Torah tidbits
PARSHA-PIX Parshat Lech L'cha

Parsha Pix
Arrow from the birthday stuff into Eretz Yisrael is Lech L'cha... MiMoladt'cha - go from your birthplace to the Land...
Arrows from Eretz Yisrael to the south-west and back again is the round trip to & from Egypt.
The compass on the outline of the map is G-d’s instructions to Avraham to walk the Land, its length and breadth, and in all directions.
Arrows branching in opposite directions was Avraham’s offered choice to Lot when they separated. If you go left, I'll go right...
Avraham’s oath before the king of S’dom, that he would not even take a thread of a shoelace.
Telescope and stars stand for G-d’s taking Avraham outside to see the stars and to promise that his descendants will be as countless as the stars of the heavens.
The crowns represent the war of the five kings against the four.
The father with his little son represents Brit Mila, the only mitzva of Taryag in the sedra. By the way, BRIT is numerically 612, making it equal to all the other mitzvot (besides itself).
There is the tent that Avraham pitched a few times in the sedra (not really a good representation, because it seems to have only one entrance.)
Representation of Brit Bein HaB’tarim, with each split animal accompanied by a triangle, standing for the adjective M’SHULASH or M’SHULESHET. The bird at the top was not cut. See the Sedra Summary for details.
Tucked in towards the upper-right corner of the ParshaPix is a liver, as in KAVEID (in Hebrew), a word meaning "heavy" and applied in Lech L'cha to the famine as well as to Avraham's wealth.
Anvil, hammer, nails are 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 (No'ach) TTriddles:
[1] After the flood, No'ach went out to see the world
This one was a challenge to make, since we've used the idea before, more than once. But package it with a new-sounding TTriddle and hopefully it works once again. Here is a restatement of the TTriddle, with crucial extra words in parentheses to give the answer: After (reading about) the Flood (in Parshat) No'ach, (we read a haftara made up of the two haftarot of Parshat Ki Teitzei, that is) WENT OUT (and of Parshat R'ei, that is) TO SEE. (The words "the world" don't really help; they just seemed to be needed to complete the wording of the TTriddle.)
[2] It went and they returned at the same time
MIKETZ ARBA'IM YOM - at the end of 40 days. These words appear three times in Tanach (all in the Torah). In Parshat No'ach, it was the raven who went (was sent) by No'ach in his first attempt of the water recession test. They returned, refers to the Meraglim, who returned to the people after 40 days of scouting out the land of K'naan. It was also at the end of 40 days and 40 nights, Moshe Rabeinu tells the people, that G-d gave him the Luchot to bring to the people. This last occurrence of the phrase is not part of the TTriddle.
[3] they might have the same yahrzeit
According to a Tradition, the Flood was held up for the seven day mourning period for Metushelach. The Flood began on the 17th day of the second month, which was likely Cheshvan (rather than Iyar, which became known as the second month only after the Exodus). If we apply today's standard practice of getting up from Shiva in the morning of day seven, then Metushelach might have died on the 11th of Cheshvan. So did Rachel Imeinu. Therefore they (Metushelach and Rachel) might have the same yahrzeit - 551 years apart.
[4] Motza"Sh: Speaking of this morning's sedra...
A simple one. Another reminder to say TAL UMATAR beginning on Motza'ei Shabbat, the eve of the 7th of Cheshvan. Speaking of this morning's Torah reading, which contained the account of the Flood, we ask for dew and rain LIVRACHA, for a blessing.
[5] When he has this, there is no yibum
This is another example of a TTriddle we've done many times before and repackaged for this year's turn. When he (that is, a man who dies without children) has this - NO ACH, no brother, then there is no YIBUM.
Among the other ways to ask the same question (actually, a different question, to get the same answer) is: What's the connection between B'NOT TZ'LOFCHAD and this sedra? Answer: NO ACH.
[6] T-43
"The T-43is a modified Boeing 737-200 used by the US Air Force. Delivered during 1973 and 1974, the primary mission of the T-43 is as a flying classroom for Navigator training. It has stations onboard for twelve navigator students, six instructors, as well as pilot and co-pilot. See what happens when 737 is not anyone's areacode?
[7] When total opposites go on a date together
the TTriddle that got away - The Flood and beginning of drought, both connected to 17 Cheshvan (date)

NachKwestion of the Week
Fill in the first word with as many words as appropriate:
____________ Sh'leima
Refu'ah Sh'leima and Geula Sh'leima are probably the two best known 2-word phrases with the second word being Sh'leima. But take a look at Amos 1:6 and 1:9 where the term GALUT SH'LEIMA occurs. In the Torah we find the command to keep and use honest measures, with reference to EVEN SH'LEIMA (a complete weighing stone - breaking a piece off a weighing stone and weighing produce to sell to someone, will result in cheating the customer), and EIFA SH'LEIMA, a complete measure for volume (for flour, etc.) Mishlei puts it well: Cheating (false) scales are an abomination to G-d; and a complete (honest) weighing stone is His desire (Mishlei 11:1). That's it for Tanach, but davening brings us some more phrases. In the Amida we ask G-d to bring us back in T'SHUVA SH'LEIMA, complete repentance. In Birkat HaMazon, we ask to be blessed with B'RACHA SH'LEIMA, complete blessing. And in Rambam's 13 Principles, we declare that we believe B'EMUNA SH'LEIMA, with complete faith. In the Amida of Shabbat Mincha, we speak of MENUCHA in many beautiful ways, including MENUCHA SH'LEIMA, complete rest. In Kri'at Sh'ma al HaMita, we refer to MITATI SH'LEIMA, lit. a complete bed. Similar reference is found in one of the Shabbat day Z'mirot. More to come in further issues of TT. We will announce prize-winners for this NachKwestion too.

This week's TTriddles:
[1] Also with Chizkiyahu HaMelech
[2] POT: this Shabbat morning and Shavuot
[3] Avraham needed Mayin Acharomin
[4] mentioned before his father


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