TTriddles "Report"

TTriddles

Last issue’s (TAZRI’A) TTriddles:

Some of these TTriddles are actually answered in the Sedra Summary or elsewhere in last week’s TT. If you found the answers, then the particular TTriddle was not very challenging, but at least it shows that you read and make the connection. And that’s something, because not everyone does and because not everyone is “into” TTriddles.

[1] Perek 13 in Vayikra has 13 of them. And there is one more in Perek 14. And that total of 14 is it for the whole Tanach
As mentioned in last week’s TT, the phrase V’RA’A HAKOHEIN occurs 13 times in Perek 13, once more (the 14th time) in Perek 14 (beginning of this week’s sedra, Metzora - and nowhere else in the Torah or the rest of Tanach. The strong message received from this repeated phrase is that the status of ritual purity or impurity (from NEGA’IM) depends completely on the decision of the kohein according to what he sees and what he declares. This is in sharp contrast to many other forms of TUM’A, that are subject to emperical fact, not the “reading” of a kohein or anyone else.
[2] Sarcophilus harrisii suri
This one is a variation on previous TTriddles for Parshat Tazri’a. Sarcophilus harrisii is the scientific name for the Tasmanian Devil, “extremely voracious, carnivorous, nocturnal marsupial (pouched mammal)... now found only on the island of Tasmania… about 60cm long, plus a 30cm tail… large head, powerful jaws, weak hindquarters. Its blackish fur is marked with white patches on the throat, on each side, and on the rump… fierce appearance… very strong for its size and preys on animals larger than itself, such as small kangaroos, as well as on rodents, lizards, and other small animals…” Looney Tunes created a cartoon character of the Tasmanian Devil, known “affectionately” as TAZ. The largest bird in existence is the Ostrich of Africa. Second to it is an Australian bird that resembles the Ostrich - the Emu. Third largest bird is another one that resembles the Ostrich - this one is from South America and is known as the Rhea. In the Quechua language (spoken in part of South America to which the Rhea is native, the name of the bird is Suri. Hence, Sarcophilus harrisii suri is TAZRI’A.
[3] 350 double Adars
Double Adars occur in SHANA M’UBERET, 13-month years. They occur 7 times in a 19-year cycle. Do the math. 350 double Adars would occur in a span of 950 years, 950 being the issue number of last week’s Torah Tidbits.
[4] So different from its anagram!
Main theme of Parshat Tazri’a is NEGA’IM, afflictions of the skin, head, and other parts of the body, certain clothing - and, in Parshat Metzora, in certain types of houses in Eretz Yisrael. NEGA is an anagram of ONEG, pleasure or enjoyment - so different from its anagram.
[5] Flashback
One of the early p’sukim in Tazri’a brings us back to the previous sedra. UVAYOM HASH’MINI, and on the 8th day. The previous sedra is SH’MINI, as in VAYHI BAYOM HASH’MINI. We’ve got another UVAYOM HASH’MINI in this week’s sedra of Metzora. In fact, we find Either BAYOM HASH’MINI or UVAYOM HASH’MINI in Mishpatim, Sh’mini, Tazri’a, a few times in Metzora, Emor, Naso, and Pinchas, and in four different books in NACH.
[6] Her children and I, Avidan
Her children = BANEHA = BET+ NUN+YUD+HEI = 67. And I = VA’ANI = VAV+ALEF+NUN+YUD = 67. AVIDAN = ALEF+BET+YUD+ DALET+NUN = 67. Number of p’sukim in Tazri’a? 67. Avidan b. Gid-oni was the NASI of Binyamin, who presented his gifts to the dedication of the Mishkan on day 9 (of 12).
[7] From V-12 to Ba-7 (T117-119)
V-12 is Vayikra, perek 12. It is the shortest perek in the Torah (8 p’sukim). Ba-7 is Bamidbar, perek 7, which is the largest perek in the Torah (89 p’sukim). In parentheses is the range for Tanach. T117 is T’hilim KUF-YUD-ZAYIN (from Hallel) with 2 p’sukim. KUF-YUD-TET, on the other hand, is the longest perek in Tanach with 176 p’sukim. (And, as is well-known - to those who know it - Parshat Naso is the longest sedra in the Torah - 176 p’sukim. And Bava Batra is the longest Masechta of Gemara, with 176 (double) pages.)
[8] Hints at Norelco’s three heads
This was a gut-feeling TTriddle rather than an accurately researched one, so we are just assuming that Norelco was the first with a tripleheader shaver. (Side point - Norelco’s reported and advertised super-close shave raised halachic questions about a possible razor-like shave that would be questionable or forbidden. It was determined that the shaver still used a scissors method of cutting the facial hair and not blade against skin. Today, you can buy electric shavers with a hashgacha attesting to their halachic acceptability.) Back to the TTriddle. The word in Tazri’a which tells us that the person quarantined with certain skin afflictions was to have the area shaved, but not the NETEK itself, and then another 7-day quarantine period follows - is V’HITGALACH. The GIMEL in the word is written in a Torah scroll extra large. GIMEL is three, and shaving with three brings to mind the Norelco tripleheader. (Note: that when the Torah requires shaving off one’s hair - a METZORA or NAZIR, for example - the shaving is done with a razor; electric shaver would not be acceptable for the same reason - in reverse - as the permission we have to use it in normal shaving of one’s face.)
[9] MazalPic
As our expert in MazalPics H(S)M correctly emailed us, the MazalPc is one of the emblems for Nissan cars. We would not be so obvious as to use the standard Nissan emblem, which contains the word Nissan, but we found other emblems and chose the Z you see in the Word of the Month box. Correct solution also received from AW/Cranford.

This week’s TTriddles:
[1] Zot Tihyeh or S’gira
[2] We’ve done this. We’ve been there!
[3] Sometimes it’s big
[4] Water for you from our hearts
[5] Rabbi Shmuel & Tzippy Fuss
[6] Vladislav Tretiak, Gilles Gratton, Steve Buzinski, Michel Belhumeur
[7] “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”
[8] First he leaves town, then who?
[9] The oil’s is approx. 2.5965971
[10] narrow nation or bitter tree

• Other TTriddles "Report"
• TTRIDDLES... are Torah Tidbits-style riddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on the calendar). They are found in the hard-copy of
• TTRIDDLES... are Torah Tidbits-style riddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on the calendar). They are found in the hard-copy of
• TTriddles