TTriddles "Report"

TTriddles for Parashat Ki Tavo

Last issue’s (KI TEITZEI) TTriddles:

[1] Maftir Yona before Shavuot
[Ed. note: Personal association from my childhood, no doubt shared by some TTreaders.] Many shuls (used to, still do?) auction off the honors for Yom Kippur. This raises funds for the shul and supposedly avoided the jealousy created when individuals were merely selected by the gabbai or shul committee for kibudim. Of course, it created a jealousy that was money-based. Whatever. The top honors were Maftir Yona and P’sichat Ne’ila. This TTriddle chose Maftir Yona. The person who pledged money at the auction of kibudim on Yom Kippur has a mitzva to pay up by a certain time - that being the next REGEL (Pilgimage Festival - Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot), and a prohibition not to delay redemption of a pledge for a period longer than the passage of three REGALIM. Leaving aside the question as to whether these mitzvot apply to Beit HaMikdash pledges only, or the others (like to shul) as well, the one who had Maftir Yona needs to pay up by Shavuot - otherwise he violates the prohibition of non-payment.
[2] Is there a problem having a regular catseye with a sulphide together?
Catseyes and sulphides are types of marbles. Catseyes are regular sized marbles and a sulphide is usually much larger. Having a small and large stone together is forbidden. Of course, the prohibition applies to weighing stones and the ISUR is having two different sized stones each representing 100 grams (for example). Since they can be used to cheat someone, the mere possession of them is forbidden. There would not be a problem with marbles.
[3] When each side of the lock is different
If that would be so, you would need different keys for leaving and entering - KEY TEITZEI and KI TAVO.
[4] D’varim’s 2 3-end20 mitzvot
3 = GIMEL and end20 = CHAF SOFIT. There are only ten occurrences of words in Tanach that end in GIMMEL-CHAF. Of these, two are mitzvot in the book of D’varim: V’SAMACHTA B’CHAGECHA in R’ei, the mitzva to rejoice on our Chagim, and V’ASITA MAAKEH L’GAGECHA in Ki Teitzei, making a protective fence around one’s (habitable) roof.
[5] Sh’mot, Vayikra, D’varim: Shoftim, Ki Teitzei twice
The phrase KI TEITZEI occurs five times in Tanach - all in the Torah. Once each in Sh’mot and Vayikra, and three times in D’varim - including once in Sho-f’tim and twice in Parshat KI TEITZEI.
[6] Three Unexplaineds from last week’s ParshaPix, with a hint that they refer to mitzvot.
The eye whose eyelashes were being applied with mascara represents the prohibition for a man to wear a woman’s dress. SIMLAT ISHA does not only mean women’s garments, but it also prohibits other things that are recognized as things women do and men generally do not. One wonders whether wearing earrings still falls under this prohibition, but it is safe to say that using mascara does. (A TTreader guessed that the eye represented the EISHET Y’FAT TO’AR. Could be.)
Gorilla for sale: The Torah prohibits M’CHIR KELEV, which means that is a dog was “sold” by exchanging it for one or more sheep (or goats, doves…), the animals that are M’CHIR KELEV are not usable as korbanot in the Beit HaMikdash. Would this apply to an animal used to purchase a gorilla? Our preliminary checking is not yet conclusive, but it seems to be that the prohibition of M’chir Kelev is only for a dog. There is a logical argument that other animals might be included - this based on the reason for the ISUR given in some sources, but logic alone does not necessarily deter- mine halacha. Until we are sure, we will leave it at a mere hint at the the prohibition of M’chirt Kelev, without claiming that the five goats used to purchase Magilla Gorilla would be invalid for the Mizbei’ach.
And the third picture was of people paying a taxi fare. This is a reminder of B’YOMO TITEIN S’CHORO, the mitzva to pay a laborer on time. One usually pictures in his mind, the workers hired to pick apples for the day, and other such day-laborers, who must be paid on time - both in fulfillment of this mitzva and to avoid the prohibition of LO TALIN… Do not leave the wages of the worker with you until morning. The scope of these mitzvot include anyone who performs a service for you for which they get paid. Payment must be made at the proper time according to the standard practice for the work done.
For example, if painters are usually paid upon completion of the job after they clean up, then that is when the Torah requires us to pay.
The Chafetz Chayim in the introduction to his Sefer Mitzvot HaKatzar mentions paying a wagon driver (or taxi driver, in our example) when the ride is over. This is the standard practice. The point he makes is that it is something that everyone does as a matter of course, and without a second thought. However, paying for the ride is in fulfillment of a mitzva from the Torah and in avoidance of a violation of another mitzva. Suggests the Chafetz Chayim, have kavana (mindful intention) to fulfill the mitzva. You are doing it anyway, why not do it in the best way, by doing it for the sake of the mitzva, rather than mindlessly. Something to keep in mind (literally) when we pay a babysitter, the barber, and a slew of other people who “work for us”.

This week’s TTriddles:
[1] Rise and Shine!
[2] Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss
[3] (Oldie) The Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, Chanuka, Purim connections to Bikurim
[4] When doves are attached to Bikurim basket - Where?
[5] After 20 Shabbatot, we finally get to the source on this Shabbat
[6] Onion rectangle like a deer
[7] .3670886075949 & .55319148936170212765957446808511…
[8] 3/5 D’varim, 3/12 Torah, 3/15 Tanach in Ki Tavo
[9] Her oldest and youngest for hers
[10] So where do they get the stones?
[11] May the first part of 60:18 come true doubly in a good way

• 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