Parsha Pix The cow is a possible PARA ADUMA (subject to careful examination, and then if it is found pure red, has to stay that way, remain unblemished, and never be worked). Following Miriam's death, the Well dried up and there was no water for the people (the faucet with the spider's web at the spout). Although Moshe was commanded to speak to the Rock (the rock's ear indicates that it was ready to listen), he struck it with the MATEH twice and water gushed forth from the rock(s). Kohen Gadol with the garments that were transferred from Aharon to Elazar. The people panicked and a plague of serpents attacked the people. G-d told Moshe to put the form of a snake on a rod (which he did, making the snake from copper) and anyone bitten by a poisonous snake who looks at the snake-on-the-stick would live. The symbol of the medical corps is a serpent (or two) wound around a staff. Known as a caduceus, dictionaries and encyclopedias give it an origin in Greek mythology. One wonders if the Torah is its original source... The wide-short box under the Parsha-number-dates on the front page of Torah Tidbits contains the count of day and Shabbat within the current year, the Chutz LaAretz details and a quotation relevant to the current issue. This week's quote is from a mishna in Rosh HaShana that asks the rhetorical question about the form of the snake on the staff: Does looking at a snake's image determine who lives and who dies? The mishna's answer is that the determining factor is if the Jewish People look heavenward (so to speak) towards G-d and subjugate their hearts to Him, then we will survive... The sedra mentions SEFER MILCHAMOT HASHEM, perhaps some kind of written record of the battles. It is represented by the open book with a tank on one page and the HEI-apostrophe on the other. DO NOT ENTER sign has a double-double meaning. Edom and Emori both responded to Israel's request for safe passage through their territory with DO NOT ENTER. Moshe and Aharon, as a result of the "hitting the rock rather than talking to it episode", were given DO NOT ENTER orders for Eretz Yisrael. The bottle of water marked 2NIS represents the offer Bnei Yisrael made to pay for the water they would use while passing through Edom's land. The well with the musical clef stands for the Song of the Well. Mathematical expression equals 256+44+1, which is 301, the g'matriya of fire. That is what the expression is equal to in the ParshaPix, and altogether represents the phrase, "For a fire has come out of CHESHBON..." The epaulet is of the rank of lieutenant-general in the IDF, the rank of the chief of staff. Sword crossing an olive branch and two leaves (known as falafels). This represents Yiftach (from the haftara) who was asked to be ROSH and KATZIN, head and officer. MELECH CHESHBON, i.e. the math king. Emori's king Sichon is also referred to as MELECH CHESHBON, as in the haftara of Chukat. (In Chukat, there is reference to Sichon Melech HaEmori, who sits in (the city of) Cheshbon). For the title of Math King, we've selected Leonhard Euler (pronounced oiler) - that's his picture in the ParshaPix. He is considered by many to be the most significant mathematician of all time so we have dubbed him MELECH CHESHBON. Top middle is the emblem of Chevrolet. As we read in Bamidbar 21:1, "And when king Arad the Canaanite, who lived in the Negev, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atarim; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners." What did they hear?, asks Rashi. That Aharon had died and the Clouds of Glory were no longer protecting the people of Israel, they attack. As to the "prisoners", the Midrash says it was only one single person, a servant woman. The term in the pasuk for prisoner or captive is SHEVI, i.e. CHEVY as in CHEVROLET. Below the Chevy emblem is a picture of one of the most famous clowns of the past in America, Emmett Kelly. We originally hoped to find that his birth name was Emmett Louis Kelly, or some other middle name beginning with an L, so he would be the best choice for the concluding words of ...MAYIM CHAYIM EL KELI (E.L. Kelly). But, alas, he doesn't seem to have had a middle name. Be that as it may, we went with Weary Willie rather than Princess Grace because of the E of EL. And we can also suggest that his first name makes him the most appropriate of Kellys for this ParshaPix because of the different examples of CHESED SHEL EMET in the burials of Miriam and Aharon. XX is 20, representing the 20 cities referred to in the haftara. At the end of the haftara, the Navi (Shoftim) tells us that Yiftach successfully attacked ESRIM IR, 20 EAR (as on the rock in the ParshaPix), 20 cities. Then there was a little, inconspicuous shape, the curved side of which is known as an OGEE, a double curve with the shape of an elongated S. From Ogee we get OG and from there we get OG MELECH HABASHAN. Then there was a little, inconspicuous shape, the curved side of which is known as an OGEE, a double curve with the shape of an elongated S. From Ogee we get OG and from there we get OG MELECH HABASHAN. Now comes the four graphic elements that were connected by arrows. Towards the top-right is a gift-wrapped box representing the place - whose identity is disputed by various scholars - called MATANA. From MATANA, the Torah tells us, the people traveled to NACHLI'EL. Follow the arrow down from the giftbox and you come to a wagtail, known in Hebrew as a Nachli'eili. From there, via another arrow, the people traveled to BAMOT, either a place name or just the high places. In modern Hebrew, BAMOT are stages. In TTriddle form, the connection is to stages as in stagecoach. From there, via yet another arrow, to HAGAI, which we are taking as HA (the) GAI (maybe a valley of sorts). The picture is one of Guy Smiley, a Muppets character. 