ParshaPix

Published April 23, 2009

EXPLANATIONS
Following the birth of a baby boy, there is a 7-day period for the mother followed by a 33 day period. See the Sedra Summary.

Knife for Brit Mila follows the 7th day. I.E. on the 8th day.

For the birth of a baby girl, the periods of Tum’a and Tahara is 14 days and 66 days.

Then come the turtle dove and lamb, which are two parts of the Korban Yoledet, the offerings of the woman who has given birth, after 40 or 80 days.

There is a hand afflicted by a NEGA… this represents the various N’GA’IM that can afflict the body of a person.

The shirt with a NEGA represents those garments and materials that are able to be afflicted with NIG’EI HABEGED.

The number sign, a.k.a. SULAMIT (in Hebrew), pound sign, hash, cross- hash, hex, and the best name: octothorpe. In this ParshaPix, it represents the SH’TI & EIREV, the warp & woof weave of garments afflicted by a NEGA.

That lizard-like reptile is a CHAMELION, noted for changing colors - a significant factor in the determination of NEGA’IM.

The traffic light also refers to the changing of colors in the NEGA’IM. This is a particularly appropriate graphic to use for this, since its colors are all mentioned in the sedra. Hair in a wound changing to yellow (or not). And the term Y’RAKRAK, greenish (or maybe strong green). So too ADAMDAM, reddish, or powerful red.

The two birds are part of the purification process of a M’TZORA. The ZIPOR (two of them) of the purification process for a M’TZORA is the D’ROR - speculated to be a sparrow or one type of swallow. Pictured in the ParshaPix are sparrows. Neither bird of the two required is a korban (sacrifice) and is therefore not necessarily a dove or turtledove - those being the only two birds eligible for the Mizbei’ach.

Also pictured are the cedar tree (EITZ EREZ), the hyssop plant (EISOV), and a red wool thread (SH’NI TOLAAT), all part of the M’tora’s purification.

The M’tzora is required to shave all the hair of his body (razor)...

including, as is mentioned in the Torah, the eyebrows. In the picture, one eyebrow has already been shaved.

The 2+1 on the lamb are for 2 male sheep and 1 female - part of the procedure of purification.

In the lower right are the three recipients of the blood and oil of the purification process - the earlobe (one opinion - others hold the top of the outer ear, or the middle ridge of cartilage), thumb, and big toe - of the right ear, the right hand, and the right foot.

Below them in the very lower-right corner, is a left palm, mentioned many times in the sedra as where the kohein put the blood and then the oil from which he took on his right index finger in order to apply to the MITAHEIR.

Pictured is HaRav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohein Kook, zt"l, wearing glasses. This stands for the oft repeated phrase, V’RA’A HAKOHEN, and the kohein saw. Searching the Tanach, one finds that the phrase occurs 14 times altogether, 13 in Tazri’a (chapter 13 therein) and once, a 14th time, in chapter 14 (M’tzora). And to make the life of a Bar Mitzva boy who is trying to study this parsha challenging, the V’RA’A HAKOHEN phrase comes in 8 different TROP-combinations. And this doesn’t take into account the 5 V’RA’AHU HAKOHENs with their TROP variations. And this is also not to mention the 40 HEI-VAV- ALEFs in Tazri’a, 18 of which are HI (meaning she) and 22 of which are HU (meaning he), but in most cases really meaning “it”. Not to mention other layning hard-spots in M’tzora. In all, a tough pair of sedras to read. But we digress…

Besides one’s body and certain garments (wool, linen, leather), certain types of homes (depends upon building materials) are subject to N’GA’IM. There is an afflicted house in the lower-left of the ParshaPix.

The double three domino stands for the unique pair of consecutive p’sukim that contain three words each. U’L'TZRAAT HABEGED V’LABAYIT: V’LASEIT V’LASAPACHAT V’LABEHERET:

This leaves us with three Unex- plaineds, which as you hopefully know, are visual TTriddles to be solved. Actually, all of the elements in the ParshaPix can be treated as puzzles for those around your table who have not read these explanations.