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.
To the right of the faucet is a mortar & pestle, used to grind the spices
for the incense (K’TORET) and the special anointing oil.
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 the reminder of the 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 and/or upon his return to the people
with the second pair).
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 the Avoda
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 in a reiteration of the command to eat matza on Pesach.
We - actually, you - are left with three "unexplained" items in the
ParshaPix to treat as 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 (T'TZAVEH) TTriddles:
[1] HaB'gadim: 5-2, who & who?
[2] one of 12, one of 7, prophet's port
[3] Besides this week's sedra...who to whom and what?
[4] Three that share this unit of length
[5] A label on a pot you want to tovel is like what stone?
[6] plus two elements from the Parsha Pix
And the envelope, please...
[1] The word HAB'GADIM occurs seven times in the Tanach. Five times, it is
referring to the garments of the Kohein Gadol. Twice it refers to the
garments of the King. Hence, the "score" is 5-2, K.G. vs. Melech.
[2] Personal favorite of this batch of TTriddles. Several correct
solutions for this one. One of 12 stones on the CHOSHEN (breastplate of
the Kohein Gadol), one of 7 advisors to Achashveirosh (in Megilat Esther),
and the port from which the prophet Yona attempted to flee from his
"assignment" to warn the people of Ninvei that they faced destruction
because of their sins. Answer: TARSHISH.
[3] V'ATA T'TZAVEH, And you shall command... We know this two-word phrase
well from Parshat T'tzaveh. How many other times does the phrase appear in
Tanach? Only one other time. That time, G-d was speaking to Yehoshua,
saying that he should command the Kohanim who were carrying the Aron to
stand at the bank of the Jordan River.
[4] The unit intended here is the ZERET, a span, one-half an Ama. Based on
the distance from the tip of the thumb until the tip of the pinky (which
is also called ZERET) of a spread out hand. It is the measure of the
CHOSHEN in T'tzaveh (and P'kudei, length and width after it is folded in
half). It also shows up in the haftara of T'tzaveh, where we find the
dimensions of the Mizbei'ach. The only other occurrence of ZERET as a
measure in Tanach is in the description of the height of GOLYAT (Goliath)
as 6 Amot and a Zeret
[5] This was the only TTriddle not solved by anyone - which detracts from
the rating of the TTriddle. A highly rated TTriddle must be solvable, but
not too easily. (There are other factors which also affect ratings.) The
closest anyone came to a solution was CHATZITZA to CXHATZATZ, which is
gravel. Sort of like stone. But not, of course, one of the CHOSHEN's
stones. The other attempted solution was closer to the CHOSHEN, but... "A
label on a pot is like lipstick on a woman and both are a chatzitza and
you can't tovel like that. Lipstick is Odem in Hebrew which is the first
stone in the list. Nice try. Here's the intended answer (like it or not).
The second part of Shulchan Aruch is YOREH DE'A. Y"D consists of 403
SIMANIM, sections. The middle section, no. 202, discusses CHATZITZA on
vessels, like a label on a pot. Get where we are going with this yet? The
four parts Shulchan Aruch are known as the ARBA'A TURIM, the same term
used to describe the rows of stones on the CHOSHEN. So the middle stone of
the second row would correspond to the middle section of Y"D. That stone
is the SAPIR. And that is the answer to this TTriddle.
[6] The easier one of the two "unexplained" elements of the ParshaPix was
the crossword puzzle in the lower right. In Hebrew, a crossword puzzle is
TASHBEITZ. This is the same word used in the Torah for the pattern of
weave of the KUTONET.
[7] Which brings us to the chest of drawers, also known as a dresser. As
such, it hints to Moshe Rabeinu who was first dresser for Aharon and his
sons, being commanded to put the holy garments on the kohanim.
A fair number of solvers this week. Top honors to a relative newcomer to
TTriddle-solving, and a relative (pun intended) of veteran TTriddle-ace
YYW. This week's winner is BYS. Be in touch re prizes.
BTW, when submitting solutions, you may use the corresponding numbers to
the Hebrew letters. We might change back too, but not yet.
This week's TTriddles:
[1] In Ki Tisa, it could be anyone; the only other time the word appears,
it refers to whom?
[2] They split the butterfly
[3] Archer's first novel could have been inspired by this
[4] The murmuring of the people, the corruption of Eli's sons, the failure
of Shaul HaMelech
[5] plus three elements from the Parsha Pix
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