Torah tidbits
PARSHA-PIX Parshat Vayeira

Parsha Pix
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.
Upper-right are the UGOT that Sarah LUSHIed - they look like matza 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.
In the middle 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 message is some- thing the blinded S’domites might have graffitied on Lot's door (when they finally found it). It says: GUEST LOVER.
The skull is the symbol of acid-rain, a good description of that which destroyed S'dom...
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 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 Davka Akeida graphic 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.
And there is a column (or pillar) of salt - NaCl one on top of another.

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] Also with Chizkiyahu HaMelech
And in the 14th year... this phrase occurs twice in Tanach. With Avra(ha)m, in was in the 14th year of the feuding and subjugation of the four kings and the five kings, that K'dorla-omer and the kings with him waged wars, many of which they won, and then the king of S'dom and his allies fought with the others and Avra(ham) joined the battle... etc. etc. It was in the 14th year of Chizkiyahu's reign that King Sancherev of Ashur attacked all the cities of Judea... more etc. etc. That's it. Kings, wars, 14th year.
[2] POT: this Shabbat morning and Shavuot
POT is Point of Tangency - how is anyone supposed to know that?! Hey, it's a TTriddle, and that's how TTriddles work. But there are acronym dictionaries on the internet, and POT is included. This Shabbat morning refers to Shabbat Parshat Lech L'cha. On that morning and on Shavout morning, when we read Megilat Ruth, we hear the same phrase and episode starter: VAIHI RAAV BAARETZ, and there was a famine in the land... But it also says the same words with Yitzchak? Ah, but he wasn't allowed to leave the land. Avraham did - and some say he was justified, others say he sinned, others say it was acceptable but not "beyond the call of duty". Elimelech left the land and is unanimously condemned for it. So the POT is a famine which led to someone leaving Eretz Yisrael. Put that in your pipe and smoke it - but not the POT.
[3] Avraham needed Mayin Acharomin
Did you notice the spelling mistakes or typos in MAYIM ACHARONIM? For once, they were intentional. Avraham needed a misspelled MAYIM ACHARONIM because of his contact with MELECH S'DOM, which is a misspelling of MELACH S'DOMIT, S'dom salt. A strong salt that was used for food, but one had to be careful to rinse his hands when he finished eating so that he wouldn't rub some of this caustic salt in his eyes inadvertently. This is one of origins of MAYIM ACHARONIM, the rinsing of the hands before Birkat HaMazon.
[4] mentioned before his father
All right, his father is actually mentioned first, by name, but he isn't born yet. In Lech L'cha, we read about Avraham and Sara, Lot and Yishmael, and that G-d tells Avraham that Sarah will have a son from him, which he is to name Yitzchak. But Yitzchak is not born until towards the end of Vayeira. Yet the haftara of Lech L'cha speaks of Yaakov - mentioned before his father is born.

Old NachKwestion business.
ZF mentioned Refu'ah Sh'leima, which was included in the first report of this NK. But he adds Matza Sh'leima, a full matza - as opposed to the P'rusa, the broken piece. There is a dispute as to which one the mitzva should be performed with, so we take a KAZAYIT of each. ZF, a CD is due you. Be in touch.
Latest report on the 5 7 6 7 problem. BYM of PT has represented all the whole numbers from 0 to 150. However, he uses two functions which most other attempted solutions did not use. However, since the statement of the puzzle said that any math symbols are acceptable, why not? So with that introduction, here is 23, which stumped EB in the earlier attempt at this challenge. Square brackets represent "integer value".
23 = [sqrt(5 + 76 x 7)]
76 x 7 + 532, add 5 = 537, square root of 537 is 23.1732605. Drop the fraction and get 23. more...

This week's TTriddles:
[1] Old sailor, Philistine, TT’s uncle
[2] Royal dreamers of the night
[3] testifies to its high fat content


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