Devotion & Passion

This week's parsha is a continuation of the life of Abraham. Telling of his complete and total devotion to the Jewish people. In my own life and community this example is one of great significance, particularly now.

In our lives we have to be passionate about something. We have to have a devotion to something. Whether is be our family, job or community, or all the above. What is life without feeling so strongly about one of them that we would fight for it?

We are not here simply to have external pleasures and creature comforts, and call those things our life. If all those things are gone what do you have? There has to be a fire within to give us life. To what do you feel devoted and passionate about?

Without that we are just going through the motions, and not living to your life's potential. Good Shabbos!

This week's parsha is Chayei Sara.

Shabbos In The Sukkah!

This week is parsha Chol HaMoed Sukkos.

We will be having Shabbos dinner in our Sukkah, and it is perfect weather for the evening. Love fall and winter!

The last few weeks have been chock full of yom tovim, and Shabbos always comes when you need a break most.

Good shabbos, and yom tov.

Excercise in Futility

This weeks' portion is a song, a poem that Moses teaches to the Jewish people. It retells the story of the 40 years in the desert, and all its trials and tribulations. Part of the lesson was learning the futility of rebelling against Hashem.

The portion then ends with Moshe being told to ascend Mount Nevo to see the Promised Land before he dies, and is gathered to his people.

Learning that all things are in the hands of the Almighty is one of the most difficult lessons in life to learn. For everyone. But I will tell you this...life is a LOT less stressful when you realize Hashem is indeed in control. In fact I would say I have gotten less gray hair in the last few years figuring that out.

Good Shabbos!

This weeks' parsha is Ha'azinu.

So Close You Can See It

How many times in your life have you worked so hard for something to have it come within your reach, and miss it by seconds? The feelings you have for all your work, time and effort only to miss the brass ring.

So imagine someone who has made a 40 year effort toward a goal, only to be told that you will not be able to have the one thing you yearn for. This is what happened to Moses.

It's the 7th day of Adar, 2488, the last day of Moshe's life. Exactly 120 years earlier the world was graced with the birth of a child who brought redemption to his people and the light of Torah to the world. He became a prophet of unparalleled greatness who led his nation through a miraculous 40 year journey to the edge of the promised land.

And we think we have it tough. We live in a world where everything is easy, and instantaneous. Moshe waited all his life to enter Jerusalem, only to learn he would die before setting foot in the Promised Land. Yet still, he continued to do the work of Hashem, and prepare the Jewish people for what lay ahead.

Today we are not strong enough to stand on our own. We need agencies, government, talking heads, newspapers, etc. to tell us what to do, where to go, what to think, how to live. Still we claim we are standing on our own. We're independent modern society of people who make our own choices. Yeah, right.

Our world would be so much better off if we lived by the example Moshe set.

• Don't be selfish
• Think of others before yourself
• Trust and love G-d
• Do what is right
• Have a love of self from knowing who you are, and where you are going.

This week is Shabbos Shuva, and the Parsha is Vayeilech.

How Can You Spot the Gefilte Fish in the Ocean?

He's the one with the carrot stuck to him...

If you have never had gefilte fish let me give you a few words of wisdom.

• Don't eat the kind in the jar with the "gel". It is not worth the effort to open the jar.
• Do eat it like any other kind of fish. Because that's what it is, fish. So use your lemon juice, tartar sauce or even cocktail sauce.
  
• If you're not Jewish chances are you won't like gefilte fish. I think it is in our DNA that we automatically like it.

There is a platter I made for my Shabbos gefilte fish, and it always makes me smile.

The idea comes from the wonderfully fun book Judaikitsch: Tchotchkes, Schmattes and Nosherei, and was done at one of those paint your own pottery places. Totally fun!

Of course the lettering is a goof on the Latin name for the gefilte fish, but something about the paos and kippah crack me up. I'm easily amused.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Shabbos!

This week's parsha is Ki Setze.

Shabbos with Hurricane Hanna

This Shabbos should prove to be a rather wet, and nasty one weather wise. Hurricane Hanna is due to arrive in time for some cholent for lunch on Saturday. Although just now she is a measly tropical storm.

