PARSHA-PIX - Parshat Sh'mini

Parsha Pix
The CALF was the first of the one-time special korbanot on opening day of the Mishkan (following the seven inauguration days).
The RAM was also part of those EIGHTH DAY korbanot.
8=8 means that the 8th day of SHMINI was the 8th day of Nissan. That is one opinion. The other opinion is that it was Rosh Chodesh, as in 8=1.
The negation circle over the wine represents the "rules of conduct" for kohanim upon entering the Mikdash.
The fire is the fire that was used by Nadav and Avihu... It is a strange fire because the flames are blue and green. (If you have only the hard-copy of TT with its black & white ParshaPix, then you can consider the fire the one from the Mizbei’ach, the one they SHOULD have used.
We changed the samples of non-kosher mammals, birds, fish - in the X column, and the kosher ones in the column under the check mark (or VEE, as it is called in Israel). They are, respectively, aardvark, owl, eel, deer, pigeon, and lox.
The havdala candle represents the repeated theme in the sedra that a major purpose of many of the mitzvot presented is to distinguish - between sacred and profane, between tahor and tamei, etc.
The lamb in the doorway is the K.P. from the haftara that was to be taken into the Jewish homes from the 10th of Nissan.
Lower-left are the matzot, also from the haftara.
That leaves...

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 week’s (TZAV-PARA) TTriddles:
[1] Common feature with 1’s 4, 5, & 9
[2] Same verb for him and them, but used for him twice and them once. Who and what?
[3] Common item to the 2nd sedras in Books 1,2,3
[4] Applicator of what and what? What?
[5] This is the Torah link between Torahs?

And the envelope please...
[1] The common feature among Parshat Tzav and Breishit’s (1’s) 4th (Vayeira), 5th (Chayei Sara), and 9th (Vayeishev) sedras is the TROP mark known as the SHALSHELET. This rare and elaborately read note appears only four times in the Torah.
[2] VAYACHGOR. And he girded... put on the belt. The word appears only three times in the Torah, all in Parshat Tzav. Moshe Rabeinu dressed Aharon and his sons for their service in the Mishkan. The term is used for the AVNEIT, belt or sash. In this context, it is used for Aharon and his sons. Additionally, it is used for the tying of the belt of the EIFOD for Aharon. By the way, VAYACHGOR appears three other times in Tanach. EIHUD ties a dagger around himself on his right side, so he can draw it with his left hand and “surprise” EGLON with it. David ties a sword on himself, but finds he is unable to move with it, and fells GOLYAT with a stone from his sling instead. Subsequently, David succeeds in wearing a sword, and leads a band of approx. 400 men, each with sword, as well. Other grammatical forms of the root CHET-GIMMEL-REISH are found in Tanach (over 50 times all together), but only 6 VAYACHGORs.
[3] Second sedras of Books 1, 2, and 3 are No’ach, Va’eira, and Tzav. Common item to the three sedras is BLOOD. In No’ach, we find the prohibition for all people, of bloodshed. In Va’eira is the plague of DAM (blood). And in Tzav, we find the prohibition of eating blood (as well as references to the blood of a korban). The G-gang, ace TTriddles solvers, found another common feature in these three sedras. Seven days. “In Noach, Hashem told Noach in seven days the flood would come (7:10) {Rashi - Aveilut period for Metushelach}. Also there were seven days between sendings of the yonah, the dove (8:10,12). In Va'aera, we learn that the plague of blood lasted seven days (7:25). In Tzav, toward the end (8:33) it states the inauguration proceedings, days of miluim, were seven days.” They add that it also appears in the reading for Parshat Para, regarding seven days of impurity (19:14). Not only did the G-gang add to the solution of this TTriddle, but they got the blood answer as well. Extra points for Gryffindor, I mean, the G-gang. Blood, BTW, is mentioned in Parshat Para too.
[4] EIZOV. Hyssop. You might find this interesting - here is the result of an Atomica query for hyssop:
1) A woody Eurasian plant (Hyssopus officinalis) having spikes of small blue flowers and aromatic leaves used in perfumery and as a condiment.
2) Any of several similar or related plants.
3) An unidentified plant mentioned in the Bible as the source of twigs used for sprinkling in certain Hebraic purificatory rites.
And that third definition, whether the EIZOV is hyssop, marjoram, moss, or something unidentified, is the solution to the TTriddle. The applicator was for the blood of the Korban Pesach and the potion of the ashes of the Para Aduma. G-gang answered that the applicator was the finger - of Moshe in Tzav, of the blood of the PAR HACHATAT, and of Elazar in Parshat Para, who sprinkled the blood of the PARA in the direction of the Mikdash.
[5] Every so often, one can find the solution to a TTriddle sitting innocently within the TTriddle itself. “This is the Torah” - ZOT HATORAH - is a link between the first and second Torahs read this past Shabbat. The exact phrase ZOT HATORAH (as opposed to ZOT TORAT...) appears only three times in Tanach. In Tzav, 7:37, where it refers to the presentation of the laws of the various types of korbanot. In Metzora, 14:54), where it refers to the various types of NEGA’IM, and in Bamidbar 19:14, in Parshat Para, where it refers to ritual impurity contracted by being under the same roof as a dead body. In addition to these three occurrences of ZOT HATORAH, there is one V’TZOT HATORAH, the one we quote when the Torah is lifted before it is rolled closed and “dressed”. (S’fardim and some groups among Ashkenazim, as well, lift the Torah before Torah reading.)
And the unannounced TTriddle, the one graphic element in the ParshaPix on page 3 that was not explained on page 100. It was the piece of chain under the red cow. No significance being under the cow; it was just a convenient place to tuck the chain out of the way. It refers to the SHALSHELET. See TTriddle [1] for details.

This week's TTriddles:
[1] Three times in Tzav, three times in Sh'mini and that's it for the Torah
[2] If they were named in this week's sedra too, this one would match the sedra
[3] This Animal's Feet Zplit Aren't
[4] (Chayei Sara), Mikeitz, B’shalach, Sh’mini (Eikev); Mishpatim, Shmini, M’tzora, Matot, D’varim
[5] Yitzchak, Yosef, Par'o, Yitro, Moshe?
[6] Menashe the M'tzora saw a calf on Simchas Torah

Note to TTriddle solvers: We haven't forgotten the special MegillaMix competition. Results soon.

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