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 (KORACH) TTriddles: [1] 10 names: 6/3, 1/4, 3/5 This TTriddle refers to the first pasuk of Parshat Korach. It contains 10 names! That's a lot for one pasuk. (Add to those 10 - which we didn't, even though all's fair in TTriddles and war - 4 times BEN and twice BENNY, and it would bring the total up to 16.) We don't know if 10 names in a pasuk is a record or near-record, but it's a lot. (Divrei HaYamim has many "many names" p'sukim - we'll have to look for 10 or more names per pasuk.) Meanwhile, back to Korach's initial pasuk. The 10 names subdivide into 6 three-letter names (Korach, K'hat, Levi, Datan, On, and Pelet), 1 four-letter name (Yitzhar), and 3 five-letter names (Aviram, Eliav, and Reuven). [2] yes, no, preferably yes - but... B'CHOR - firstborns - is one of the themes of Parshat Korach. Each of three categories of B'chor have a different REDEMPTION factor. Firstborn humans must be redeemed - that's a YES - even though the text of the exchange between Kohein and father of the firstborn includes an offer of a choice. There is no choice. Redemption - YES. When it comes to the firstborns of kosher domesticated animals - cow, goat, sheep - attempted redemption or exchange is forbidden. If one has a firstborn calf, for example, and he takes a sheep and says: This sheep shall be sacred in exchange (T'MURA) for this calf, then (a) it doesn't work (that's why we used the phrase attempted exchange), (b) the sheep is sacred too, and (c) the person is subject to whipping be Beit Din (machloket as to whether it requires a small Sanhedrin of 23 or a Beit Din of 3 is sufficient). Redemption - NO! That brings us to a firstborn donkey, PETER (rhymes with letter) CHAMOR. It is fairly obvious that redemption is preferred. In Parshat Korach, there is no alternative even mentioned. But in Parshat Bo, where we first meet the topic of B'CHOR, there is another mitzva for a donkey owner who refuses to redeem a PETER CHAMOR. ARIFA, destroying it. [3] salt brothers holy peace forever In Parshat Korach, we find the term BRIT MELACH, a covenant of salt, meaning a covenant that shall be preserved forever. Checking through Tanach for other phrases that begin with BRIT, we find BRIT ACHIM (covenant of brothers), BRIT KODESH (a sacred covenant), BRIT SHALOM (covenant of peace), and BRIT OLAM (an eternal covenant). [4] Influenced by his wife, yet his own person This was thrown in as a TTriddle to honor MP who is one of the alltime greatest punsters. ON ben PELET, according to our sources, was originally part of Korach's rebellion, from the Reuvenite side of Datan and Aviram. Definitely bad company to keep. His wife convinced him to drop out of the fight - for not even a good reason, but it was effective nonetheless - because he was not a Levi and had nothing to gain regardless of the outcome of the dispute. So he was influenced by his wife. But he was his OWN person, because that was his name. (If you must groan, do it with a smile, at least.) [5] His or her father can save them money When a couple has their first child and it's a boy, they have to redeem him from a kohein for 5 silver coins. At today's silver prices and shekel-dollar exchange rate, we're talking of an expense of close to 200NIS. But, if either the father's father or the mother's father (of the baby) is a kohein or a Levi, then there is no Pidyon HaBen. So his or her father can save them money. [6] MazalPic The hard copy of TT had no MazalPic, an inadvertant omission. The electronic versions had the Pic. It is a horseshoe, as in horseshoe crab, crab being the Mazal of Tammuz, Cancer the Crab. [7] A left-over graphic from last week's ParshaPix We seem to have left out an explanation for the "bearded fellow" (and we are not referring to Rabbi Wein). The fellow pictured in the ParshaPix with a full beard is a Harry Potter character named Rubeus Hagrid, but best known as Hagrid. He is Groundskeeper and Teacher of Care of Magical Creatures at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hagrid is half giant - which is why he is particularly suited to represent the Y'LIDEI ANAK, descendants of giants, mentioned by the Meraglim. He has an affinity for all walks of life, and is known for taking in baby dragons and the like. He is a close friend to Harry Potter, and is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. This week's TTriddles: [1] What GERMS used to do in Mr. C's class [2] Yes in one sense, no in the other [3] One of his daughters is named for one of his five (flipped syllables) [4] septennial water dedication [5] the two ìgeographyî sedra-pairs [6] Red and red hot [The Parshat Chukat Homepage] |
