PARSHA-PIX - Mishpatim

PARSHA-PIX

Busy ParshaPix this week, reflecting a very busy sedra. You can really spend some quality sedra time with your children and Shabbat guests with ParshaPix this week.

Upper-left is really the starting point, the scales representing JUSTICE. In this case, MISHPATIM. In addition to the broad idea of justice, see what else can be found in the sedra, for which the scales of justice would be an appropriate representation. 

Upper-right is the "fist" referred to as one of the weapons that can injure or kill. 

An eye for an eye, literally, an eye UNDER an eye, is depicted here as money under an eye, based on Rashi and all other commentaries. 

The bull and the fire are two potential causes of damages - one of the many key topics of the sedra. 

The sneaking thief was caught in the cellar. Under what circumstances is one held blameless for killing him? Under what circumstances would one be held accountable? 

The guard at his post represents the whole topic of the FOUR SHOMRIM. 

The hands pulling the money out of the wallet are about to lend money at 0% interest. 

Or, perhaps, they are about to offer a bribe. Which will blind the judge receiving it, as in the image of the blindfolded head. 

The rabbit in the hat is the symbol of magic, the real practice thereof (or the attempt at a real practice thereof) is forbidden and can be a capital offense. The witch on the broomstick stands for the same 3-word pasuk. 

Down the lower-left side are images of the Three Regalim, Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot. 

The Har Sinai pix for Shavuot also corresponds to the end of Mishpatim where the events of Matan Torah are presented with other details not presented in Yitro. 

The quill and scroll is for Moshe writing down "all of G-d's words" (Shmot 24:4). 

There is milk & meat for the first of the three p'sukim LO T'VASHEIL. 

Lower-right is the TZIR'A that G-d will send into the Land to help slowly drive out some of the nations there. 

The cloud is covering Har Sinai (end of the sedra). 

The tooth is referred to in the mitzvot related to injuring an EVED K'NAANI and being required to free him. It is also one of the forms of damages. Also, there is a tooth for a tooth.

TTRIDDLES... are Torah Tidbits-style riddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on the calendar). They are found in the hard-copy of TT scattered throughout, usually at the bottom of different columns. In the electronic versions of TT, they are found all together at the end of the ParshaPix-TTriddles section. Some TTriddles are also presentedfor call-in solution on Torah Tidbits Audio (Arutz-7, Thursday night). The best solution set submitted each week (there isnt always a best) wins a double prize a CD from Noam Productions and/or a gift (game, puzzle, book, etc.) from Big Deal 

Last week's (YITRO) TTriddles:

[1] DON'T DRILL - USE DILL

[2] The Arrival, public decree, Jerusalem gathering

[3] Eliezer, Yosef, the Wine Steward, Par'o, Moshe, an old prophet's son, and Haman — what?

[4] The younger one sitting in judgment on the 18th of Tammuz, saw the almond blossoms

[5] Some Har Nof bus drivers can say this too.

[6] Like mountain, like people

[7] Judge's proverbial mate

[8] 12Z:11:16 shares the record with a pasuk from Yitro

And the envelope please...

[1] This was a play on words too good to pass up. If the Mizbei’ach be made of stone (as it says in the end of Yitro), the stone may not be cut with metal implements, such as a sword, saw... or drill. Pirkei Avot tells us of miraculous creations that came into existence in the instant before the first Shabbat. Among the items mention is the SHAMIR, a worm or insect that exuded a substance that cut stone. In modern Hebrew, SHAMIR is the herb dill. Hence, DON’T DRILL - USE DILL.

[2] In the third month from the Exodus, Bnei Yisrael arrived at Sinai. In the third month, namely Sivan, on the 23rd of the month, the decree of Mordechai was publicized throughout the kingdom of Achashveirosh. In the 15th year of the reign of King Assa, in the third month, there was a gathering of people in Jerusalem. The phrase used for these three events (and only these three) is BACHODESH HA-SH’LISHI - in the third month.

[3] VAISAPEIR, and he told. That’s the answer. Eliezer told Yitzchak what had taken place on his mission to find a suitable bride for Yitzchak. Yaakov (skipped him by accident) told Lavan about family matters. Yosef tells his brothers and father about his dreams. The Wine Steward tells Yosef about his dream. Par’o tells Yosef about his dreams. Moshe tells Yitro all that has happened to the People. Then he tells the People what G-d has said. For the old prophet, chek out Melachim Alef 13:11. Haman tells his household and Zeresh his wife all that has happened to him, including his problems with Mordechai.

[4] The younger one - this refers to Lot’s younger daughter. Sitting in judgment - this is from Parshat Yitro and refers to what Moshe did daily. The 18th of Tammuz is the day following the sinning with the Golden Calf. And the almond blossoms refer to the rod of Aharon, which was placed among the rods of the tribes. Aharon’s rod alone blossomed and bore fruit of the almond. These are the four times that the Torah says, VA-Y’HI MIMACHORAT - and it was on the following day (on the morrow).

[5] G-d said that He would carry us on the wings of eagles (Sh’mot 19:4). Some of the Har Hof bus drivers can also say that they will carry us on Kanfei Nesharim. Couldn’t resist that one.

[6] We had a TTriddle like this one back in Parshat To’l’dot (I think). Add Yitzchak Avinu to the People and the Nation and you have the three CHAREIDIM of the Torah. The word VAYECHERAD appears only three times in Chumash. (There are three more references elsewhere in Tanach.) Yitzchak trembled when he realized that Yaakov had gotten the bracha instead of Eisav. In Parshat Yitro, both HA’AM and HAHAR trembled during Matan Torah.

[7] This one is a real neat TTriddle. It was solved on the radio by Howie Schiffmiller Nof Ayalon. When Moshe appoints judges over the people, they are called ANSHEI CHAYIL, using one of the qualities suggested by Yitro. In Mishlei (a.k.a. Proverbs), at the very end, we find the 22 p’sukim of EISHET CHAYIL, the Proverbial mate of ANSHEI CHAYIL.

[8] 12 stands for TREI ASAR, the Z is for Zecharya. 11:16 is a pasuk that contains the word LO (no) a record 4 times. This record is shared by the pasuk in Yitro that comprises Commandments numbers 6-9. (Yes, they are all part of a single pasuk, with 4 LOs.)

RHM phoned in a fine partial solution set, as did MM/Bklyn email his. MM’s sol’n set had some creative “other” solutions. The Shilo Shalevs also submitted a good solution set, and the Far Rockaway Neufelds made a nice stab at the TTriddles. Best set this week - and winner of the double prize (please be in touch) is the father-son team (actually, son-father) of YYW and AMW. Excellent solution set. Missed a bit, but that’s good too. 

This week's TTriddles:

[1] This would result from having a study group in the Israel Center's Beit Midrash and another one in the 2nd floor conference room at the same time.

[2] Flood, brothers, witness

[3] HaShem, Adam, plus 21, plus 4, flocks and bread

[4] Status-changing time-frame for those who go on 2 or 4

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