PARSHA-PIX Parshat D'varim
Click on image for enlargement
Parsha Pix
At the top is a speech-bubble which contains the main elements of what
Moshe said to the People. He told them about the travels from Egypt to
Eretz Yisrael and what happened during those travels, of the victories of
the People in several battles they fought (that's the V for victory hand
signal), and about Torah and Mitzvot that are the essence of Jewish Life.
Also contained within that speech bubble is a graphic TTriddle.
The judge's gavel flanked (above & below) by two negation circles, relates
to the mitzvot in the sedra, against appointing judges for the wrong
reasons - not because of wealth, nor out of fear or threats. A judge may
not be afraid of threats (e.g. the gun).
The arrows indicating DO NOT ENTER to the right and the left, but only
straightahead, stands for the two instances, as related by Moshe, that we
approached nations for permission to pass through their land.
The graphic of the spies carrying the cluster of grapes stands for one of
the major elements in the sedra.
There are also two former PPP types of graphic elements, this time to be
explained.
The ghost with the San Francisco Giants logo is a play on the pasuk
(2:11), The REFA’IM (ghosts in modern Hebrew; warriors or mighty people in
the Biblical context) can be considered giants (or vice versa).
The Roman numerals represent the different “units” of Jews, with their
“captains” - thousand, hundred, fifty, and ten.
The silhouettes of the bull and donkey are from the pasuk at the beginning
of the Haftara in which the prophet contasts us unfavorably with the
animals. The bull knows his master and the donkey, his feeding trough. We
Jews, human beings, seem to have difficulty in this regard. How can we
turn our backs on G-d; how can we disobey Him so, when He is our Master
and the source of all sustenance. "Dumb" animals "know" this, but we seem
to lose sight of things every so often.
That leaves two other graphic TTriddles (besides the one mentioned above).
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 (MATOT-MAS’EI) TTriddles:
[1] aureus • epidermidis • saprop(hytious)
[2] 11000101010001000000
[3] They only sound like brothers
[4] Son of one of the Eight
[5] 79 47 29 26 50 82
[6] If her husband does it, they survive. Had she done it, she and her
people would be lost.
[7] Apparently, it helps to sing when you are afraid
Plus three unexplained items from the ParshaPix (there were four, but only
three of them count)
And the envelope please...
[1] These are three kinds of Staphylococcus bacteria (Staphylococci is th
eplural). They are called Staph for short. Notice that the third one is
half crossed out (or half of it is in parentheses), leaving 2½ staph which
represent 2½ staff, shevet, mateh - as in Reuven, Gad, and half of Menashe.
[2] This is a binary number whose decimal equivalent is 808,000. This is
the total number of animals taken as spoils of war following the battle
against Midyan. That’s 675,000 TZON (sheep and goats), 72,000 cattle, and
61,000 donkeys.
[3] Among the tribal leaders listed in Bamidbar 34:19-28 we find Shmuel
ben Amihud from the tribe of Shimon and P’dah-eil ben Amihud from Naftali.
The only sound like brothers, but cannot actually be brothers, coming from
different tribes. Notice that only 10 tribes are listed at this point in
the Torah. Reuven and Gad are not on the list because they will not be
receiving land on the west side of the Jordan river. Menashe is listed for
the half of the tribe that will be settling with the other nine tribes.
[4] Also among the tribal leaders is Chaniel ben Eifod. He is the son of
one of the eight garments of the Kohein Gadol, the Eifod.
[5] These numbers were given in Hebrew in the hard copy of Torah Tidbits
and in numerical form in the electronic version. They are the atomic
numbers of six elements, specifically the six metals mentioned in Bamidbar
31:22: Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron, Tin, and Lead. Of no particular
significance, but cute in Torah Tidbits terms, is the symbol for lead, Pb,
which would translate into Hebrew as PEI-BET, which is 82, which is the
atomic number of lead. Most people will say, “so what?”, some will agree
that it is cute, and very few special people will look through the
Periodic Table of Elements to see if any other elements exhibit that
characteristic.
[6] V’IM HACHAREISH YACHARISH... And if her husband remains silent from
the day he hears of his wife’s vow, until the next, then the vows
“survive”. He can no longer nullify them. Hafarat Nedarim works only on
the day he hears the Neder or of the Neder. There is only one other place
in Tanach where there is a phrase made of two words of the root
CHET-REISH-SHIN, to be silent. In Megilat Esther, Mordechai says to Esther
(through HATACH), KI IM HACHAREISH TACHARISHI... For if you remain silent,
it can spell the doom of you and your people.
[7] And they traveled from CHARADA (literally, trembling) and they campoed
in MAK-HEILOT (sounds like the word for choirs). So apparently, it helps
to sing when you are afraid.
[8] 4=5. A fourth (or a quarter) in Hebrew is REVA. That was the name of
one of the five kings of Midyan who were killed along with Bil’am in the
war against Midyan. REVA is one of five.
[9] There was a dreidel among the arrows represnting the travels of the
people at the beginning of Mas’ei. Dreidel gives Chanuka, Chanuka gives
the Chashmona’im, Chashmona’im give us CHASHMONA, one of the places of
encampment.
[10] The choir stands for MAK-HEILOT, another place of encampment.
The one that doesn’t count is the Lulav and Etrog which stands for Sukkot,
the first stop after leaving Egypt. It doesn’t count because it was given
and explained last year. As was Yotvata. The others are new.
And here is an amazing and impressive fact. Every single one of the above
10 TTriddles was solved by at least one, and in many cases many, TTriddles
solvers this week. Top honors this week goes to YYW, who was helped by his
brother BZW. Runner up with a fine solution set is veteran TTriddles
solver, RHM. Welcome back to the Gersten Gang, who submitted solutions for
the first time in many weeks.
This week's TTriddles:
[1] The winter resort with a frozen Snicker
[2] Hagrid meets Topper
[3] You, the Land, Sichon, Life & Death
[4] Who probably didn't know the words?
Plus three unexplained items from the ParshaPix
[The Parshat
D'varim Homepage]
[The TORAH tidbits Homepage] [How to use TORAH tidbits]
[About The OU/NCSY Israel Center] [About TORAH tidbits]
[www.ou.org]
|