PARSHA-PIX Parshat Bo

Parsha Pix
A brief history of ParshaPix
The very first issue of Torah Tidbits, for Parshat Sh'lach 5752 (June '92) carried a very primitive graphic of two spies carrying a large cluster of grapes. That, in essence, was the first ParshaPix. For the first many issues, there was usually one graphic element depicting something from the weekly sedra. By issue #185, Vayeira 5756, ParshaPix had developed into a collection of several images related to the sedra, and Parsha- Pix had found its place on the upper-left of page 3. That has been its Makom Kavu'a until this current issue. We are experimenting with color for the outside pages and have moved ParshaPix to p. 2, enlarged it a bit, and of course, it is now in full color, all the more conducive for parents and children, hosts and guests, to use it as a springboard to reviewing Parshat HaShavu'a. This is an experiment and your feedback would be helpful. As always, ParshaPix explanations appear in the same issue (usually right after the Sedra Summary) for those who don't want to have to figure everything out for yourselves. It is much more fun to try first before you peek at the explanations, but it is your choice. Graphic elements range from simple and straightforward to puns and wordplay, to indecipherable.

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. That was the phrase Moshe used to describe G-d's intention of Makat B'chorot at exactly midnight.
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 neighborhoods, because in the Jewish areas, not a dog barked its tongue. Their reward 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 O between the horns of a bull is a 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... [Note to parents: if you are using ParshaPix to go over the sedra with your children, ask them first about the bone. After they get or you explain the prohibition of break- ing a bone in Korban Pesach, ask them if there is anything else. If they are the right age, suggest that they look through the sedra in a Chumash and find another meaning for the bone. This was just an example of what can be done with ParshaPix each week. And now it's in color! (in the hard copy, that is; it has been in color in the PDF version and for those who receive the ParshaPix as a GIF file by email or from the website.]
Above the bone is the symbol on 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. [Another note to parents: Don't bother asking about this one; just tell them, but after the actual description of the graphic, ask them what it has to do with the sedra.]
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.
The plant in the ParshaPix is the hyssop, EIZOV, used to apply the blood of the Korban Pesach to the doorposts and lintels of the Jewish homes in Mitzrayim. [Ask what else it was used for.]
Coca Cola (COKE) with the OKE in the font used by CocaCola and the C made from a snake, becomes a play on the words in the haftara of Parshat Bo - Yirmiyahu 46:22, KOLAH K'NACHASH... its sound is like a snake's... (or Cola like a snake).

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] Western Canada (BC-Alberta), ~2000km long
Peace River is a river in western Canada... it flows from British Columbia east across the border of Alberta... It is 1,195 mi (1,923 km) long... major fur-trading route... important source of hydroelectric power. So what's the TTriddle? The haftara for Shabbat Rosh Chodesh mentions NAHAR SHALOM.
[2] What time is a fish?
12:00pm, also known as noon. There is reference in the sedra to the fish of the Nile dying in the plague of Blood. Fish in Targum (Aramaic) is NUNEI.
[3] He in sedra, had nephew with same name, and a namesake with famous wife & son
He in the sedra is ELKANA, one of the named sons of Korach. In Divrei HaYamim, we find an ELKANA who is the son of Asir, son of Korach, brother of ELKANA, making this ELKANA the nephew of the first one. Their namesake is the ELKANA of the book of Sh'muel,whose famous wife was CHANA and whose famous son was SH'MU'EL HANAVI.
[4] deaf plowing wizards?
We met the CHARTUMIM of Egypt back in Parshat Mikeitz, when they all failed to satisfy Par'o by interpreting his dreams. It was, of course, Yosef's introduction to prominence in Egypt. The word for wizards appears three more times in the Torah, all in Parshat Va'eira. (And there are two occurrences of the word in the book of Daniyeil.) In Targum, Chartumim are CHARASHAYA. With a root of CHET- REISH-SHIN, two other words were brought to mind. CHORSHIM, plowing and CHERESHIM, deaf people. So CHARASHAYA CHEREISHIM CHORSHIM is a mixed Aramaic-Hebrew alliterative expression for deaf plowing wizards.
[5] His, his half-brother’s grandson’s, and his grandson’s age
Sometimes, the wording of a TTriddle is a bit confusing or ambiguous, so let's expand it a little: His age, his half-brother's grandson's age, and the age of the grandson of his half-brother's grandson. He is Yishmael. His half-brother is Yitzchak. Yitzchak's grandson (one of them) was Levi. Levi's grandson (one of the them) was Amram. Yishmael, Levi, and Amram each lived 137 years.
[6] 2 singular; 1 plural without, 2 with
The third plague was Lice. In the Torah it is mentioned five times in the description of that plague. Twice, the Torah uses the singular - KINAM. The other three times, the plural is used - once it is spelled without a YUD, just KAF-NUN-MEM (like the singular, KINAM). The other two times, it is spelled KAF-NUN-YUD-MEM.
We are pleased to report that we had several very good solution sets to these TTriddles.
Also, we have not explained the Mazal graphic, or the Zodiac TTriddle. The MAZAL of SH'VAT is Aquarius, the water carrier or water bearer. In Hebrew, by the way, the mazal is called D'LI, pail or bucket - what's the difference? In past years, we have used - in the box for Word of the Month - the usual symbols for Aquarius. We have also used Jack and Jill whose purpose in ascending a hill was to fetch a pail of water, and last year, we had a picture of the MOVIL ARTZI, the National Water Carrier of Israel. Of the many candidates for this year's Sh'vat Mazal graphic, we decided upon an interesting water strider insect known as Aquarius remigis. It is also known as pond skater, skater, skimmer, water scooter, water skater, water skeeter, water skimmer, water skipper, or water spider... several species of predatory insects... which rely on surface tension to walk on top of water. Special honors to H(Sabba)M for making several suggestions for the Sh'vat Mazal-pic, including this one.

This week's TTriddles:
[1] How old is Moshav Eiver-Peleg?
[2] With a LAMED it definitely doesn't move with a PEI
[3] 2 words - same letters, different vowels - one involves vertical motion, the other involves horizontal motion
[4] all the daveners at 565 Broadway 07055
[5] HIS BROTHERS ATE A LOT OF MATZA - WHATWHAT?
[6] The guy from Maon and Moshe - that's it people-wise
[7] AB=Him; BA=us

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