Why the torah was not giving to us on Wall Street?

This week’s Torah reading is called Bamidbar, “in the desert” and is always read before holiday of Shavuot. The connection is obvious—after all, Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah, an event that transpired in the Sinai Desert.

In the desert there are no towns or neighborhoods–you’d be neither on the right nor on the wrong side of the tracks. There aren’t any department stores or grocery stores– which is why, say our sages, G-d gave us the Torah in the desert.

Had He given it to us on Wall Street, He would have had to decide whom to appoint to the board and who should retain a controlling interest. Had He given it to us in the Holy Land, He’d have had to decide if He wants it in religious Jerusalem, mystical Sefat or hi-tech Tel Aviv Tel. Or perhaps He’d have preferred a Marxist kibbutz or even a neo-Zionist settlement?

G-d wanted no shareholders in his Torah, no corporate structure, no social or political context. In fact, no context whatsoever. Just us and the Torah.

Wouldn’t it have been great to stay in the desert?

But as soon as G-d was sure that we’d gotten the message–that we understood that the Torah is not the product of any particular age, environment or cultural milieu, and that it belongs, absolutely and unequivocally, to each and every one of us–he sent us to the cities and the towns of His world, to its farms and marketplaces, to its universities and office complexes. He told us that now that He’s done His part, it’s up to us to make His Torah relevant in all these places and in all these contexts.

G d gave us the Torah there to teach us that our job is to transform a world which is a spiritual desert, lacking morals, ethics and humility, into a world of Torah and peace.

And more personally speaking: At times we find ourselves in a moral Sinai, when our life seems empty and dull, uninspiring, depressing and barren. There, specifically there, the Torah must enter and push us out of the rut.

Torah is not only for the synagogue. It is for the desert as well.

May the literal title of our parshah of Bamidbar and the many lessons it conveys serve as a fitting prelude for the beautiful festival of Shavuot. May we receive the Torah with joy and earnestness so that this important festival will be both meaningful and memorable?

Have a meaningful and uplifting Shabbos and a joyous Shavuos!

מדוע התורה לא ניתנה בעזריאלי

 

במדבר אין בנייני משרדים או מפעלים. אז לו היית חי במדבר, רוב הסיכויים שלא היתה לך עבודה. לא יהיה מעליך שום בוס ולא עובדים כפופים לך.

במדבר אין ערים ואין שכונות, אתה לא תהיה בצד הנכון ולא בצד הלא-נכון של תחנת הרכבת. אין שם בתי כלבו או מרכולים. אתה תאכל שם מן מן השמיים ותלבש את אותם זוג נעליים במשך ארבעים שנה

על כן, אומרים חז”ל, ניתנה התורה במדבר.

לו נתן לנו ה’ את התורה בוול סטריט, היה עליו להחליט את מי למנות למועצת המנהלים ומי ישמור על הריבית במשק. לו נתן לנו את התורה בארץ הקודש, היה עליו להחליט אם הוא רוצה לתת אותה בירושלים הדתית, בצפת המיסטית או בהיי-טק התל-אביבי. או אולי היה מעדיף בקיבוץ של השומר הצעיר או אולי בכלל במושב?

השם לא רצה בעלי מניות בתורה, לא מבנה ארגוני, ושום הקשר פוליטי או חברתי. למעשה, שום הֶקשר בכלל, רק אנחנו והתורה.

לא היה יותר טוב לו נשארנו במדבר?

אך ברגע שהשם היה בטוח שקיבלנו את המסר – שהבנו שהתורה אינה תוצר של כל גיל שהוא, סביבה או רקע תרבותי, ושהיא שייכת באופן מוחלט, שאינו משתמע לשתי פנים, לכל אחד ואחד מאיתנו – הוא שלח אותנו לערים הגדולות והקטנות בעולמו, למשקים ולשווקים, לאוניברסיטאות ולבנייני המשרדים. הוא אמר לנו שעכשיו, כשהוא עשה את חלקו, זה תלוי בנו לעשות את התורה שלו יתברך לרלוונטית לכל אותם מקומות ובכל ההקשרים הללו.

למרות הכל, זה נחמד לחזור למדבר מדי פעם לפחות לביקור…

חג שמח לכל עם ישראל

Delicious Blintzes Recipe

Blintzes are a traditional dish for the holiday of Shavuot.
Top with sour cream, apple sauce or cinnamon and sugar.

BATTER
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 package vanilla sugar
Pinch of salt
1 Tbsp. oil

CHEESE FILLING I
1/2 pound farmer cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
4 Tbsps. honey or
maple syrup
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 egg yolk

CHEESE FILLING II
1 pound cottage cheese,
strained
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsps. flour
2 Tbsps. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla sugar
1/4 cup raisins (optional)

USE: 7 inch skillet
YIELDS: 12 blintzes

BATTER: In a large mixer bowl combine eggs, milk, water and blend well. Gradually add flour, then both sugars, salt and oil. Beat well until there are no lumps in the batter.

FILLING I: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat well. Or combine all the ingredients in a blender container and blend until smooth.

FILLING II: Combine all ingredients, except raisins, in a bowl and beat well. Or all the ingredients can be combined in a blender container and blended until smooth. Then add raisins.

