PARSHA-PIX - Vayeishev

ParshaPix
Usually, some elements in a ParshaPix are easier to identify and relate to the sedra than others. This is a good thing, because it allows the ParshaPix to be used with different aged children and others with different backgrounds.

Upper-left is a Davka Graphics piece on Yosef's dreams. Easily spotted and good for younger kids.

Upper-right is wine and bread. A bit harder to catch right away. It is a reference to the Wine Steward and the Baker at the end of the sedra, each with their dreams. Notice (or better, elicit the observation from your children) that the sedra begins and ends with dreams. 

The $20 bill is tougher yet. That's the amount (in silver, not dollars) that the brothers got for Yosef. The Midrash says they bought shoes with the money. This relates to the haftara and with the account of the 10 Martyrs (asara harugei malchut). 

There is a snake and a scorpion from the pit into which Yosef was thrown. (What was not in the pit? - good question to ask your children and guests.)
The sheep in the lower-right was being tended by the brothers, when Yaakov sent Yosef to them. The camel represents the caravans that traded Yosef and eventually brought him down into Egypt.

The goat - purposely larger than the other animals - is the one that the brothers killed and smeared its blood on Yosef's coat to make it look like he was killed by a wild animal. The goat appears again in the sedra, in the episode of Tamar and Yehuda.

See the shepherd's crook (I think that is what they call it)? And the seal (a play on words on the other meaning of seal). And a rope. One opinion as to what P'TILIM" means. Others say cloak. These three items were requested by the disguised Tamar of Yehuda as security for the goat he promised to send to her.

Lot of material for spending an enjoyable time with your family and guests working on Parshat HaShavua.

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 (VAYISHLACH) TTriddles:
[1] Said by Yaakov and who of themselves; said of whom on a much higher level
[2] Would Onkeles be in violation of BAL TOSIF?
[3] Who gave 100 what to whom for what? And who got one of the same from each what? 
[4] Neck, who & who times 2; face, who times 5
[5] His great-great-great-grandson and his grandson by a different son had something in common
[6] Her father, his son - same name. Who & who?

And the envelope please...
[1] Yaakov comes to the realization, and declares that he has seen ELOKIM face-to-face (Panim el Panim). It was an angel that he encountered. In Sho'f'tim 6, Gid'on makes a similar declaration after an encounter with an angel. Panim el Panim is said, of course, about Moshe Rabeinu, and on a much higher level — in reference to G-d Himself.
[2] This was a repeat in disguise of a TTriddle from last year. Yaakov's message to Eisav includes the famous phrase: IM LAVAN GARTI, I have been living with Lavan. Rashi takes the word GARTI and rearranges the letters to come out with the equally famous "implication" from Yaakov's words: V'TARYAG MITZVOT SHAMARTI, and I have kept the 613 mitzvot. Onkeles for GARTI is DARIT, Aramaic for I lived. To rearrange those letters would result in not Taryag (613), but TARYAD, 614 mitzvot. This would possibly be a violation of adding to the mitzvot of the Torah. (Not really, but TTriddly.
[3] The first part is easy. Yaakov paid 100 K'SITA for the land in the Sh'chem area. Who=Yaakov, 100 what=K'SITA, whom=Bnei Chamor Avi Sh'chem, what=field. The next who is IYOV who received one K'SITA from each brother, sister, friend who visited him (Iyov 42:11).
[4] VAYIPOL AL, and he fell on... NECK - Eisav fell on Yaakov's neck and k*i*s*s*e*d him, and cried. Yosef fell on Binyamin's neck, and vice versa, and they cried. And Yosef (again) fell on Yaakov's neck, and cried. The two are Eisav and Yosef. FACE - Moshe, Yehoshua, Golyat (when hit on the forehead by the rock from David's sling), M'fiboshet, son of Yehonatan, before David HaMelech, Ovadyahu before Eliyahu HaNavi. That's 5 on the face.
[5] Yitzchak's great, great, great-grandson was Korach b. Yitzhar b. K'hat b. Levi. He had a grandson via Eisav also named Korach.
[6] Her is Tzipora, her father was Yitro, a.k.a. many other names including R'U'EL. His is Eisav, one of his son's was also called R'U'EL.
Fine solutions and attempted solutions came in from Td/Yh and RHM. A few nibbles from a couple of other solvers. and that's about it. Let's award the prize (CD) to Td/Yh. Please be in touch. Nice solution set that arrived a bit late for acknowledgment last week, from the Shilo Shalevs.

This weeks TTriddles:
[1] Paro, Moshe x 3, G-d, Naaman, Elisha, and [?] very much 
[2] vixen gray, mare brown, tabby white, and [?]
[3] Yosef, Manna, M'ragim (sort of)
[4] If it's Tuesday, it must be [?] but cannot be [?]
[5] VW's for sale; flip side, track one

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