PARSHA-PIX - Parshat Va'eira
Parsha Pix
7 of the 10 images from the Davka Judaica graphic of the 10 plagues. To
these 7 that appear in Va'eira is added the word BO, which is not only
next week's sedra, but also the number 3 (2+1), the number of remaining
plagues that are reported in Parshat BO.
Notice the Staff, prominent in the middle of the ParshaPix. Above it is a
sword. This can represent Z'RO'A N'TUYA, the "outstretched arm" with which
we were to be taken out of Egypt. Also, the sword is prominently mentioned
in the Haftara as that which will befall Egypt.
Next to the staff and sword is... one of the pictorial TTriddles for this
week. And about it is another. And, for that matter, right below it is
another PPP element.
We have the four cups of wine corresponding to the Four Terms of
Redemption, which we find at the beginning of the sedra.
Above the cups is an oven, into which some of the frogs went during the
plague of the same name. Commentaries point to the mention of ovens as one
of the examples of the miraculous nature of the plagues, since frogs would
not naturally go into an oven.
Lower-right is the pictorial representation of Par'o's heart
strengthening, as is mentioned in several places in the sedra and the next
one.
Go to the upper-right and the emblem of the Hogwarts School. We can use it
in a variety of ways (use your imagination if you choose this element from
the PP with your children). How about this. Par'o's wizards might have
been drop-outs from Hogwarts since they were not able to cope with the
plague of KINIM. Whatever. Wizard-wizard. That's the connection.
Lower-left. The numbers with the plus signs - we’ll tell you, but make
your children and/or Shabbat guests figure it out - is based on the
korbanot in the Maftir. 2 daily T’midim and 2 Musafim of Shabbat, plus the
Musaf of Rosh Chodesh, which is 2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 lambs, and a goat as a
communal CHATAT.
Below the numbers are two other PPP elements. That’s a total of 6 mini-TTriddles
or PPPs from this ParshaPix, in addition to whatever TTriddles are
scattered around this issue of Torah Tidbits. Happy hunting and happy
solving.
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 (Sh’mot) TTriddles:
[1] Five times with Moshe; once with whom?
[2] Who's door and candles in common with Yosef's?
[3] Twice in the sedra, 9 other times in the Torah, 3 more times in the
rest of Tanach.
[4] He grew up and there was no what where and they gathered for what
purpose
And the envelope please...
[1] There were several different attempts at this one. The official (but
not the only possible) answer is S’NEH, bush (or thornbush). The word
appears only six times in the Torah. Five of them are in the portion of
the Burning Bush, including three times in the same pasuk, Sh’mot 3:2. The
only other mention of the word is in Moshe’s bracha to the tribe(s) of
Yosef, in V’zot HaBracha.
[2] No one got this one, and I thought it was pretty good. Several
would-be solvers guessed correctly that the word DOOR referred to DOR,
generation. But they all went in the direction of someone in the same
generation as Yosef. The correct answer is Yehoshua — he, like Yosef, died
at the age of 110, hence they shared the same number of candles on their
birth- day cake, so to speak. Though they weren’t in the same generation,
they do have something in common concerning DOR. The Torah tells us that
Yosef died, as well as all of his generation. That wording and idea
appears only one other place in Tanach — with Yehoshua. In each case, it
represents a complete change-over from one generation to the next. Most
often, there are people from the “previous” generation who live into the
next one, etc.
[3] This one was solved by several solvers. It refers to ERETZ ZAVAT
CHALAV UDVASH, a Land flowing with milk and honey. And it was restricted
to those exact words, excluding variations on the same theme. The phrase
appears twice in Sh’mot, nine other times in the Torah, and three more
times in the rest of Tanach.
[4] This one refers to the phrase VAYHI BAYAMIM HAHEIM... And it was in
those days... This is a fairly unusual phrase, occurring only three times
in Tanach. The first time is in Sh’mot, where it is followed by the words
VAYIGDAL MOSHE, and Moshe grew up. The second time is in Sho’f’tim (the
Book, not the Sedra), where we are told that there was no (what?) king in
(where?) Israel. In Shmuel Alef, the phrase is followed by “and the
P’lishtim gathered to make war against Israel.
Honorable mentions to DAC, and to a first-time- solver, FG (who did have
the right address).
This week's TTriddles:
[1] Last week & next week, this week
[2] They left some behind, but they didn't
[3] heart, #4, #5, #7
[4] Spared in the first; offered in the second
[The Parshat
Va'eira Homepage]
[The TORAH tidbits Homepage] [How to use TORAH tidbits]
[About The OU/NCSY Israel Center] [About TORAH tidbits]
|