ParshaPix Explanations

Parsha Pix - Parashat Mikeitz

At the top-left is the Davka Judaica graphic of Paro and his dream(s). First row is seven full, healthy stalks of grain. Right below them are the seven skinny (and unhealthy) stalks. Then seven fat (and happy) cows and the fourth row of the seven skinny (and unhealthy) cows.
Mickey Mouse, in his famous role as the sorcerer’s apprentice, represents the wizards of Egypt who were unable to satisfactorily interpret Par’o's dreams. (Just as Mickey was unable to stop the mops from drawing more and more water.)
When the Wine Steward finally told Par’o about Yosef, he (Yosef) was brought up from the dungeon and cleaned up. Tradition tells us that it was Rosh HaShana when Yosef was brought before Par’o - hence, the Shofar…
The Torah tells us that he shaved for the occasion - hence the electric shaver with the Shofar.
To the right of the Shofar & shaver is a scarab ring, like the one Paro gave Yosef when he decided to appoint Yosef “over Egypt”.
20% was part of Yosef’s plan for Par’o, to take that percentage from each producer during the years of plenty, so that there would be enough to go around during the years of famine.
10+1+? was the brothers’ answer to Yosef’s question about their family. We are 10 brothers, son of one man. Plus one other brother who is at home, plus another who’s whereabouts are unknown. (Ironically, there answer was completely true, even though they were not telling all.)
Botnim (now peanuts but originally pistachio) were part of Yaakov’s gift package. Dr. Yehuda Felix z"l includes BOTNIM in a list of several members of the plant kingdom that are incorrectly identified in modern Hebrew com- pared with their intended mean- ings in Tanach and/or the Talmud. Today, pistachios are called FISTUKIM in Hebrew. It obviously is not a Hebrew word, since no Hebrew word can start with an F sound. Falafel is another example of a Hebrew word borrowed from another language.
The silver cup is Yosef’s (got it for his Bar Mitzva?), used to frame Binyamin.
The sack of coins represents the double portion of money the brothers found returned to their sacks.
In the lower-right is a scene from Megilat Esther, with Haman leading Mordechai through the streets. There are many remark- able similarities between that Megila scene and what was done with Yosef. This one is particularly obvious - parading him… calling before him… (Yosef, Mordechai). Then there is the king giving a ring… and more.
The bell (under the two items whose names start with SH) is for the word VATIPA’EM RUCHO, his (Par’o) spirit was troubled. The word appears only one other place in Tanach, in the book of Daniel, where it has the same context: being troubled as a result of a dream. Rashi in Mikeitz explains it as having the feeling of a bell ringing inside (one’s chest or heart, perhaps).
The shirt with the 6 on it is a play on BIGDEI SHEISH, garments of linen, that Par’o clothed Yosef with.
Club 365 is associated with the department store chain HAMASHBIR. That is what Yosef was for the Land of Egypt - HAMASHBIR (B’reishit 42:6).
In the lower-left is the logo of the Mashbir’s membership club. Yosef was called the Mashbir of Egypt.
That leaves three elements of the ParshaPix unexplained and there- fore, they are Visual TTriddles.

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