
PARSHA-PIX Parshat Chukat

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Parsha Pix
This year's ParshaPix for Chukat is a redone version of past years, with
two additional nice touches. Some of the repeated elements were enhanced
as well. Consider anything NOT explained to be a TTriddle.
We start with the cow representing the PARA ADUMA. In past years, we had a
hammer & sickle to identify it as RED, especially for readers of the hard
copy of TT where the ParshaPix are B&W. Since that symbol is long passe...
Following Miriam's death, the Well dried up and there was no water for the
people (the faucet with the spider's web at the spout).
Although Moshe was commanded to speak to the Rock, he struck it with the
MATEH twice and water gushed forth from the rock(s).
The ear indicates the rock’s ability to hear Moshe who was commanded to
speak to the rock.
The Kohen Gadol is pictured, with the garments that were transferred from
Aharon to Elazar.
Following Aharon's death, the people panicked and a plague of serpents
attacked the people. G-d told Moshe to put the form of a snake on a rod
(which he did, making the snake from copper) and anyone bitten by a
poisonous snake who looks at the snake-on-the-stick would live.
The symbol of the medical corps is a serpent (or two) wound around a
staff. Known as a caduceus, dictionaries and encyclopedias give it an
origin in Greek mythology. One wonders if the Torah is its original
source... or something like that.
The sedra mentions SEFER MILCHAMOT HASHEM, some kind of written record of
the battles. It is represented by the open book with a tank on one page
and the HEI-shmichik on the other page.
DO NOT ENTER sign has a double-double meaning. Edom and Emori both
responded to Israel's request for safe passage through their territory
with DO NOT ENTER. Moshe and Aharon, as a result of the "hitting the rock
rather than talking to it episode", were given DO NOT ENTER orders for
Eretz Yisrael.
The bottle of water marked 2NIS represents the offer Bnei Yisrael made to
pay for the water they would use while passing through Edom's land.
The well with the musical clef stands for the Song of the Well. Think
about the prominent role played by water (and its lack) from the moment
Bnei Yisrael left Mitzrayim (you can even go back to the first plague in
Egypt - BLOOD) until they arrived at the threshold of Eretz Yisrael.
Which brings us to an old (one of the first) PPP component representing
the phrase, "For a fire has come out of CHESHBON..."
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 (KORACH - R"Ch) TTriddles:
[1] 2+2+(2+1+7+1) = 14+1
[2] She said, he sat, he said, he came; what did he find when he got
there?
[3] not exactly the Good Humor man
[4] He nets 8.82%
[5] Rivka, Chana, and the Earth
[6] Yaakov's gift; Aharon's what?
[7] Also of Eisav and Eli
[8] plus one element from the ParshaPixPuzzle
And the envelope, please...
[1] Several people got this one. 2 daily korbanot + 2 for Shabbat Musaf +
the Musaf for Rosh Chodesh, which is 2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 lambs, and a goat.
This equals 14 Olot and 1 Chatat.
[2] VAI-HI MIMOCHORAT, and it was on the morrow... the phrase appears 13
times in Tanach, including 4 times in the Torah. She said (Lot's older
daughter to the younger), Moshe sat in judgment and Yitro observed...,
Moshe said (castigated the people for the Golden Calf), and came into the
Ohel HaEidut on the day after he placed the rods of each tribe, and he
found that the rod of Aharon had blossomed.
[3] KORACH. Not exactly like KERACH (ice or G'LIDA in Aramaic), which
means he's not exactly the ice cream man. Choice of Good Humor allows for
a second meaning, that Korach was not exactly a man with a good
disposition. (So even those that got this one, missed part of it - same
for [8]).
[4] A person gives approx. 2% of his produce to a kohein as T'ruma. Of the
remaining 98%, he gives 10% to a Levi as Maaser Rishon. The Levi,
receiving 9.8% of the produce, gives 10% to a kohen as T'rumat Maaser,
leaving the Levi with 8.82% net.
[5] ET PIHA. Her mouth. Rivka was consulted by her mother and brothers
about the shiduch with Yitzchak - and let us "ask her mouth". Eli HaKohen
watched Chana's mouth when she was praying, but no sound came from her.
And the Earth opened its mouth to accept Hevel's blood, and to swallow
Korach's gang.
[6] Yaakov's gift to the ruler in Egypt (Yosef), not his gifts to Eisav,
included SH'KEIDIM, almonds. Aharon's staff produced almonds.
[7] No one got this one. An easier version appeared in the OU's Shabbat
Shalom. Last Shabbat we read from Korach and from Pinchas (Maftir for R"Ch).
Korach and Pinchas are "of Yitzhar and Elazar", their fathers,
respectively. Korach and Pinchas are also "of Eisav and Eli", referring to
another Korach and another Pinchas in Tanach.
[8] Reference the alarm clock. There is a phrase in the haftara for
Shabbat Rosh Chodesh (Yeshayahu 66:6), SHA'ON MEI'IR. It means "an uproar
from the city". SHA'ON is spelled with an ALEF. If we switch an AYIN for
the ALEF, we get SHA'ON, meaning clock. MEI'IR can now mean "awakening". A
clock that awakens is an alarm clock. Notice that the picture of the clock
reflects the AYIN-ALEF switch, because instead of the 1 on the face of the
clock, there is 70.
This week's 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
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