PARSHA-PIX Parshat Va'etchanan
Click on image for enlargement
Parsha Pix
Plus and minus in a negation circle. The Torah forbids (more than once)
adding to the Torah or detracting from it.
Once again, the Torah tells us of the mitzva to designate cities of refuge
- 3 on the east side of the Jordan (and 3 on the west side).
The LUCHOT in the TORAH on the mountain stands for the repetition of the
Aseret HaDibrot (with changes) and reminds us that the whole Torah was
given by G-d at Sinai, not just the Big Ten.
The Shabbat candlesticks represent SHAMOR and ZACHOR. They are contained
B'DIBUR ECHAD, in one speech-bubble.
The hearing ear represents SH'MA, not just the famous one, but the many
times the Torah commands us to listen (and understand). If you look
through the sedra you will find several SHMAs.
The warning lights represent Moshe's warnings to us to remain faithful to
HaShem and not to be confused by what we witnessed but cannot completely
comprehend.
The big number 1 is for HaShem Echad, as well as the other pasuk that
emphasizes G-d's Unity, 4:35.
Reminder-finger is for the command to never forget the Sinai experience
and to pass on the memory to future generations.
The Seder plate is for the Chacham's question and the answer of We were
slaves to Par'o in Egypt... both of which are found in the sedra.
Speaker, and a video monitor crossed out. On that great day of Revelation
at Sinai, we HEARD what was said, but we did NOT SEE any image.
Hubble is for the haftara’s last pasuk.
(Clock) face in face is Panim B’Fanim.
Mezuza is... a mezuza.
Lower-right is a visual TTriddle.
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 (D’VARIM) 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
[5] The 24K in the D
[6] The buttons
[7] The upside-down 53/54
And the envelope please...
[1] Israel’s winter resort is the Hermon. D’varim 3:9 says that the
Tzidonim called Hermon Siryon. Irrelevant for this TTriddle. But the
second half of the pasuk tells us that the Emori people called it (the
Hermon) Snir. Snir in Hebrew means glacier. Which is definitely frozen. In
English, a sneer is a snicker. The capital S in the Snicker of the
TTriddle was just to make people think of a frozen Snicker bar. Sort of a
red herring. Or a frozen snicker.
[2] This is a variation of one of the ParshaPix pieces, and of TTriddles
past. Hagrids is a giant from the Harry Potter series. Topper is an old
movie and TV character who was very close with a pair of ghosts. D’varim
2:11 says that the R’FA’IM (ghosts, in modern Hebrew) were also considered
like ANAKIM (giants). We’ve done it before, but it’s fun to come up with
new ways to ask the same TTriddle.
[3] R’EI NATATI... See, I have placed (or given)... appears in the Torah
four times. The first time is in Parshat Mikeitz (B’reishit 41:41). Par’o
says to Yosef: See, I have placed you over the entire land of Egypt. The
other three times are all in the Book of D’varim. This includes twice in
Parshat D’varim: (1:8) Moshe tells the people that G-d said to them back
at Sinai: See, I have given the Land to you, go and take it over, as was
promised... Then again in (2:24), See, I have given into your hands Sichon,
king of Cheshbon... The fourth time is at the end of Nitzavim (30:15),
See, I have placed before you this day, Life and Good, and Death and
Evil...
[4] This TTriddle is based on the old silly riddle: Why do bees hum?
Answer: Because they don’t know the words. In 2:20, G-d is telling the
people that they approached the land of the Ammonites, but that they would
not get it, because it was given to the descendants of Lot. This land,
says the Torah, might also be called the land of the R’FA’IM, because the
R’FA’IM used to dwell there, and the Ammonites called them ZAMZUMIM. That
name has different connotations, according to different commentaries. But
for this TTriddle, it is a sound-alike word to ZIMZUM, which means
humming. Ans. R’FA’IM.
[5] This was an easy one. The D marked 24K is obviously D-ZAHAV, as in the
opening pasuk of D’varim.
[6] This one was easy too. You have the large red button (or very dark
gray, if you only saw it in the hard-copy of TT), and coming from it are
severalcomputer keys. Buttons and computer keys are both called KAFTORIM
in Hebrew. So this pictorial TTriddle fits with D’varim 2:23, which says
KAFTORIM HAYOTZ’IM MIKAFTOR, the buttons (keys) that came out of the
button.
[7] This one was harder. 54. Association. Sedras of the Torah. Correct. So
53/54 is the 53rd sedra, namely HA’AZINU. Upside down. This refers to the
Haftara of D’varim, Chazon, and its phrasing-connection to Ha’azinu. In
the Haftara, Yeshayahu calls upon the heavens to listen and the earth to
“give ear” to what he is going to say. In Haazinu, Moshe calls upon the
heavens to give ear and the earth to listen. The opposite. Rashi (on
Yeshayahu 1:2) says that the observation of the swich in verbs between
heaven and earth is made, and that since Moshe and Yeshayahu are both
calling upon the heavens and the earth to be witnesses, they will now oth
be able to testify in a similar manner, so to speak. Shamayim has been
called upon with both “hear” and “give ear”, as was the earth. [Rashi in
Haazinu adds that each, the heavens and the earth, will reward the people
for positive compliance with G-d’s commands, and/or punish for lack of
compliance. The heavens with rainfall... or not, and the earth with or
without a bountiful yield.]
Because of the earlier production schedule for TT during Tish’a b’Av week,
we do not yet have reader feedback and solutions, but we will try to
report on same in next week’s TT, IY”H, B”N.
This week's TTriddles:
[1] Five times in the sedra and initially in the haftara
[2] With PATACHs, it's second; with SEGOLs, its first
[3] Emori name tells about the climate; in Va’etchanan, name tells about
the view?
[4] 2+2 (at least) a day, 4 + 1 backwards in D’varim, another in Shmuel
[5] 1 take-out (NS), 1 opener, 1 closer
[6] Opening trio again within, each time, and only once more - where?
[7] In D’varim & Va’etchanan, they stay together, in V’zot HaBracha they
separate
[8] In the sedra, from the beginning; in the haftara, the last part
[9] plus one unexplained item from the Parsha Pix
[The Parshat
Va'etchanan Homepage]
[The TORAH tidbits Homepage] [How to use TORAH tidbits]
[About The OU/NCSY Israel Center] [About TORAH tidbits]
[www.ou.org]
|