PARSHA-PIX Parshat Balak
Click on image for enlargement
Parsha Pix
As we've done a few times recently, whatever is not explained here from
the ParshaPix, constitutes a visual TTriddle (formerly known as PPP or
ParshaPixPuzzle).
Upper left is from one of the first ParshaPixPuzzles. There is a BLOCK
(sounds like BALAK) in a nest, which makes it BLOCK BEN TZIPOR.
Moving to the right, we find a globe wearing an eye patch. Balak said that
Israel was so numerous that we covered EIN HAARETZ, the eye of the Earth
(as does the patch).
Next, the messengers from Moav came to Bil'am with K'SAMIM B'YADAM,
represented by the magic trick in the hand. Bil'am's donkey saw the sword
drawn in the angel's hand; Bil'am did not see it at first (or second or
third).
Second row, left. When the donkey talks to Bil'am, she asks him why he has
hit her these three REGALIM, three times. Commentaries point out that it
doesn't say P'AMIM, three times, but rather uses the word that refers to
our cycle of holidays and to the People who observe them. The angel
repeats the reference to SHALOSH REGALIM.
The speech-bubble for the donkey contains the question (mark) about the
three festivals, represented by the Lulav, Matza, and Torah.
To the right we find a Chicago basketball player, one of the BULLS and a
St. Louis football player, one of the RAMS. Bulls and rams , 7 of each,
(hence the large numeral 7) were repeatedly offered as sacrifices to G-d
by Bil’am and Balak. We suggest that you try to get this out of your kids
rather than giving it away to them. (That is, if they follow American
sports. Otherwise, teach them.)
The lion cub was one of the ways that Bil'am described the Jewish People.
Below the donkey are Clapping hands - a representation of Balak striking
his hands together in disgust at Bil’am’s repeated failure to do as
requested. VAYISPOK. A unique word in Tanach, appearing no where else.
The Xed out snake is also from Bil'am's words, that there is no NACHASH in
Yaakov. His meaning is that we do not rely on omens.
Below the snake is a "house filled with money" - sort of what Balak told
Bil'am that he missed out on by not uttering one teensy weeny curse.
The shul in the lower-left corner reminds us of the famous MA TOVU
OHALECHA YAAKOV...
Lying across the bottom of the ParshaPix is the ROMACH, the spear that
Pinchas used to protect G-d’s honor.
Worthy of repetition is something Zev Frank of Arutz-7 discovered. ROMACH,
spelled in the Torah REISH-MEM-CHET (no VAV) is numerically equivalent to
248, which immediately brings to mind the number of positive mitzvot in
the Torah. Pinchas armed himself with the RAMACH (248) mitzvot in his
righteous defense of G-d's honor. But Zev did not stop there. What about
the prohibitions in the Torah? There are 365 of them. If we count just the
prohibitions, starting from GID HANASHE and follow the count of the Sefer
HaChinuch through the sedras, we come to an amazing discovery. The 248th
prohibition in the Torah is at the end of Va'etchanan, and it is the
prohibition of intermarriage and of taking a woman from the other nations.
Exactly the sin that Zimri was guilty of. So Pinchas not only armed
himself with a physical weapon, and not only did he have the 248 positive
mitzvot guiding him, but he also had a numeric match to the one major
prohibition at issue.
Speaking of Zev Frank, he is the master Torah riddler - for his (former)
show on Arutz-7, he would pose seven rhyming riddles on the sedra, the
answers to which required a good knowledge of Tanach, commentaries,
Talmud, and many varied bodies of knowledge, both Jewish and secular.
(More the former, less the latter.) He recently published a collection of
riddles that should make the perfect gift for the right person of your
acquaintance. The book is in Hebrew, very well presented, contains 3024
Torah riddles, hints, and solutions. (I had tried to get him to leave out
the solutions and thereby make sure that people would buy the solutions
when they would be subsequently published, by he is kinder than I am,
apparently, and did not want to excessively torture his readership and
listenership. The book is called TORAT'CHA SHAASHU'AI by Zev Frank. It is
available at S'forim stores all over. (If you can't find it, ask for it -
nay, demand it of your friendly book dealer. It's not for everyone, but it
is definitely for that special person of a highly developed, flexible,
inquisitive, educated mind. - TO'RATCHA SH'A'SHUAI BY ZEV FRANK
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. 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 (CHUKAT) TTriddles:
[1] The three Ps - Pesach, Purity of vessels, and... what?
