PARSHA-PIX Parshat Nitzavim

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Parsha Pix
The family in the upper-left represents the beginning of Nitzavim that describes all who are standing today before G-d. Included are men, women, and children, and all types of people, including the woodcutter (George Washington) and the water-drawers (Jack & Jill).
The family also stands for those who were to participate in HAK-HEL - men, women, and children.
HAK-HEL is also represented by the crowned Torah-reader - the king, and by the Torah in the Sukka, in the lower-right.
The feather writing letters is for the mitzva to write a Sefer Torah. That mitzva is also represented by the open gemara.
The Xed out moon, planets, and stars is LO BASHAMAYIM HI.
The acid rain symbol is for the description of the punishment for turning away from G-d.
The Megila is for the hidden "clue" to Esther in the Torah - HESTEIR PANIM.
The questioned road signs is the choice of choosing Life or Death, Good or Evil.
The plant growing a Tzedaka box is from the haftara, referring to G-d, YATZMI'ACH TZEDAKA.
The Chatan and Kallah under the Chupa is also from the haftara.
And the chemical expression is sulfur and salt burning...
Dots above the family are for the dots above LANU ULVANEINU (and the AYIN of AD).

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 (KI TAVO) TTriddles:
[1] who'd we tell it to before the kohen?
[2] HaShem (3), Torah (7), Shira, and who?
[3] Ark, Place, Kohein/Kohanim, King
[4] Shiur: One over basket
[5] obverse, not reverse
[6] It has alchemits drooling
[7] your fathers, my family, the Land, where, where, and whom
[8] plus 5 elements from the ParshaPix

And the envelope, please...
[1] This TTriddle started with VANITZ'AK EL HASHEM... and we called out to G-d...This phrase produced only two results, and revealed that when Moshe sent messengers to the King of Edom, to ask for permission to go through his land (we did NOT receive the permission), the messengers were instructed to tell the events that are similar to that which the Bikurim-bringer declares before the kohein.
[2] HIs (your brother's) donkey (A) or ox (B) fallen, his (brother's) ox (B) or sheep (C) lost -- that's the whose and what so far. The what not is to ignore the situation. (See D'varim 22:1,4)
[3] ET KOL DIVREI... all the words of...The phrase appears 30 times in Tanach, 12 of which are in the Torah and in this TTriddle. 7 of the 12 are followed by the words HATORAH HAZOT, all the words of this Torah. One other time, the phrase is ET KOL DIVREI HASHIRA HAZOT, but it too refers to the Torah. Thrice it is DIVREI HASHEM that occurs (which is also the Torah, really). Which brings us to the answer to the TTriddle's question - who. Yosef. After Yosef revealed himself to his brothers, he sent them back to Yaakov. The Torah tells us that the brothers told Yaakov all that Yosef had said to them - ET KOL DIRVEI YOSEF...
[4] This TTriddle is based on a Baal HaTurim and a misdirection. Shiur, not a Torah lesson as I wanted readers to think, but rather an amount, a quantity. The shiur for Bikurim is unspecified by the Torah. Technically, bringing a single grape (in a basket) would fulfill one's obligation of Bikurim. Our Sages "recommended" 1/60 as the part of the yield that should be brought. Baal HaTurim points out that the numeric value of the word TENE, basket, is 60, a "remez" to the one over 60 portion of Bikurim.
[5] In numismatics, the side of a coin that bears the principle stamp or design is called the obverse side. The other side is the reverse (also known as verso). In the US and many other countries, the obverse of a coin has the image of a person's face. Hence, that side became known as "heads". The obverse probably became known as "tails" in contrast to heads, not because of anything specific appearing on the verso of the coin. In Israel, by the way, the "heads" of a coin is known as PALI, short for Palestine, which appeared on the obverse of coins before Statehood. "Tails" is called EITZ for the common image of a palm tree on the reverse of the coin. Even with a 10 on one side and a menora on the other,the sides are still called PALI and EITZ. Oh, yes. This is a TTriddle for Parshat Ki Tavo. Almost forgot. The promise, if we follow the Torah, is that we will be "head" (obverse) and not "tail" (reverse).
[6] The haftara of Ki Tavo has a prophecy of the time of the Geula, when copper will be replaced by gold and iron will be replaced by silver. Copper and iron are among the list of base metals and gold and silver are among the noble metals. The transformation of base metals into noble metals, especially gold, is the quest of the alchemist. Nay, it is the definition af alchemy.
[7] TAVO EL, you will come/go to... is followed by "your fathers", when G-d spoke to Avra(ha)m at the Brit Bein HaBetarim, telling him some of the future of his descendants. My family, MISHPACHTI, follows KI TAVO EL in the context of Avraham sending Eliezer to his hometown. EL HAARETZ appears a number of times. Elsewhere in Tanach, the phrase is followed by two WHEREs and a WHO - Bavel, Eretz M'shovevet... and MELECH HATZAFON, the king of the north.

And 5 unexplained ParshaPix elements
[8] Green pepper with YES & NO. Is pepper a PRI HAADAMA. Well, as far as Ki Tavo is concerned, the answer is YES and NO. The command to take of the first fruits of the land, PRI HAADAMA does NOT include green pepper. Only the Seven Species. On the other hand, later in the sedra when the PRI HAADAMA is to be blessed (if, and not so if not), pepper is assumedly included in that term.
[9] At the top of the ParshaPix is a (spice) rack, representing another promise for our faithful behavior, that will will be RACK L'MAALA, just at the top. (Please forgive bad Hebrew-English puns.)
[10] The opened lock is for the prophecy in the haftara, that your gates will be open always, day and night they will not be closed...
[11] The flower next to the 12 stones is a "forget-me-not", as in "... I did not violate any mitzvot, nor did I forget." Part of Vidui Maasrot.
[12] The golf club (it's an IRON) is UNDER the STONES, as in the haftara: V'TACHAT HA-AVANIM BARZEL.

This week's TTriddles:
[1] Moshe, Yehoshua, David, yehu, Baruch, Yirmiyahu, and who?
[2] Dalet, Ayin, Mem - only 3 of 16 (in a 4WS) without what?
[3] Please my tears in their mouths to us
[4] What mood is 9? (upside down 6)
[5] Bottom of the first, they are repeatedly called upon
[6] Opens with important advice for a happy RH
[7] When a piece of myocard replaces the gastrocnemilis
[8] Rain on it would produce oil of vitriol

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