ParshaPix...
The gavel and the sherrif's badge in the upper left represent SHO'F'TIM and SHO'T'RIM - the judges who interpret and clarify the law and the deputies who help the courts enforce the law.

Upper right is a scales of justice that is leaning over, as in the prohibition not to bend (corrupt) justice.

Also at the top is a negation circle over a pair of hands with a seedling to plant. This refers to the prohibition of planting an ASHEIRA and any trees in the Beit HaMikdash area or near the Mizbei'ach.

The crown is for the portion in the sedra that deals with the topic of KINGS, including the requirement that the king write a second Sefer Torah for himself, that is to be with him always, to guide him and inspire him. The parchment and quill are next to the crown, ready for his fulfillment of the mitzva.

Next is the negation circle over the face of the cow. Notice that it is missing an ear, making it blemished and unfit for the Mizbei'ach. See 17:1. Of course, the rest of the cow's body is also missing. That would constitute a significant disqualifying blemish.

The gift-wrapped and ribboned box represents several gifts to the kohen that are mentioned in this week's sedra. 

Next we have another negation circle, this time it is multiplied by two, because it refers to the twice-mentioned not veering neither to the right nor to the left. (That's the meaning of the forked arrow.) We are warned about veering from the teachings and rulings of the Sanhedrin. And the king of Israel is warned not to deviate from the teachings of the Torah.

The rabbit in the hat stands for MAGIC. Not exactly the magic that the Torah had in mind in the prohibition of KISHUF or the other black arts, but that's the way ParshaPix works - by associating. It is important, by the way, that magic tricks not give anyone the impression that the "magic" is actually happening. Magicians should make it clear to their audiences that magic tricks are accomplished with gimmicks or misdirection, sleight of hand, suggestion, etc. and do not involve the supernatural. Some halachic authorities rule that a Jewish magician must explain these ideas to their audience, and even show how one trick is done.

The two guys below the cow head are hard to see clearly. They are both selling fruit while they stand next to each other. The fellow on the left has a sign behind him that reads: Ye Olde Fruit, since 1962. The guy on the right is selling the same fruit. His sign says: NEW & CHEAP FRUITS MART. The attempt here was to depict one person (the one on the right) encroaching on the territory of another, and violating MASIG G'VUL.

To the left of the fruit sellers is an ax head that has separated from its handle. This is one of the Torah's examples of a SHOGEG homicide. A woodcutter's ax blade flies off the handle and kills someone. There is an interesting discussion in the Talmud as to exactly what the Torah was describing. There are some inadvertent homicides that would be considered too close to intentional to be classified as SHOGEG. Perhaps a woodcutter who neglected to check the fit of the ax blade on the handle before he took his first swing of the ax would be considered close to intentional. Sort of like inexcusable carelessness. One of the functions of the courts of 23 judges would be to determine the level of culpability in cases of homicides. The one who killed, as we have said in the sedra summary, goes to, or is taken to a city of refuge. From there he is taken to court.

ASHOGEG killer would be returned to IR MIKLAT. An intentional murdered would be executed. One who is determined to be guiltless would be released. There are also some in between options.

This brings us to the three items on the bottom of the Pix, center and left. Each depicts one of the situations that exempts a person from military service in cases of oprional wars. A person who built a house and has not yet lived in it. Or one who has planted a vineyard but has not yet redeemed its first crop. Or a person who is "engaged' (halachically) and has not yet married his betrothed.

Which brings us to the strange tree in the lower-right corner of the Pix. It is a depiction of the Torah's statement: for the man is the tree of the field. 
That's it for this busy ParshaPix on a mitzva-filled sedra. There is much material here to stimulate your children and Shabbat guests, so that you can review Parshat HaShavua in a pleasant way. Many of the graphic elements in the ParshaPix can lead you in directions not intended, but no less significant for exploration. One can ask his child, after talking about the man=tree part of the sedra, if there are any other references to faces. (LO TAKIR PANIM — that's a whole new topic.)

TTRIDDLES...
are Torah Tidbits - style riddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on the calendar events of the week). The best solution set submitted each week (there isn’t always a best) wins a double prize — a CD from...Noam Productions and/or a gift (game, puzzle, book, etc.) from...Big Deal A fun place to shop
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).
Slim pickings last week - only 3 TTriddles. (No, Happy Birthday Sir was not a TTriddle.) And there was a good old fashion PPP, ParshaPixPuzzle.

Last week's (R'EI) TTriddles:
[1] High ranking kosher animal
[2] Yehoshua was told twice, so he'd be a strong leader. Why were we told?
[3] Beware the Zebra and the Cross

And the envelope please...
[1] Unlike the portion of kosher and non-kosher animals in Parshat Shmini, where only four kinds of non-kosher animals are named, in Parshat R'ei, we have a list of ten kinds of animals that are kosher. This includes the cow, goat, and sheep - the B'heimot, domesticated farm animals, and seven CHAYOT, wild animals that are kosher. Among the seven CHAYOT is the DISHON. Rav Aryeh Kaplan z"l in the Living Torah, defines DISHON as the chamois, a small goatlike antelope. In a footnote, it is suggested that the DISHON might be the addax, a large, light-colored antelope with twisted horns. There is further speculation that the DISHON is the R'EIM, another type of antelope. DISHON is also one of the family names associated with Eisav, and named with the title ALUF. That would make the DISHON a high ranking kosher animal.
[2] Just be strong... RAK CHAZAK... That phrase appears only three times in Tanach. Twice in the opening perek of Yehoshua, got tells him to be strong (and courageous) to preserve and do the (mitzvot of the) Torah. We are told RAK CHAZAK, not to eat blood. 
[3] Would more people have gotten this one had the TTriddle said: Beware the Papermate, Parker, Bic, Schaffer... This was a play on words of the oft-repeated HISHAMEIR L'CHA PEN... A Hebrew-English pun. Beware the pen. Zebra and Cross are both brandnames of pens.

Which brings us to the PPP. It reads right to left and is in the style of the famous CANE b'NOTE TZALAF-CHAD DOV ROTE (if you remember that one. Here on the right is a RAY which is positioned vertically, so it is a RAY ANACHI (R'EI ANOCHI...). The column of syllables all are followed by TAIN or TANE, as in contain, detain, maintain, octane, pentane, and butane. The list as presented has no TAIN. So far we have R'EI ANOCHI NOTEIN... One more word. LIFNEICHEM, which means BEFORE YOU, which is what is on the left side of the picture: BEE and 4 U. That's how the sedra begins: R'EI ANOCHI NOTEIN LIFNEICHEM...

This week's TTriddles:
[1] Solve for w: w=1.5w=50w
[2] Henry Bone, Alice Ratakowsky, Barney Fife, Andy Sipcowicz
[3] The housewife planted fear in his heart
[4] You'll see this week, He'll give next week
[5] Deciduous Sapiens