PARSHA-PIX Parshat Bo

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Parsha Pix
From the upper right, reading right to left, we find ARBEH (locust), a black rectangle representing CHOSHECH (darkness), and a sword representing MAKAT BECHOROT. In this case the sword has a double meaning: It can represent the killing of the first borns and/or the killing BY the first borns of others in anger over Par'o's repeated refusal to yield to the threat made by Moshe (in G-d’s name) against the first borns.
The word BO (in Hebrew) is not just the name of the sedra, but also the number (BO = 2+1 = 3) of MAKOT in the sedra. There were seven plagues in Va’eira and another three in Parshat BO.
In addition to the word BO, there is also a BOW (as in bow and arrow) and a BOW as in a bow of ribbon.
The clock reads almost midnight. G-d told Moshe that MAKAT B’CHOROT will be at exactly midnight. When Moshe told this to the people, he said “around midnight”, because he was afraid that people would not know midnight exactly and would think that G-d did not do as He said He would.
The lamb in the doorway is the Korban Pesach which was to be brought into the homes from the 10th of Nissan.
Matza is matza.
The barking dog is from the Egyptian neighbor- hoods, because in the Jewish areas, not a dog barked its tongue. The tranquility in the Jewish areas was in stark contrast to the panic and desperation of the Egyptians. This the dogs contributed to the sanctification of G-d’s name on this special night.
Their reward, as the Torah provides, is that we “throw” them our non-kosher meat. The can above the dog can be dog food.
But the can has another meaning. In Hebrew, canned goods are called SHIMURIM, as in LEIL SHIMURIM.
The yo-yo represents Par’o’s erratic behavior. Call for Moshe and Aharon. Get them out of my sight. Bring them immediately. If I see you again, you will die. Quick, get them...
The bull with an O between its horns is PAR-O
The bone is for the prohibition of breaking a bone in Korban Pesach. It is also for the word that appears a few times: B’ETZEM HAYOM HAZEH...
Above the bone is one of last year’s visual TTriddles. It is a symbol for a weather map that indicates total cloud cover and a strong easterly wind. That represents the plague of locust that arrived on a strong easterly wind and covered the sky like heavy clouds.
T’filin are t’filin. Two of the four parshiyot inside T’filin come from the end of Parshat BO
The baby, goat, and donkey stand for the three types of B’CHOR, firstborns - human, kosher domesticated animals, and donkey.
The axes and the sword are mentioned in the haftara.
As is the EGLA YEFEI-FIYA, here represented as a prize-winning (obviously beautiful) calf.
That leaves two unexplained items which are visual TTriddles.

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 (VA'EIRA) TTriddles:
[1] This word might explain the Birds' Head Hagada
[2] Moshe's cousin: two brothers in Va'eira; his namesake's two partners in book 23
[3] Father and sons alliteration champs
[4] It uniquely extends the commonest pasuk
[5] Va'eira connection to 7th or 8th Chanuka candle
[6] Partners in two plagues, the result of another, and a later battle
[7] Used several times in Torah and Nach to verify a certain knowledge
[8] plus 3 elements from the ParshaPix

And the envelope, please...
[1] CHARTUMIM. It refers to the wizards of Par'o who tried, with limited success, to reproduce the MAKOT. We had met them earlier with their failure to interpret Par'o's dream(s). The word also is the plural of BEAK, as in birds. "The so-called Birds' Head Haggadah derives its name from the images featured in the manuscript. Most of the human figures are depicted as having birds' heads with pronounced beaks." (Jewish Art Masterpieces)
[2] One of Moshe's cousins was MISHA'EL (son of Uzi'el, one of Amram's brothers). His two brothers were ELTZAFAN and SITRI. His namesake is Misha'el from the book of Daniyeil (Daniel), which is the 23rd of the 24 books of the Tanach. His partners there are CHANANYA and AZARYA.
[3] Levi's son M'RARI had two sons, MACHLI and MUSHI. MEM-MEM-MEM. Alliteration.
[4] Between Sh'mot 6:10 and Bamidbar 35:9, the words VAYDABEIR HASHEM EL MOSHE LEIMOR occur 70 times, making this the most common pasuk in the Torah. Only once, in Sh'mot 6:29, do those words appear as the beginning of a larger pasuk.
[5] Alas, there is none that I know of. I misread the haftara, which dtaes one of Yechezkel's prophecy as having taken place on the 12th of Tevet. I read it carelessly, when scanning for a TTriddle, as the 2nd of Tevet. That would be either the 2nd or 3rd of Tevet and would be a connection. So TTriddle [5] is hereby voided...with apologies to TTriddlers who spent time on this TTriddle.
[6] The answer is BAADAM UVAB'HEIMA - humans and animals. The Torah states that KINIM (lice) and SH'CHIN (boils) afflicted people and animals. The result of MAKAT B'CHOROT is the sanctity of the human firstborn and that of the kosher domesticated animals and that of a donkey. The phrase appears a couple of times in that context. And in the aftermath of the battle against Midyan, the army was instructed to count the spoils of war in terms of people captured and animals taken.
[7] Maybe a little vague, but good TTriddle potential. The answer is B'ZOT - with THIS. The word appears 18 times in Tanach (8 of which are in Chumash), often as a proof (in context, obviously). With this you shall be tested... with this I will know... with this you will know... (this one's in Va'eira). Not all B'ZOTs come across like this, but most do. It's a strong word in its contexts.
[8] LE7 is ELISHEVA, as in the daughter of Aminadav, sister of Nachshon, wife of Aharon.
[9] The picture in the lower-left of the ParshaPix is that of Me'arat HaMachpeila in Hevron. Hevron was a son of K'hat, brother of Amram, Yitzhar, and Uzi'el, uncle of Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam.
[10] Which brings us to the wolf. Whereas we usually think of the plague of AROV as various and sundry wild animals - lions and tigers and bears, oh my! - and Rashi ads that there were snakes and scorpions as well, the Rashbam says that in his opinion, AROV was a plague of wolves. He bases this on p'sukim in Tanach. ("Even Ezra" mentions wolves among other wild animals as part of AROV.)
Special honors this week go to BYS. New solver? Please be in touch concerning your prizes.

This week's TTriddles:
[1] Lavan, Aharon, and Par'o many times
[2] Connection between this week's sedra and King Achav
[3] #Point of Departure and Bruto Duration
[4] The 114 connection
[5] Savana, Banana...among others
[6] Par'i said it thrice' David HaMelech twice; and someone else once. Who?
[7] plus 2 elements from the ParshaPix

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