PARSHA-PIX Parshat Beha'alotecha
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Parsha Pix
The Menora in the upper-right corner is the one referred to in the
beginning of the sedra, on the P'SHAT level, the one from the Mishkan (Mikdash).
Ramban and others see also, on a REMEZ level, an allusioning to the
kohanim (Bnei Chashmona’im) of over 1100 years later, who rededicated the
Beit HaMikdash and rekindled the Menora. To commem- orate the Chanuka
miracles, we light the menora-like Chanukiya (to the left of the Menora in
the PP).
The lamb labeled 2 stands for Pesach Sheni, one of the themes of this
sedra.
Above the lamb is a razor blade, reminding us of part of the ceremony that
separated the Leviyim from the rest of the people. They were to shave all
the hair off their bodies.
Upper-left are the silver trumpets commanded to be made, and used in times
of troubles, and festive occasions as well. See the Sedra Summary for
further details.
Next row down, "reading" right to left, you have: when the cloud lifts,
that is a sign to travel. Hence the green light.
The next row pictures the result of the Cloud's lifting and the go-ahead
for traveling: The four flag-camps are marching in the direction of the
arrow.
Bottom row, left, is an Aron Kodesh. We borrow the p'sukim from this sedra
to recite with the opening and closing of the Ark in shul.
The smiling watermelon in the thought bubble is a reference to Bamidbar
11:5, one of the people's black moments, when they complained to G-d about
the manna, by "remembering fondly" the “wonderful foods of Egypt”.
To the right is the quail that fell in such abundance, but was no
blessing.
The snowflake is a reminder of Miriam's punishment for Lashon HaRa.
The eyes are Yitro. That’s what Moshe wanted him to be for us on our
journeys.
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 presented for call-in solution on Torah
Tidbits Audio (Arutz-7, Thursday night). 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
Last issue’s (SHAVUOT-NASO) TTriddles:
[1] Aramaic-Hebrew swaps between thetwo classes of homeotherms
[2] 2-word phrase that simulates Levi's inheritance to his three sons
[3] Couldn't find him? He's here this week 14 times
[4] Avraham-Elimelech connections: person, condition, two-word phrase
[5] Moshe, Yehoshua, Golyat, M'fivoshet, Ovadyahu, and whom?
[6] Hold-over TTriddle from the past two weeks:This TTriddle does not have
anything to do with Pasrshat HaShavua. What do the followingdates have in
common: 13.2, 28.6, and 8.7?
And the envelope please...
[1] First of all, a homeotherm is an animal whose body can regulate a
constant temperature, more or less independent of the environment. Also
called warm blooded. Only two classes of animals are warm-blooded: mammals
and birds. Aramaic-Hebrew swap refers to the Hebrew from the Torah and
Targum Onkeles. The first swap is a bull, PAR BEN BAKAR in Hebrew.
Definitely a mammal. In Aramaic, a bull is TOR, which in Hebrew is a kind
of dove, definitely a bird. The second swap, in the other direction is TOR
in the Hebrew, which is a bird, is SHAFNINA in Targum. That word is like
SHAFAN, a rabbit in modern Hebrew, or some other mammal. And, a goat in
Aramaic is TZ’FIR, which is a bit like TZIPOR, bird.
[2] ZOT AVODAT... is a phrase that appears four times in the Torah (whole
Tanach, even). Once in Bamidbar, thrice in Naso. It is used once each for
each son of Levi, and a second time for Gershon. That’s a double portion
for the B’CHOR. So the phrase “simulates” the inheritance from Levi.
[3] The name MANO’ACH (father of Shimshon) appears 14 times in the haftara
of Naso. (Interesting that the name of Shimshon’s mother does not appear.)
The TTriddle is complete only if you realize that it was the dove that
No’ach sent from the TEIVA who could not find MANO’ACH...
[4] Mistake in the presentation of this TTriddle. ELIMELECH (from Megilat
Ruth) was intended, not Avimelech. The connections are: Person - LOT,
Avraham’s nephew and the ancestor of Elimelech’s daughter-in-law RUTH.
Condition: Famine. Two-word phrase: HU V’ISHTO, he and his wife. This is
where this TTriddle started - from the discovery that the words HU V’ISHTO
only appears in Tanach twice. Sur- prising. Just with Avraham and
Elimelech, when each was leaving Eretz Yisrael because of a famine.
[5] The phrase VAYIPOL AL PANAV, and he fell on his face, occurs in Tanach
five times: Moshe, Yehoshua, Golyat (strange member of the group; the only
one who actually fell on his face rather than bowed on the ground),
M’fivoshet, and Ovadyahu. The phrase VATIPOL AL PANEHA, and she fell on
her face, is used only once, for RUTH.
One of the solvers went with Yechezkeil HaNavi, who said, “And I fell on
my face”. That’s from the haftara of Shavuot and a reasonable answer, but
Ruth fits the structure of the phrase better.
[6] And here is the answer to the twice-postponed TTriddle. What made it
particularly difficult is that it wasn’t connected to Parshat HaShavua.
Three dates were given. 13.2 is not February 13th. Those who read the
various tidbits on the Calendar know well the oppostition to using numbers
for the secular months. The Torah says that Nissan is the first month. The
months are numbered from there. Several places in Tanach teach us the
matchups between the numbers and the names of the Jewish months. So the
dates in the TTriddle are the 13th of Iyar, the 28th of Elul (28.6), and
the 8th of Tishrei. Here’s your last chance to find a common feature of
these three dates. If you continue reading, you will be given the answer.
Stop here if you want to come up with the answer on your own.
These are the only three days of the year (this is hopefully correct and
accurate) that we say Tachanun at Mincha and not on the following morning.
The general rule for Tachanun is NOT to say Tachanun at the Mincha before
a day when there is no Tachanun... with the exception of Pesach Sheni,
Erev Rosh HaShana, and Erev Yom Kippur. these are the three days when we
don’t say Tachanun but we do say it at Mincha of the previous day.
This week's TTriddles:
[1] If Paul Revere and Dizzy Gillespie were Jewish, and from the same time
(and a few other things), what might they have had in common?
[2] N'GID 79 & 47
[3] 28 back and 27 forward
[4] Said thrice, twice, or once on Shabbat, it carries a Shabbat
instruction to some weekdays too.
[5] It's a simple matter of crossing Six Days - when?
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