[2] rock, Judean, king
[3] Previously, Yitro and to call Datan & Aviram. What now?
[4] Means will die; means will not die
[5] Who sings (and who else?), writes (and who else?), speaks (and who
else?) - and what?
[6] In the Torah, they share the Jewish interjection of woe
[7] This week and next, last week and the one before, and how many others?
[8] plus two elements from the ParshaPixPuzzle
And the envelope, please
[1] ZOT CHUKAT HATORAH appears only twice in Tanach - Parshat Chukat, or
course, and in Parshat Matot. If we broaden the search slightly,
and look for ZOT CHUKAT, then one more occurrence is found - namely
ZOT CHUKAT HAPESACH, specifically referring to the prohibition of a
non-Jew’s eating of Korban Pesach. The topic in Matot is the purification
of vessels among the spoils of war against Midyan. So the three Ps of ZOT
CHUKAT are Pesach, Para Aduma, and Purity of vessels.
[2] V’DIBARTEM, and you shall (plural) speak to... The rock, in Chukat;
the king, in Melachim Bet 1:6; ISH YEHUDA, in Yirmiyahu 11:2.
[3] And Moshe sent... VAYISHLACH MOSHE... Previously, meaning before
Parshat Chukat, Moshe sent his father-in-law (in Parshat Yitro) and he
sent someone to summon Datan and Aviram (in Parshat Korach). Now, in
Parshat Chukat, Moshe sends messengers to the King of Edom and again,
spies to YA’ZEIR.
[4] Aharon was to ascend Hor HaHar and there YEI-ASEIF AHARON EL AMAV, he
will die. In a totally different context, back in Parshat VA-EIRA, the
Torah tells us that before the plague of BARAD (hail), a warning was
issued that people or animals that remained outdoors, and that did not
YEI-ASEIF, gather in the home, would die. So in this case, YEI-ASEIF means
will not die.
[5] The key is HASHIRA HAZOT, this song (referring to different things in
different contexts). Who sings this song? Yisrael (Song of the Well,
Parshat Chukat), and Moshe and Bnei Yisrael (Song of the Sea). Moshe
writes this song (Parshat Vayeilech), and all Jews are commanded to write
this song (Sefer Torah, also Vayeilech). So too, in Vayeilech, the Torah
tells us that Moshe SPOKE to words of this song, “in the ears of all K’HAL
YISRAEL”. And David HaMelech spoke to G-d the words of this song. And the
Torah (this song) is a “witness” between G-d and Israel.
[6] OY! is the Jewish interjection of woe. In Chukat, we find Woe unto you
Moav... In Parshat Balak, Bil’am’s vision/prediction/prophecy of KEINI
includes the word OY.
[7] This week, etc. refers to a run of 4 three-letter-named sedras:
Sh’lach, Korach, Chukat, and Balak. How many others? Count them: MIKEITZ,
EMOR, B’HAR, NASO, EIKEV, R’EI.
[8] After years of using a red colored cow for Para Aduma, which shows up
black in the hard-copy, and/or using the Communist emblem... this year we
used the frequencies of light in the red range.
[9] And we upgraded the old FIRE COMING OUT OF CHESHBON to give it a real
meaning as well. Do the math correctly and you get 256 + 44 + 1 = 301,
which is the g’matriya of EISH, fire.
This week's TTriddles:
[1] Kayin, Avimelech, Avraham, Yaakov, Moshe, Par'o, Bil'am
[2] to Moshe, to Yitzchak, to Yaakov
[3] Bil'am 9, the Shumanit 1
[4] The 300,000 had this in addition to what Pinchas had
[5] Total count: 18+8. In Parshat Balak - G-d, Balak, and Bil'am
[6] Eliezer, the Nation, Moshe, Bil'am, David, Shaul, and...?
[7] plus two elements from the ParshaPixPuzzle
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