PARSHA-PIX Parshat Mishpatim

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Parsha Pix
Upper-left is really the starting point, the scales representing JUSTICE. In this case, MISHPATIM. In addition to the broad idea of justice, see what else can be found in the sedra, for which the scales of justice would be an appropriate representation.
Upper-right is the "fist" referred to as one of the weapons that can injure or kill.
An eye for an eye, literally, an eye UNDER an eye, is depicted here as money under an eye, based on Rashi and all other commentaries. The Vilna Gaon pointed out that the letters of the word AYIN are each followed in the ALEF-BET by the letters of the word KESEF. AYIN-PEI, YUD-KAF, NUN-SAMACH. A very nice graphical representation of the fact that monetary compensation on several levels is the correct understanding of an Eye for an Eye.
The bull and the fire are two potential causes of damages - one of the many key topics of the sedra.
So is the pit (right below the fire is a peach pit. Play on words from PIT to PIT). That
give all types of damages: The bull with horns, the tooth, the feet of the bull, the fire and the pit.
The sneaking thief was caught in the cellar. Under what circumstances is one held blameless for killing him? Under what circumstances would one be held accountable? And how much does the caught thief pay to the victim?
The guard at his post represents the whole topic of the FOUR SHOMRIM.
The hands pulling the money out of the wallet are about to lend money at 0% interest. Or, perhaps, they are about to offer a bribe. Which will blind the judge receiving it, as in the image of the blindfolded head.
The witch on the broomstick stands for the 3-word pasuk which requires Sanhedrin to rid society of witches.
Down the lower-left side are images of the Three Regalim, Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
The Har Sinai pix for Shavuot also corresponds to the end of Mishpatim where the events of Matan Torah are presented with other details not presented in Yitro.
The quill and scroll is for Moshe writing down "all of G-d's words" (Shmot 24:4).
There is milk & meat for the first of the three occurrences of LO T'VASHEIL G’DI...
Lower-right is the TZIR'A (wasp) that G-d will send into the Land to help slowly drive out some of the nations there.
The cloud is covering Har Sinai (endof the sedra).
The tooth is referred to in the mitzvot related to injuring an EVED K'NAANI and being required to free him. It is also one of the forms of damages. Also, there is a tooth for a tooth.
The three arrows belong to the haftara we don't say. Sorry.
The money can double for Sh'kalim.
The knitting reminds us of the prohibitions of Shabbat, as commanded with a positive mitzva in Mishpatim.

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). 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 (YITRO) TTriddles:
[1] Common, but not exclusive verb of the sedra people
[2] Continue on fathers' right
[3] Always, always, fair judgment
[4] Moshe's description of Egypt was whose self-description?
[5] Up 5, down 4
[6] Color me purple (or maybe violet)
[7] Davidson's middle's finale's male counterparts