Hurricanes are never welcome particularly to those of us on the east coast, but when they are coming for Shabbos it presents a whole new set of things to add to your before Shabbos starts "To Do List". But it is funny we always seem to take it in stride, and even make jokes about it.

Rain gear for walking to and from Shul.
Have towels at the ready for drying off ourselves, and guests.
Plan on a hat or snood instead of the shietal.

and the list goes on...

Since I'm not a fan of the unexpected guest, sure is nice to know Hanna is coming. So the cholent pot is on, and no matter the weather Shabbos day will still be beautiful as well as welcome.

This week's parsha is Shoftim.

Play Me a Melody

After several weeks of doing nothing creative, I finally finished the mosaic guitar I had started the first of July. It was all done except for the grout, but sat in the bat cave waiting for two weeks.

Grout color is always the most difficult choice for me to make. So I made up my mind I was going to finish it and move on, and try to find my creative energy again. This is the outcome.


The materials used were sheet music, crash/tempered glass, MAC glue, acrylic paint, grout, mirror, Lucite, stained glass and dye. All in all I am pleased with the piece, in particular the technical side of the work, just not sure what to do with it now. Ideas?

This piece made me take a step back and realize I need to take a break form mosaics. Although I love doing them I'm just not sure I am as good at them as I would like. Being a perfectionist that is a hard one. Do I sound whiny? Cause now I'm annoying myself...

On a different note it is Erev Shabbos! And of course I am in the process of getting everything done. So I gotta jet back to work.

This week's parsha is Re'eh.

Applesauce

Due to a combination of not having much spare time, nor the inclination I've not been creating anything for about two weeks. So cooking in preparation for Shabbos was about as close as I've come to being creative.

My Dad loves applesauce. There can be 20 different things on the Shabbos table, but one of those better be my homemade applesauce or the meal will not be complete for him.

In my effort to keep it from becoming boring I've got about three to four recipe versions of applesauce to rotate through. Some with raisins, some with cranberry, some with nuts, some with pears.

This weeks recipe is made from 5 Granny Smith apples, 1/4 cup turbinado sugar, dash of fresh nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 cup of plump raisins and about 2 T. of water. Cook in a sauce pan till apples are just starting to get soft. We like ours chunky. ~: )

Now people who come here for a meal know there will be some form of applesauce on our table. The kids always love it, and it is sometimes the only thing the picky eaters will have.

This week's parsha is Eikev.

Deep Breath, and a Sigh of Relief

This week has been a very difficult one for our community as a whole, and for almost every individual. This particular event has the potential to devastate whole families, and indeed affect our community negatively.

At times like this when you become even more thankful for your faith, and come to realize indeed how much Hashem is in control. Well, now comes the time to take that breath breath the sigh of relief, and relax for Shabbos.

Tonight I have 15 guests for Shabbos dinner, and tomorrow 10 for lunch. Baruch Hashem it shall be full of D'var Torah, davening, good company and zemiros.

This week's parsha is Vaeschanan.

Good Shabbos.

Life Lesson

Over the last couple of months I've learned a hard lesson.

When becoming frum I expected to be able to leave certain types of people behind. One of those would be not to have to deal with people within my community who don't live a Torah observant life. Unfortunately I've found that to not be true.

Somehow it seems fitting that with Tisha B'Av being Sunday that I should be experiencing a deep sadness for my realization. So in learning this I shall feel the sadness on Sunday, as well as the disappointment. As with anything such as this you have to learn from it, and take that forward.

However, today is erev Shabbos, and I'm in my usual flurry of activity in preparation for the most beautiful day of the week. Then when Shabbos is over and our fast begins along, with the mourning of the destruction of the Temples, I will also mourn the loss of finding that people are people no matter where you go.

This week's parsha is Devarim.

Good Shabbos to everyone, as well as a good and meaningful fast.

Gearing Up!

Thursday is always my day to begin cooking for Shabbos. I love this time.

There is something so very special about preparing my home for guests to come and share meals, zemiros and Torah. Sharing their Shabbos time with our family is a gift.

So today I shop, bake, cook, clean, etc. and love every moment. This week's parsha is Masei.