PARSHA-PIX Parshat Ki-Teitzei
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Parsha Pix
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 (SHO-F’TIM) TTriddles:
[1] Re: conquering & knowing: where and what was said
[2] Victims of ox, sinners, N'zirim, idolators x 2
[3] antelope, bison, buffalo, camel, cow, elephant, elk, giraffe,gnu,
hippopotamus, manatee, moose, ox, porpoise,rhinoceros, whale, yak
[4] The mixed up gaslamp shares a pasuk with the untimate vegetarian
Plus 7 unexplained elements in the ParshaPix
And the envelope please...
[1] In the topic of true prophet and false prophet, the Torah rhetorically
asks: And if you will say in your heart, how are we supposed to know if a
NAVI is telling the truth or not... V’CHI TOMAR BILVAVCHA... The phrasing
was intriguing and only one other turned up in a search of Tanach. KI
TOMAR... It was back in Eikev. If you will say in your heart (if you will
wonder), how are we going to conquer all these nations... So the
TTriddle’s answer is (a) where? - in your heart; and (b) EICHA, how can it
be? That’s it. Just these two times. Of course, there is also Haman who
spoke to his heart, but the phrasing is different.
[2] The answer is ISH O ISHA, a man or a woman. The phrase is unusual
because except for SOME time-related positive mitzvot, Torah applies to
men and women. So why mentioned them both? There is usually a drash-type
reason, but for this TTriddle we have just the topics where the phrase
occurs. Un Shmot (Mishpatim), the Torah speaks of an ox with a wild
reputation goring a man or a woman. In Bamidbar (Naso), concerning the
mitzva of Vidui (verbal confession), the Torah speaks of a man or woman
sinning. A little further on in Naso is the topic Nazir, and here the
Torah speaks of a man or a woman taking vows of N’zirut. In D’varim (Sho-f’tim
and Nitzavim), ISH O ISHA appears twice, both in the context of Avoda Zara.
[3] This list of mammals (and some others that didn’t make the list, but
not many more) all have young which are called CALF. The solution to the
TTriddle, therefore, is the last topic in the sedra, namely EGLA ARUFA.
But there is a little more to this TTriddle (as there is to many TTriddles).
The word EGLA (female calf) appears four times in this parsha, the first
of which it is in the form EGLAT BAKAR, the calf of cattle. This implies
that the Hebrew term EGLA is more inclusive than just a young cow. Once
the animal of this mitzva is specifically identified - EGLAT BAKAR, then
the subsequence references can use the general term EGLA. Similarly, we
know that SEH is not just a lamb, but a kid (baby goat) is also called a
SEH. That is why we have the terms SEI K’VASIM and SEI IZIM. G’DI is
another word that includes more than one kind of animal. In English, the
terms calf, cub, pup, and joey, for example, are more than cow, bear, dog,
and kangaroo.
[4] This is like two TTriddles in one. GASLAMP in Hebrew is GAZ and NER,
that’s GIMMEL, ZAYIN, NUN, REISH. Mix up those letters and you can spell
GARZEN, ax. The word GARZEN appears as is only once in the Tanach, in
Parshat Sho-f’tim in the pasuk dealing with BAL TASHCHIT, wastefulness. It
also appears as BAGARZEN in the topic of SHOGEG homicide (also in
Sho-f’tim). And it appears twice more in Tanach as HAGARZEN and V’HAGARZEN.
But that has nothing to do with the TTriddle. It is its appearance in the
BAL TASHCHIT context that puts it in the same pasuk with the ultimate
veggie - KI HAADAM EITZ HASADEH, for the man is the tree of the field.
Interesting how the ax’s two occurrences in Torah are the inadvertant
killing of a person and the forbidden felling of a fruit tree. KI HAADAM
EITZ HASADEH.
Which brings us to the unexplained elements of the ParshaPix. We’ll number
then [5], [6], [7],and [8].
[5] Under the gavel is a bulldozer, used in preparing the access roads to
cities of refuge, as commanded in Parshat Sho-f’tim.
[6] Home Sweet Home with the Pyramids is a prohibition of living in the
land of Egypt.
[7] Under the ax handle, between the ax blade and the rabbit in the hat is
an EYE with an I in it. This is a play on words for AYIN B’AYIN.
[8] Which brings us to four elements of the ParshaPix that go together.
First there is a pair of dice, each showing a 5 on top, hence a DOUBLE.
Below the dice is a bus, specifically, a DOUBLE decker. To its right is
the symbol for a DOUBLE on a baseball scorecard. And to its right is a
drawing of a DNA molecule, in the famous shape of a DOUBLE helix. These
four doubles refer to the haftara which contains four DOUBLE words.
Opening with ANOCHI ANOCHI, we then find HIT-OR’RI HIT-OR’RI and URI URI,
both made famous by L’CHA DODI. (There’s more of L’CHA DODI in the haftara.)
And finally, SURU SURU in the penultimate pasuk of the haftara.
This week's TTriddles:
[1] Proper and helpful for the soldier,but fatal for whom, by whose hand?
[2] In the first order in Hebrew;in the second in Aramaic
[3] How does the kohein open the sedra this week?
[4] Be straight & good...and send the mother bird away
[5] Not Adomi or Mitzri, but what yes
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