PARSHA-PIX Parshat Vayeira

Click on image for enlargement

ParshaPix
On the right is the thermometer with kipa, glasses, and stethoscope, wishing someone who is sick a REFU’A SH’LEIMA. This is one of the lessons we learn from G-d, Who visited the ailing Avraham.
Upper-right are the UGOT that Sarah LUSHIed - if they look like matza, that’s because the angels’ visit was on Pesach. And Lot made matzot for his visitors too.
Upper-left is one of the three BEN BAKAR that Avraham ran to, in order to prepare the most sumptuous dish for the visitors, tongue in mustard sauce (Rashi quoting the Gemara).
In the middle of the ParshaPix is Braille writing, reminding us of what the angels did to the people of S’dom who demanded of Lot that he send his visitors out to them (blinded them). The Braille message is something the blinded S’domites might have graffitied on Lot's door (when they finally found it). It says, - make it a TTriddle.
The skull is the symbol of acid-rain, a good description of that which destroyed S'dom and the other cities.
Wine? Lot was given wine by his daughters to make him drunk...
The alarm clock set for very early in the morning, is to remind us of the many times the Torah tells us that Avraham got up early, to enthusiastically do G-d’s bidding. (Avimelech too.)
The baby in the cradle represents the birth of Yitzchak.
Drawing of a metal shield is used by many mohalim in their set up for Mila.
Father and son walk hand in hand, VAYEILCHU SH'NEIHEM YACHDAV.
Of course, there is an Akeida graphic (from Davka) and a Shofar that is connected to the story of the Akeida.
Dorothy and Co. (UTZ), the chef (TEVACH, TABACH), the bottle of liquor(BUZ, BOOZE), the sea cow (TACHASH) are for some of Yitzchak's cousins, mentioned at the end of the sedra.
The donkey, ATON, is mentioned in both the sedra and the haftara.
The olive oil is from the haftara.

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 (LECH L'CHA) TTriddles:
[1] Bera can be bad for the eyes if you don't spell or pronounce words accurately
[2] He lived in Shreveport?
[3] The Anti-Lebanon Mountains
[4] Avram-Sarai; Adoniyahu-BatSheva
[5] plus 2 elements from the ParshaPix

And the envelope, please...
[1] Sometimes an idea for a TTriddle jumps up and insists it become a real TTriddle, even if it a bit of a stretch. Here's one. BERA was Melech S'dom, the king of S'dom. Melech with a misspelling and a mispronunciation comes out MELACH, salt. Melach S'domit, S'dom salt is one of the reasons for the requirement of MAYIMACHARONIM. Such salt could get on a person's fingertips during a meal (especially a cutlery-challenged meal), and if rubbed in one's eyes, could cause damage. Washing before Birkat HaMazon (i.e. after one finished eating) was important for good eyecare. [Washing one's hands at the end of a meal is also a respectful preparation for Benching.]
[2] A number game we've played before, but more appropriate here than most places because of the use of the number in the Torah and the g'matriya Rashi teaches us from it. The plain reading of the text is that Avra(ha)m took with him into the battle to free his nephew (and with him all the people from the S'dom confederation) 318 members of his household. Rashi says that he took only his faithful servant Eliezer, the g'matriya of his name being 318. This makes Eliezer closer to his name's g'matriya than most other individuals. 318 is not just the numeric value of his name, it is a synonym for his name. Consequently, Eliezer might have been comfortable living in Shreveport, LA, whose area code is 318.
[3] The battle referred to in [2] in which Avraham was successful, culminated, according to B'reishit 14:15, in a place called CHOVA, to the left of DAMESEK. Checking modern maps of Syria, on finds Damascus almost as far west in the country as you can get without going into Lebanon, and a little further south to the Hermon. What is shown on a map as being MISMOL L'DAMESEK are the Anti- Lebanon mountains, a 150 km long range that marks the border between Syria and Lebanon. The highest peak of the range, and its southernmost point, is Mt. Hermon, in the Golan Heights.
[4] IMRI NA, please say... (feminine form), with please, appears only twice in Tanach. First in Lech L'cha, when Avra(ha)m requests of Sarai that she identifies herself as his sister. In Melachim Alef, Adoniya asks Bat Sheva to speak to Shlomo on his behalf to receive Avishag.
[5] Inside the circle formed by the map of Eretz Yisrael, the birthday cake and other stuff, the branched arrows, and the tent is a LIVER. KAVEID in Hebrew. The word KAVEID makes two prominent appearances in Lech L'cha. First, as a description of the intensity of the famine that drove Avra(ha)m and Sara(i) to Egypt. And then in the description of the "serious" wealth Avra(ha)m had upon their return from Egypt. (Just like his descendants would experience four centuries later.)
[6] Which brings us to the Israeli coins making change. The 10 shekel coin is changed into two 5s. As was the YUD (numeric value of 10) in SARAI's name was changed into two 5s, HEIs that is. One went into AVRAM's name to make it AVRAHAM. The other HEI went back to SARAI, making her name SARAH.

This week's TTriddles:
[1]If Utz is Oz then who might have been the wizard?
[2] Former first lady, originally a second one
[3] Just beginning to say too much, sirs, for me found the city
[4] Avraham and Yaakov too, but Yehuda was the headliner
[5] Avraham, Yishmael, Yosef, Par'o, moshe, david, Sha'ul, shim'i, and a what?
[6] The peace is questioned more than twice as often as it is definite
[7] Leah four times referring to Yaakov, the oil lady and the Tekoan
[8] plus one element from the ParshaPix

[The Parshat Vayeira Homepage]
[The TORAH tidbits Homepage] [How to use TORAH tidbits]
[About The OU/NCSY Israel Center] [About TORAH tidbits]
 [www.ou.org]