And the envelope, please...
[1] The Sedra People (in TTriddle language) are those people whose names are also the names of sedras. The Sedra People are No’ach, Yitro, Korach, Balak, and Pinchas. It is not clear if we should consider Sara Imeinu among the Sedra People. This TTriddle started forming with the phrase VAYIKACH YITRO, and Yitro took Tzipora and her two sons, and again, sacrifices. That boded well -two VAYIKACH YITROs. This, of course, brought to mind VAYIKACH KORACH, since that’s a sedra opener. From there, we check Balak. Sure enough, there are two VAYIKACH BALAKs. Both times, it is Bil’am whom Balak took. A TTriddle was born. But there are still other Sedra People. Well, PINCHA saw (what was going on), he stood from among the people, and VAYIKACH, he took, a ROMACH, spear, in his hand. Not exactly VAYIKACH PINCHAS, but as close as it was going to get. That left NO’ACH. He was more of a stretch, but he fit (sort of). G-d told No’ach twice to take - once it was food for all the animals, once to take seven pairs of each kosher animal and bird. And each time G-d told No’ach to take, the Torah tells us that he did what G-d told him to do. So these are K’ILU VAYIKACH NO’ACHs, which were deemed acceptable for this TTriddle. So “to take” is a common verb to the Sedra People, but not exclusive, since the following people’s names also follow the word VAYIKACH: HaShem, Sheim. Avram and Avraham, Terach, Avimelech, Yaakov, Eisav, Yehuda, Yosef, Moshe, Amram, Aharon, Elazar (that’s it among the 88 VAYIKACHs in the Torah; many of the people listed have multiple VAYIKACHs), Achan, Yehoshua, Gid’on, Avimelech, Mano’ach,Shmuel, Yishai, David, Sha’ul, Chanun, Tzadok, Asa, Eliyahu, Ovadyahu, Y’hoyada, Y’ho’ash, Achaz, Chizkiyahu, Tirza, Chananya, Baruch, Yochanan, Haman, G’shur (these 24 people are among the 117 VAYIKACHs in the rest of Tanach).
[2] Fathers are AVOT. Fathers’ right is YEMIN AVOT. That’s the name of a street in Kiryat Moshe. If you continue on Rechov Yemin Avot it becomes KANFEI NESHARIM, the wings of eagles. That phrase appears only once in Tanach - in Parshat Yitro. The street in Giv’at Sha’ul was named for a sefer written by Rav Avraham Nesher(Adler), Director of the Jerusalem Rabbinate for many years. Yemin Avot, by the way, is also named for a sefer by another prominent Jerusalem Rav.
[3] The phrase V’SHAFTU ET HA’AM, and you shall juge the people, appears three times in the Torah. Twice in Yitro, followed by the words B’CHOL EIT, always. The other time the phrase appears in the beginning of Sho-f’tim (the sedra, not the book) where it is followed by MISHPAT TZEDEK, fair judgment.
[4] Moshe named his first son GERSHOM (GEI-R’SHOM) because he was a stranger in a foreign land, ERETZ NOCHRIYA. This, we are told in Parshat Sh’mot and again in Parshat Yitro (where it seems strange that the origin of the name is repeated; we usually find name explanations when we are told of a birth, and only then). NOCHRIYAappears 8 more times in Tanach. In the Book (Megila) of Ruth, she says of herself, V’ANOCHI NOCHRIYA. SoMoshe’s description of Egypt was Ruth’s self-description.
[5] The words VAYA’AL MOSHE, and Moshe ascended, appear five times in the Torah (once in Yitro). VAYEIRED MOSHE, and Moshe descended, appears four times (twice in Yitro). That’s up 5, down 4.
[6] This is a simple play on the word SEGULA. The word first appears in Parshat Yitro, when G-d says that if we harken to His Voice and preserve His covenant, then we will be for Him SEGULA (special treasure, chosen people, beloved) of all ther nations... The word reappears in D’varim three times, in the same context. In modern (?) Hebrew, the word is the feminine form of SEGOL, which means purple or violet. ARGAMAN is also used for purple. There seems to be controversy as to whether violet and purple are the same color or slightly different shades, hence the equivocation in the wording of the TTriddle.
[7] Davidson is David’s son, is Shlomo HaMelech. Davidson’s middle refers to the second of the three books of Tanach attributed to Shlomo HaMelech. He wrote Shir HaShirim in his youth, Mishlei in his middle age, and Kohelet in his old age. Davidson’s middle is the book of Mishlei (Proverbs). Its finale refers to the last22 p’sukim of Mishlei, well-known as the post-Shalom Aleichem, pre-Kiddush song at the Shabbat Table on Friday night - EISHET CHAYIL. The male counterparts of an EISHET CHAYIL are ANSHEI CHAYIL, one of the qualities that Yitro advised Moshe to look for in a judge for the people. The term is variously interpreted by different commentaries. Here is a list of possibilities from a footnote in The Living Torah by Rav Aryeh Kaplan z”l. Capable men, competent, resourceful, men with leadership qualities, efficient men, strong, stronghearted, confident, men with initiative, men of status, wealthy men, superior men, implying self-control, moral superiority, and leadership.

This week's TTriddles:
[1] Va'etchanan beats Mishpatim at its own game. By what score?
[2] Delicacies; master & family
[3] Mixed up fool in the water
[4] Three boys were sent to the principal's office for fighting. The principal asked the first one what happened. He pointed to the second one and said, "He pushed me". When the principal looked at the second boy, he pointed to the third boy and said, "He pushed me". The third boy just sat there and smiled. Name the three boys.
[5] Man of 1, 2,3, 5, 7, and 8
[6] double-scrambled first-born item
[7] In the sedra, he swears; in Shoftim, he's old
[8] Who, besides the king, may not
[9] The first, the second, the third, the fifth, the seventh, the tenth, this, and...
[10] Money, donkey, blemish, Divine Spirit
[11] An angel, messenger, or prophet - Eliya

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