ParshaPix

In contrast with last week's sedra, T'RUMAH is pretty much a single-themed sedra. And that theme is the MISHKAN. At the top are three bags of precious metals - Au is gold, Ag is silver, and Cu is copper. If you are using the ParshaPix to go over the sedra with your children, I hope they ask you why gold is Au, etc. Okay, I'll look it up for you. Aurum is Latin for gold, Argentum is Latin for silver, and Cuprum is Late Latin (whatever that is) for copper. (And if your child is particularly inquisitive, you might have to explain why silver isn't Ar — it's taken by Argon, the third most common element in our atmoshpere.) The bags of metal and the hands that hold and offer them, represent the generous contributions from Bnei Yisrael to the building of the Mishkan. The olive oil, the gemstone, the wood, and the spools (here representing different colors of dyed wool) also stand for some of the materials donated for the Mishkan. The rings are for the rings mentioned in the sedra, specifically, those attached to the sides of the ARON, the legs of the SHULCHAN, and to the Mizbei'ach, for the insertion of the carrying poles. And the rings (albeit square rather than round) used to join neighboring K'RASHIM (wall boards) at their tops.The column in the lower-right is for the AMUDIM mentioned in the sedra, those at the entrance to the Mishkan, between the Kodesh and the Kodshei Kodoshim, and those of the courtyard.The sewing machine is to remind us that although fabric for the Mishkan's covering was produced by weaving, the panels of each covering were sewn together. That is, 5 panels were sewn to form half of the "mishkan", and five for the other half, the halves being joined by loops and "buttons". With the OHEL, it was five and six panels - first each panel was woven, then 5 and 6 joined by sewing, and them the loops and buttons to join the two sections.Which brings us to the lower-left and the representations of the "decorations" of the branches of the Menora – G'VI'A (like a cup or chalice), KAFTOR (button, orb, sphere), PERACH (flower).

TTRIDDLES
We’re offering a double prize for the best solution set to last week’s TTriddles. [1] We have a CD album from Noam Productions, located at 8 Malchei Yisrael in Geula and at the Rav Shefa Mall) and [2] a game or puzzle from BIG DEAL, located at 15 Malchei Yisrael in Geula, 3 Lunz just off the Midrachov, and 64 Rabbi Akiva in Bnei Braq - a fun and useful place to browse and buy). Let’s see who takes the TTriddles’ honor.
Last week’s (MISHPATIM) TTriddles:
[1] Where the 4's answer is the same as the 3
[2] Taken literally, you'd be able to tell on only 2 of 7
[3] NABFBX TSR NRCHI CANJV
[4] Two sidelines on an ADON
[5] Happens if you get doubles on the first, second, or third roll
[6] He dates his wife
[7] Nobel laureate, 1885-1962, Copenhagen
[8] KUF-YUD-MEM-HEI TZADI-BET-KUF-DALET-MEM-HEI
[9] _________, to war, to war, camp

Some were solved easily by several solvers; others seemed to have escaped unscathed. Let’s see.
[1] Reference here is to the song at the end of the Seder, with the numbers. Who knows three? I know three. Three are the AVOT. The 4’s question (which in the Hagada is answered with the IMAHOT) is the same as the 3 question in the context of Parshat Mishpatim and the Talmudic texts that associate with it — namely, the FOUR AVOT OF NEZIKIM, damages.
[2] If one takes an Eye for an Eye literally, we will have AYIN under AYIN. Picture the following. Print the word AYIN on a transparency, and then do it again. Place one AYIN under the other. They would line up perfectly and you wouldn’t be able to tell that there were two transparencies. In the p’sukim (Sh’mot 21:24,25) there are seven items mention. Only two of them are different to the point where you would be able to tell that there is one under the other - REGEL and RAGEL, and PETZA and PATZA. That’s 2 of 7. (I neglected to take the item at the end of 21:23 - NEFESH, which also differs with NAFESH, so the TTriddle should have been 3 of 8.
[3] This one was solved by several solvers. If you type the Hebrew MISHENICHNAS ADAR MARBIN B’SIMCHA, but forget to switch the keyboard from English to Hebrew, you get the gibberish in [3].
[4] Some tried to solve this TTriddle with sidelines meaning lines at the sides. Sorry. A sideline is “activity pursued in addition to one's regular occupation”. The reference was to the ADON of and Eved Ivri who can use his experiences to go into one or both of the following occupations as sidelines - SHADCHAN and BODY PIERCER.
[5] V’YATZ’A CHINAM EIN KESEF. She (the AMA IVRIYA) goes out free, no money (doesn’t have to pay). (The TTriddle refers to Monopoly and someone being in jail.)
[6] Several got this one too. And his wife goes out with him. (He dates his wife.) refers to an EVED IVRI who has a wife prior to his becoming an EVED.
[7] This one was also solved by many. The person in question is Danish physicist Neils Henrik David Bohr, whose family name is a Interlingual homophone for BOR (pit, hole in the ground), one of the possible causes of injuries and damage mentioned in Mishpatim.
[8] Break this into KUF (100) YAMA (westward) and TZADI-BET (92) KEIDMA (eastward). From the reading of Parshat Mishpatim last Shabbat, if a shul had only one Sefer Torah, the Torah would need rolling of 100 columns to the left for the Rosh Chodesh portion, and then 92 column to the right for parshat Sh’qalim.
[9] The key (pun intended) is the phrase KI TEITZEI, which begins 4 p’sukim in the Torah. Twice it is followed by LAMILCHAMA (to war), once by MACHANEH (camp) and in Mishpatim, by EISH (fire). This one was also solved by a couple of TTriddles Solvers.
I hope to squeeze in a Solvers’ Report and an announcement of the prizes-winner. See elsewhere (maybe) for it.

This week's TTriddles
[1] THE PUNNY MATERIAL
[2] The sense not directly involved with the main four
[3] This week's link to last week final pasuk
[4] For serving Amaretto to how many? 
[5] The only real you among the thous
[6] Unusual pasuk: ABCDEABCDEABCDEFDGHI
[7] Mishkan Anatomy

[The T'rumah Homepage]
[The TORAH tidbits Homepage] [How to use TORAH tidbits]
[About The OU/NCSY Israel Center] [About TORAH tidbits]