PARSHA-PIX - Vayishlach

ParshaPix
Vintage ParshaPix with additions
Silhouettes (spelling demon - remember those?) of the animals Yaakov sent as gifts to Eisav. Each animal has the number of males and females sent. The second 30 on the camel is based on Rashi, that there were an equal number of males that accompanied the "nursing camels". The ribbon bow among the (hear it is again) silhouettes.

The two ancient-looking jugs are the small vessels that Yaakov went back for after he brought his family across the YABOK river.

Notice between the SOLD sign and the tree is the emblem of the WWF. We do not know if Yaakov and/or the Sar shel Eisav were members.

The SOLD sign over the FOR SALE sign is for the purchase of the land in the Sh'chem area by Yaakov Avinu for 100 K'sita.

D'vora (the bee) was buried under the crying tree.

The baby carriage is for Binyamin. 

Kever Rachel is Kever Rachel.

The sword was used by Shimon and Levi to avenge what happened to Dina.

That leaves the die with six dots, for the six dots over VAYISHAKEINU.

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 (VAYEITZEI) TTriddles:
[1] B'tu'el and Lavan... and who else?
[2] Rachel Imeinu and a granddaughter of David HaMelech
[3] No'ach, Yaakov, Par'o and who?
[4] The individual & the nation did it. And Yiftach.
[5] Yaakov's second sons
[6] His name came first
[7] More "informative" opener than the sedra
[8] Three of Yaakov's contain two of No'ach's and one of B'tu'el's

And the envelope please...
[1] Lavan Ha'Arami and his father B'tu'el HaArmi are both identified as Arami. Only one other person in Tanach is identified this way. Melachim Bet 5:20 mentions NA'AMAN HA'ARAMI. We meet him in the beginning of that chapter. The Gemara says he was a GER TOSHAV. Baal HaTurim says that he came "under the Wings of the Sh'china" and many of his descendants "studied Torah in public".
[2] In formulating some of the TTriddles lately, I've become aware of the different terms to describe a beautiful person. Y'FAT TO'AR, says Rashi in last week's parsha is a description of TZURAT HAPARTZUF. This seems to refer to outward physical beauty. Y'FAT MAR'EH is ZIV K'LASTEIR, perhaps referring to a radiance of inner beauty. Rachel Imenu is called both. TAMR, daughter of Avshalom is called Y'FAT MAR'EH. This was the answer to the TTriddle. (Avraham calls Sara Y'FAT MAR'EH.) Other terms for other people vary slightly. 
[3] VAYIKATZ (or in No'ach's case, VAYIKETZ) and he awoke... is used for No'ach, Yaakov, Par'o, and Shimshon.
[4] The individual and the nation refer to Yaakov and Yisrael. VAYIDAR YAAKOV NEDER... Yaakov pledged to give maaser of everything he will have, if G-d will be with him, protect him, etc. VAYIDAR YISRA'EL NEDER, the people of Israel made a pledge prior to battling K'NA'AN (Melech Arad, the Negev-Dweller). The only other used of VAYIDAAR-blank-NEDER is with Yiftach, making the ill-fated pledge that "fell on his daughter".
[5] This was a simple tricky TTriddle and caught only a few solvers off guard. Shimon is Yaakov's "real" second son. So are Naftai, Asher, and Binyamin from another perspective (namely their mothers). But the Torah uses the term BEIN SHENI L'YAAKOV only with Naftali and Asher. And as TTriddles go, that is the correct answer.
[6] The TTriddle is based on an observation of the Baal HaTurim (one of the favorite sources of TTriddles) that in the account of the births of Yaakov's sons, the reason for the name comes first, and then something like "and therefore he was named whatever. In Reuven's case, his name came first. Baal HaTurim offers no reason for the difference, but he does make note of it.
[7] The sedra opens by telling us that Yaakov left Be'er Sheva and went to Charan. The Haftara opens (in the Ashkenazi version) telling us that Yaakov fled to S'dei Aram and that he worked there for his wife. The opening pasuk of the Haftara gives us more information that the first pasuk in the sedra.
[8] The names of three of Yaakov's sons contain the names of two of two of No'ach's sons and the name of B'tu'el's son. Specifically, SHIMON contains the name SHEIM, NAFTALI contains the letters of the name YEFET, and ZEVULUN has the letters of LAVAN.
KOL HAKAVOD to veteran TTriddles solvers RHM, MM/Bklyn, and ZviR for their good solution sets. Welcome and Yasher Ko'ach (as they say) to new solver YYW for a fine job (CD for you - be in touch). This week's prizes go to another new solver, Reb Yid for his masterful solution set. He also pointed out that we do not say that solutions can be sent to tt@ou.org. He suggests that we include it in the TTriddles report. And so it is. If you can put TTriddles solutions in the subject line, all the better. Solutions are also accepted by phone (RHM's favorite method) or fax, letter or face-to-face. Telepathy is not so reliable, but you can try that too.

This weeks 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?

[The Vayishlach Homepage]
[The TORAH tidbits Homepage] [How to use TORAH tidbits]
[About The OU/NCSY Israel Center] [About TORAH tidbits]