PARSHA-PIX Parshat B'ha'alot'cha

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Parsha Pix
Menora from beginning of the sedra.
Lamb labeled 2 is for Pesach Sheni.
Above the lamb is a box of Tide, so that the Leviyim can wash their clothes. The Tide is also for Yehoshua Kohein HaGadol in the haftara, who is described as having soiled clothes.
Jeans, a.k.a. Levy's for the Leviyim.
Silver trumpets.
2nd row, "reading" right to left, you have: when the cloud lifts, that is a sign to travel. Hence the green light.
The next row pictures the result of the Cloud's lifting and the go-ahead for traveling: The four flag-camps are marching in the direction of the arrow.
Lower-left is an Aron Kodesh. Refer to the NUN-bracketed p'sukim. Smiling watermelon refers to Bamidbar 11:5.
Quail.
Snowflake is a reminder of Miriam's punishment for Lashon HaRa. The eyes are Yitro. That’s what Moshe wanted him to be for us on our journeys. The candle lighting other candles is an analogy to Moshe giving of his Ru'ach HaKodesh to the 70 elders he gathered, to share his burdens of leadership.
The X-ed out soldier is from the haftara, when it says, LO B'CHAYIL.

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 (Naso) TTriddles:
[1] 23 times in some form or other within itself
The word NASO, specifically the root NUN-SIN-ALEF, has different but related meanings. In Parshat Naso, the root shows up in 23 words, as follows:
1 NASO, in the sedra-title pasuk. It means to take a census, but has the connotation of elevating the people with the counting.
1 V'NAS'U, and they carried. Lifting up is a common factor.
14 NASI, referring to the tribal leader, who is elevated to that position.
2 HAN'SI'IM, the leaders (the elevated ones, the lifted ones).
3 N'SI'EI and 2 UNSI'EI, (and) the leaders of...
[2] Wagon, Shabbat song, Torah enjoyment
The wagons used by families Gershon and Merari to transport the parts of the Mishkan were covered wagons, called by the Torah EGLOT TZAV, turtle wagons. TZAV is TZADI BET. The Shabbat song, i.e. the Psalm for Shabbat, is Mizmor Shir L'yom HaShabbat... which is T'hilim 92 (TZADI BET). There is a pasuk in T'hilim, whose words have been put to melody, that begins LULEI TORATCHA SHAASHU'AI... Had the Torah not been my delight... The words express not just learning Torah, nor even just living a Torah life, but ENJOYING TORAH. This pasuk is in 119, pasuk 92. Had the Shabbat Psalm been chapter 10, or the Torah enjoyment been pasuk number 18, one could argue that there are plenty of chapter 10s in Tanach and plenty of pasuk 18s. But there is only one chapter 92 in all of Tanach and only one pasuk 92. And here they are.
[3] animals best suited to pull wagons
Based on what was mentioned above in the report on TTriddle [2], we'd have to accept TURTLES as one possible answer. Turtles, however, would be appropriate (in a TTriddle way) only for the covered wagons. Calves, female calves, would be best suited (again, in a TTriddle way) to pull wagons. Here is truly a word play for TTriddles. Calf m. = EIGEL. CALF f. = EGLA. Wagon = AGALA. Both spelled the same, pronounced (i.e. voweled differently). "The calf of" and "the wagon of" are both EGLAT... Plural are the same too. AGALOT. So it is very suitable for AGALOT to pull AGALOT. Interestingly, Even Shoshan dictionary says that EGLOT is sometimes used as the plural for female calves, to distinguish the word from AGALOT, wagons. On the other hand, "the calves of" and "the wagons of" are both EGLOT. On a practical level, calves would pull wagons better than turtles, but there are several better choices than calves for wagons. Except in the world of TTriddles.
[4] What Biblical personality would call Shavuot with a slightly different name?
We're not going to tell you... yet. No one got it and it is too interesting to just give it away. So we are still looking for a Biblical personality who would call the holiday with a slightly different name, while still keeping to the meaning of "Festival of Weeks"?
[5] Diminutives confuse tribes. Which?
If the NESI'IM (tribal leaders) were informal enough to be known by the diminutives of their names, there would have been some confusion. My NASI is ELI, said someone. What tribe was he from? Could be Zevulun (Eliav b. Cheilon), or Reuven (Elitzur b. Sh'dei'ur), or Efrayim (Elishama b. Amihud). Achi could have been Dan's Achiezer b. Amishadai or Naftali's Achira b. Einan.
[6] Major Seth Adams might have had a job with Gershon or Merari but not with Kehat
This TTriddle was the easy one of the bunch, with several solutions already in (as of Sunday). We can only wonder if anyone got it without looking it up on the web. A search for Major Seth Adams will easily reveal that an actor named Ward Bond played the trail master or wagon master on the late 50s early 60s western TV series, Wagon train. Skilled as he was in traveling with wagons, he would have been helpful to the family units of Gershon or Merari, since they both used wagons to carry the parts of the dismantled Mishkan. Kehat carried the holy vessels on their shoulders and would have had no use for a wagon master.

NachKwestion of the Week
List names of people in Tanach whose fathers' names are the names of animals (or close to it)
This was an open ended question, with no suggested number for the list, nor any guidelines for what is considered "close" to the name of an animal. We will present here what is no doubt a partial list, made up of several submissions that we have already received. We will see what more names some of you can find in addition to these.
Remember, we are looking for the child of a father with an animal name. So Sh'chem b. Chamor counts; Chamor does not.
Sh'chem b. Chamor (donkey)
Balak b. Tzipor (bird)
Baal-Chanan b. Achbar (rat)
Chanun b. Nachash (snake)
Paltiel (or Palti) b. Layish (lion)
Utz and Aran b. Dishon (addax)
Dishon b. Se'ir (close to S'ir)
Pu'a b. Dodo (dodo)
Ritzpa b. Aya (hawk)
Achikam b. Shafan (rabbit, or not)
Boaz b. Salmon (as in the fish)
P'daya b. Par'ush (flea)
York'am b. Racham (magpie, maybe)
Aminadav b. Ram (ram, Hebrew-English flip)
Amiel b. G'mali (camel-like)
Gadi b. Susi (horse-like)
Let's stop here and see if we get some more for this list. HC wins for best list so far. Prizes for good additions to the list.

This week's TTriddles:
[1] iiigniiiious (sep. prize)
[2] two meanings, neither rare
[3] one if by land, one if by sea
[4] Under it, rhymes with me; in it, hear it well; over it, not that far
[5] 02 open out in close 02
[6] 23 days late in Cholon, 30 in L.A.
[7] 4 is its only factor that is missing
[8] D& A bad; E & M good; rich & poor

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