Published November 16, 2009
Last issue’s (Lech L’cha) TTriddles:
[1] Y’rachm’eil and Chetzron
At the end of Megilat Ruth, we read of the lineage of David HaMelech (4:18-22). Now these are the generations of Perez (son of Yehuda / grandson of Yaakov Avinu); Perez fathered Chetzron, And Chetzron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Aminadav, And Aminadav fathered Nachshon, and Nachshon fathered Salmon, And Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Oved, And Oved fathered Yishai, and Yishai fathered David. We are interested in this TTriddle in Chetzron, the father of Ram - or AVRAM (as in the former name of Avraham Avinu). This RAM, son of CHETZRON, had a brother named Y’RACHM’EIL (not Yerachmiel). Y’rachm’eil was Chetzron’s firstborn and - according to Divrei HaYamim Alef 2:25, Y’rachm’eil’s firstborn was another RAM. (I.e. uncle and nephew had the same name.) This makes Y’RACHM’EIL also an AVRAM.
[2] Let him decide: BaOmer or LaOmer
On second thought, perhaps he is not objective enough to decide. For S’firat HaOmer, the BaOmer / LaOmer issue is something like po-tei-to /po-tah-to issue, meaning that there seems to be no clear argument for one over the other. Similarly, MASHIV HARU’ACH UMORID HAGASHEM or HAGESHEM. It’s just about take your pick. As to this TTriddle - do you sense that we’ve been stalling because of a corny answer? - we are talking about K’DAR- LA’OMER, king of EILAM, and according to the Midrash, he was EILAM, son of SHEIM, grandson of NO’ACH.
[3] Where did the G"G promise come to fruition?
G"G is GIMEL-GIMEL, which is GOI GADOL, a great nation. G-d promised Avraham Avinu that He would make (from) him a great nation. In Parshat Ki Tavo (the Bikurim Recitation, as quoted in the Hagada), we are told that Yaakov went down into Egypt… VAYHI SHAM L’GOI GADOL atzum varav. We became (there) a great (and mighty) nation.
[4] The father bumped into the coffee table hard. What got hurt?
You can’t work with MP so long without his punishing pun ability rubbing off a little. Groan quietly so as not to disturb or alarm others, and give a little smile for this one. Having used one of the four kings for TTriddle [1], we felt it only fair to use one of the five kings for a TTriddle, this one. What gets hurt when you bump into a coffee table? Usually, your shin. And in the case of your father it would be SHIN-AV (king of ADMA).
[5] Adam, Mahalaleil, Avraham, Yaakov
This was a regular TTriddle in TT 879 - Shabbat B’reishit. Rather than divulge the solution in TT 880 (No’ach), we upgraded it into a special challenge. Still no correct solutions were submitted. So we tried one more time in TT 881 (Lech L’cha), this time making it significantly easier by going down one generation with each name. Adam to Kayin, Mahalaleil to Yered, Avraham to Midyan [someone we’ll meet in Chayei Sara when Avraham takes Ketura (possibly Hagar) as a wife (a PILEGESH, really) and has children to whom he gives gifts, but not his heritage.] And Yaakov to Reuven. As it turns out, we are now dealing with a set of fathers rather than grandfathers. Kayin had a son named CHANOCH, and he built a city and named it with the same name, CHANOCH. Yered, a great-great-great- grandson of Adam HaRishon via Sheit, was the father of CHANOCH (the father of Metushelach). One of Avraham’s “sons”, Midyan, had a son named CHANOCH. And one of Reuven’s sons was also named CHANOCH. Looking just at the 5 books of the Chumash, there is no name that is attached to more different people than CHANOCH. (In the rest of Tanach, there are many more names that are used for several different people.) CDs are due three people who submitted the solution - EB, GR, GM.
[6] Parshat No’ach and Seuda HaMafseket
In the solution to last week’s TT [1], we posed a No’ach-related question that might have been a TTriddle for Parshat No’ach, but wasn’t. The question was, what is the connection between Parshat No’ach and the pre-fast meal? The answer is that the Haftara of Parshat No’ach immediately precedes the Haftara of a Fast Day, from the book of Yeshayahu. Both the Haftara of No’ach and the meal referred to are right before the fast.
[7] ParshaPix for Lech L’cha
In the past, we have always tried to include the ParshaPix explanations in the same issue as the ParshaPix, so that it can serve as a quide to using the PP to quiz your family and guests. Of late, we have not had room for everything that we wanted to include in Torah Tidbits, and the ParshaPix explanations have been one of the casualties. Here’s a quick rundown on Lech L’cha’s PP (we hope to resume putting the explanations in for the current ParshaPix). Arrow from the birthday stuff into Eretz Yisrael is Lech L’cha… MiMoladt’cha… Arrows from Eretz Yisrael to the south-west and back again is the round trip to & from Egypt. Compass on the outline of the map is G-d’s instructions to Avraham to walk the Land, its length and breadth, and in all directions. Arrows branching in opposite directions was Avraham’s offered choice to Lot when they separated. Avraham’s oath before the king of S’dom, that he would not even take a thread or a shoelace. Telescope and stars stand for G-d’s taking Avraham outside to see the stars and to promise that his descendants will be as countless as the stars. Crowns represent the war of the five kings against the four. Father with his little son represents Brit Mila. Tent that Avraham pitched a few times in the sedra. Brit Bein HaB’tarim, with each split animal accompanied by a triangle, standing for the adjective M’SHULASH or M’SHULESHET. The bird at the top was not cut. Liver, as in KAVEID (in Hebrew), a word meaning “heavy” and applied in Lech L’cha to the famine as well as to Avraham’s wealth when he left Egypt. Anvil, hammer, nails are from the haftara. CBS logo, an EYE as in the city AI, mentioned many times in the book of Yehoshua, but once in LECH LECHA as well. Hagar the Horrible, at least spelled in Englis like Hagar. Superman, played by the late actor Christopher Reeve, as in the RIV between the shepherds of Avraham and those of Lot. The leaves are from the Lote tree. The digital alarm clock with the time 3:18, for the number of people Avraham took with him to fight to save Lot. Or just Eliezer, gimatriya 318. Seder plate reminds us of the prophecy of going down to Egypt. CDs are for EIMEK HA-SIDIM. ESHKOL (cluster of grapes), A NEIR (a candle) and a MEM-RAY for Avraham’s allies.
This week’s TTriddles:
[1] How many tilapia in the sedra?
[2] See what she gave birth to
[3] Iris, Edith, Brina, Sally
[4] Bargaining starts at 14 more than the whole world
[5] first successful modern typewriter and an angelic meal
[6] United Road Towing and who in Vayeira?
[7] Four are the mothers and three are the fathers… Sara, Rivka, Avraham, Rachel, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Leah. What kind of order is that?! And this? Avraham, Yaakov, Yitzchak, Leah, Rivka, Rachel, Sara.
[8] George Bernard’s son, Leonard Edward
[9] Biblical to modern: he’s his own grandpa
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