PARSHA-PIX Parshat Ki-Tisa

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Parsha Pix
The sedra begins with the command to count the people. The abacus is for keeping tally, and the half-shekel (NIS) coin represents the half-silver- shekel that was used for the count.
The faucet stands for the washing basin and the kohein’s requirement to wash hands and feet before doing service in the Mikdash.
The thing to the right of the faucet is a pepper mill, used to grind the spices for the incense (K’TORET) and the special anointing oil.
And in the upper-right is a bottle of olive oil for that same SHEMEN HAMISHCHA.
Then we see the two artisans checking the blueprints - they represent Betzalel and Aholiav, the two chief craftsmen in charge of the construction of the Mishkan.
Finally, to complete the topics of the first Aliya in Ki Tisa, we have Shabbat candles, representing to command to keep the Shabbat.
Lower-right is an edited version of Davka’s Golden Calf graphic, and to its left is another Davka graphic of Moshe holding the Luchot high (perhaps just before he smashed them).
The hatchet can be that which Moshe used to destroy the Eigel, or the tool used to fulfill the commands at the end of the sedra to destroy theAvoda Zara in the Land of Israel upon our entry and conquest.
Above Moshe and the Luchot is a graphic (probably hard to make out) of a slab of meat together with an ice cream pop in a frying pan over a camping stove. This, of course, stands for the prohibition of MEAT-IN-MILK.
Below the bottle of oil is a welder’s mask, which might be the most appropriate method of shielding the people from Moshe’s radiance.
The quill and feature remind us of the command of G-d to Moshe to write the Written Torah down for the people.
Matza is matza, as we sometimes say in ParshaPix explanations. Here it can represent not just Pesach, but all three Regalim, as mentioned in this week’s sedra.
The fire under the abacus is for the Maftir, specifically the burning of the Para Aduma and other items, to produce ash that is then mixed with Mayim Chayim.
The Jerusalem sheep is for the haftara.

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 alsopresentedforcall-insolutiononTorahTidbitsAudio(Arutz-7,Thursdaynight).Thebest 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 (T’TZAVEH-ZACHOR) TTriddles:
[1] What's the favorite brew of reserve soldiers?
[2] Almost 38 miles
[3] Today, it's a wine. Where was it in T'fakeid?
[4] On the Eifod, Mitznefet, and..what?

Plus 3 elements of the ParshaPix - to be numbered 5, 6, and 7

Quiet week for TTriddles. Speaking of which...
It has come to our attention that some people pronounce TTriddles as Tee Tee Riddles. Wrong! If that would be the case, we would write T.T. riddles. Which we don't. It's TTriddles and should be pronounced as if there were only one T. TRIDDLES. The other T is silent. Sort of like a KRI and K'TIV. Not really, but you get the idea. TTriddles.

And the envelope, please
[1] The answer appears twice in Parshat T'tzaveh, with a slight difference between the two occurrences. EIL MILU'IM and EIL HAMILU'IM. Either way, that's the brew of choice of reservists. ALE MILU'IM.
[2] The haftara for Shabbat Parshat Zachor contains the result of a census taken by Shaul HaMelech to organize an army to fight against Amalek. The count results were 200,000 RAGLI, foot soldiers. RAGLI is close enough to REGEL meaning FOOT, as in the measure. 200,000 feet is almost 38 miles.
[3] T'FAKEID is the Targum of T'TZAVEH. This was a hint that the answer to this TTriddle will be found in Onkeles. The second largest wine producer in Israel is BARKAN. In Parshat T'tzaveh, BARKAN is the Aramaic for BAREKET, the third stone in the first row of stones on the CHOSHEN. That's where Barkan is in T'fakeid. Exactly what a BAREKET (or BARKAN) is, is another story. According to the Living Torah (R' AryehKaplan z"l), there are various opinions that range from a yellow to yellow-green to green to blue stone, precious to semi-precious, iron pyrite, to red- black-white stripes. It was probably Levi's stone, but maybe Zevulun's.
[4] The answer is "on the Tzitzit of the corner". Refers to P'TIL T'CHEILET. In Parshat T'tzaveh, there are two - on the Eifod and to tie the Tzitz to the Kohein Gadol's head. In Shlach (and in the third parsha of the Sh'ma), it is part of the mitzva of Tzitzit.
[5] Hey, what is that between the Kohein Gadol's shoulder and the bull? It's a roof. you know, a GAG. As in AGAG, king of Amalek.
[6] The book with the number 4 on it is the 4th volumn of the Shulchan Aruch, known as CHOSHEN MISHPAT.
Of course, the full set is also known as the ARBAA TURIM which are counted out in the sedra and matched to different gemstones.
[7] And finally, we have an elephant with his trunk tied in a knot. The simple explanation is ZACHOR, since it is well-known that elephants never forget. But we can go a little further. Tying a knot is a traditional way to give yourself a reminder to remember something. So if elephants never forget and a knot is to remember, the elephant with a knot in his trunk is a depiction of both mitzvot related to Amalek - ZACHOR and LO TISHKACH.
BTW, whatever the origin of the world's idea of tying a knot to remember, we definitely have the idea in Torah and mitzvot. T'filin is tied on the arm as a sign, a reminder, if you will. But even more so, is Tzitzit. There, the mitzva to put (tie) tzitzit on the corners of a four-cornered garment is to remember all the mitzvot and do them.
First in with a solid solution set is EB. These words are being typed on the Purim of the rest of the world, so it's too early in the week to declare a winner. We shall see what develops.
Okay. We've now heard from RHM and YYW. Both are runners-up to EB, and prizes to each.

This week's TTriddles:
[1] Vertical Symmetry for word and Taamim
[2] Rabbi Chizkiya b. David de Silva z"l - 1659-1698
[3] trap, thing, wise person
[4] Avimelech, Yaakov, Lavan, Moshe, David and two more than once. Who and who?
[5] Of incense, but can refer to gefilte fish, but not for people on a low sodium diet
[6] What else besides the first set of LUCHOT?
[7]1 , 2, 3 and another 3, 7, 10 sort of, 11 sort of, some of 12, 13

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