PARSHA-PIX - Parshat To'l'dot
Parsha Pix
Top-left is Yaakov with his lentil stew.
Next to him is one of Yitzchak’s workers on a break from digging wells.
Continuing across the top, we come to a Serer plate. Rashi tells us that
it was the first night of (the future) Pesach that Yaakov presented
himself to Yitzchak for the bracha. Rivka told Yaakov to bring her two
goats. Just to feed Yitzchak, you need two goats? Rashi answers that one
was for the main dish and the other for Korban Pesach.
Upper-right is a king on his father’s back. The hand is pointing to the
father, who would be AVIMELECH. This is not the only pun in this week’s
ParshaPix, as you will see.
The rain cloud is part of the bracha that Yaakov received. The sword is
part of the bracha to Eisav.
The lion cub on the map of Israel is another pun - GUR BAARETZ HAZOT.
Actually, live in this Land... I wonder if we cannot use the play on words
to say that one who lives in Israel needs to have some other the
characteristics of a lion (cub) in order to succeed.
The tow truck is another pun - Yitzchak lived in GERAR. Tow is also a
reminder of the first syllable of the name of the sedra. TO - L’DOT,
rather than the more common (but mistaken) TOL-DOT.
The passport is for Yaakov who is being sent abroad by both Yitzchak and
Rivka. Yitzchak never needed a passport, but Yaakov did.
The teddy bear is holding aloft the number 7 in one paw and an upraised
hand in the other. There are two meanings to the name Be’er Sheva. One is
from the seven sheep that Avraham gave Avimelech as a token of the
covenant between them, and the other is for the oath(s) that were taken in
that agreement. SHEVA has both connotations.
And in the lower-right is the Davka Judaica Graphic of Yaakov, the
studious ISH TAM, dweller in the tent of Torah study, and Eisav, the ISH
SADEH, the man of the field, the hunter.
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 alsopresentedfor 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 (CHAYEI SARA) TTriddles:
[1] Today, we “all” say it. Only 5 said it (or close enough) in the
Chumash. Who?
[2] Avraham and Yishma’el, Levi, Kehat, and Amram + who else and with what
difference?
[3] Egypt, Efron, Eisav
[4] How much? What's my name?
[5] Sara, D'vora, Rachel, Miriam and ? (but different)
[6] The three animals in the PP - easy, but requires comment
And the envelope please...
[1] Many people say BARUCH HASHEM today, B”H. But in the Chumash,
interestingly, the phrase appears only three times, and maybe another
twice. A computer search in Tanach finds the phrase 27 times, five of
which are in the Chumash. Of those five, three are BARUCH and the other
two are B’RUCH. It was first said by NO’ACH, when he was blessing SHEIM
and YEFET for their proper behavior when he (No’ach) was drunk and cursing
CHAM and K’NA’AN. ELIEZER said it in acknowledgement to G-d for the
success of his mission to find a suitable wife for Yitzchak. Lavan almost
said it (he said B’ruch HaShem) in his invitation to Eliezer to come into
his (Lavan’s) home. AVIMELECH also almost said it when he was making a
deal with Yitzchak. And the third in the Torah to say B”H was Yitro when
he heard all of what Moshe told him. The phrase appears many more times in
NA”CH. (One of Avraham’s camels thanking Rivka for providing drinks to the
camels - by Leah Zitter)
[2] For Avraham and Yishmael, Levi, K’hat, and Amram, the phrase (U)SH’NEI
CHAYEI... And the years of the life of... The phrase is also used for SARA
Imeinu, but it appears after her age is given. For all the others, the
phrase precedes the age at death.
[3] Big E, little e, what begins with E? Egypt, Efron, and Eisav. Besides
all beginning with the letter E, they are each associated with the number
400. Avraham was told by G-d that his descendants would be strangers in a
strange land (Egypt) and be oppressed there for 400 years. Avraham handed
over the fine sum of 400 silver shekels to Efron in order to purchase the
cave and field of Machpeila. Eisav came to his encounter with Yaakov with
an entourage of 400 armed men.
[4] How much? 400 silver shekels. My name is EFRON, the G’matriya of which
is usually 406, based on the eight of the twelve times Efron’s name
appears in the Chumash. When Avraham gave the 400 shekels L’EFRON, to
Efron, his name is spelled without the VAV and the G’matriya is 400.
[5] The first part of the answer is VATAMOT, and she died. This word
appears in the Chumash for Sara, D’vora the nursemaid of Rivka, Rachel,
and Miriam. In each of these four cases, the Torah also tells us of
burial. Sara in the Cave of Machpeila, D’vora was buried under a tree near
Beit El that became known as ALON BACHUT. Rachel was buried on the road of
EFRATA - Beit Lechem. And Miriam was buried in KADEISH. For only one other
women is the word VATAMOT used. She was BAT-SHU’A, the wife of Yehuda. No
reference is made to burial.
The three animals at the bottom of the ParshaPix are from the Haftara.
They are mentioned three times as the animals slaughtered by Adoniyahu.
This week's TTriddles:
[1] R’ ShabtaI b. Meir HaKohen, Vilna, 17th cent.
[2] Yitzchak, Moshe, Mano'ach
[3] He was hairy and he had nice eyes.What was their common feature?
[4] S'guv and the twins
[5] First of the 4th, 89km
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