TO ASSEMBLE CREPES: 1. Prepare batter and filling of your choice. Using a paper towel or basting brush, apply a thin coating of oil to a 7 inch skillet. Place skillet over medium heat until skillet is hot but not smoking.
2. Ladle approximately 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet. Tilt pan to swirl the batter so it covers the bottom of the skillet.
3. Fry on one side until small air bubbles form, and top is set. Bottom should be golden brown. When done, carefully loosen edges of crepe and slip out of skillet onto a plate..
4. Repeat the above procedure until all the batter is used. Grease the skillet as needed..
5. Turn each crepe so that golden brown side is up. Place 3 tablespoons of filling on one edge in a 2 1/2 inch long by 1-inch wide mound..
6. Roll once to cover filling. Fold the sides into the center and continue rolling until completely closed..
7. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet and place each crepe seam side down in the skillet and fry 2 minutes on each side, turning once.

VARIATION: Whole wheat pastry flour can be used instead of white flour.

Celebrate Shavuot! Make a Cheesecake!

Sundown on Saturday, May 26, marks the beginning of the two-day Jewish holiday of Shavuot. If you’re asking yourself ”What’s Shavuot?” don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place.
Shavuot (also called Shavuos) commemorates the day God gave the Torah to the Jewish people. This great event happened at Mount Sinai, and today you’ll find lots of Jewish preschool kids coming home with their own little Mount Sinai’s, covered in the many flowers that are believed to have bloomed there immediately preceding the giving of the Torah. There is also a beautiful story about why Mount Sinai was chosen as the place for the Torah to be given – because even though it was not the biggest mountain, it was the most humble.
On Shavuot it is customary to eat dairy desserts, as the arrival of the Torah was the first time the Kosher dietary laws of not mixing milk and meat were introduced. Ice cream, cheesecake and cheese blintzes are all traditional favorites.
One of my favorite holiday recipes is No Bake Cheese cake – this easy recipe is perfect to make with kids, and it is a holiday treat I look forward to every year. The recipe is for a crust that is baked, so if you don’t want to use the oven just purchase a pre-made crust.

Mom’s Favorite French Toast Recipe

Ingredients

3   pz	Sour   Dough Slices
for   the custard
1/2   cup	milk
1/4   cup	heavy   cream
1   oz	contreau
2   tbs	sugar
1   tsp	orange   zest
1   ea	whole   egg
for   topping
1   cup	Seasonal   Fruit
2   tbs	Butter
1   oz	Rum
1	Mint   leaf

Mix together all of the custard ingredients in a mixing bowl

 

Directions

Soak the slices of sour dough bread in the custard mix for 2 minutes

Melt butter for cooking in a nonstick pan and cook the French toast for two minutes each side, or until both sides of each pieces are golden brown

Remove French toast from pan and place on plates. In the same pan add the sugar and the fruit and cook for 3 minutes on high then add the rum, and let the alcohol reduce.

Pour fruit mixture on top of the French toast and decorate with whipped cream and a mint leaf

Makes two servings, for you and your mom!

Suggested presentation:         

Serve on a tray with fresh squeezed orange juice mimosas

 

Wedding Day Tips for the Bride

There are lots of things to think about when brides plan their wedding. In the rush they tend to forget about taking care of themselves on the day of their wedding. A number of simple but practical tips to help pave the way to truly enjoying the wedding day.

Every bride has lots of things to think about when she’s planning her wedding, but so many tend to forget about taking care of themselves on the day of their wedding. And it’s important that those small, but mighty, details not escape even the most well prepared bride!

What should be at the top of every bride’s list on the day of her wedding is to relax and enjoy it! Whether you’ve been working with a wedding consultant or have done all the planning and preparation on your own, it’s now the big day and you deserve to have at least as much fun as any of your guests.

Here are five simple, but practical tips to help pave the way to truly enjoying your wedding day:

Making Up is (Not) Hard to Do

Create a wedding day make-up bag two weeks before the wedding. Do a complete test of your wedding-day look (make-up, hairdo and shoes), for as long as you expect to have it together that day, so you’ll know if it will “go the distance.”

Put together a little make-up bag for touch ups that you can take along with you the day of the wedding to keep you looking your best. And on the big day, have a friend, bridesmaid, or family member hang onto it or stash it somewhere handy so you can get to it when you need it. Be sure to use waterproof mascara, and don’t forget to pack the hairspray!

Hint

When purchasing your make-up, see if you can persuade the sales gal at the cosmetic counter into giving you samples of everything you’re buying (they’ve got ‘em, you know they do). They won’t take up much room and it will be more than enough for the day!

Wedding Day “Emergency” Kit

Create an emergency kit for those unexpected emergencies just like the back-up, make-up bag for touch ups (say that three times fast!). Consider an “emergency kit” filled with items you may need on your wedding day. Fill a small bag with items such as a travel size sewing kit (you’d be amazed at the magic tricks just one safety pin can perform), clear nail polish (for panty hose/stocking runs), an extra set of panty hose or stockings, throat lozenges, and aspirin. Other ideas for the “emergency kit” include tissues, breath mints, tampons, hand cream, and band-aids.

Hint

Most of these items can be found in the travel size bins in your local drug store.

Food for Thought

Start your wedding day with healthy and filling nourishment. Since most brides don’t get to enjoy the meal served at the reception, you really should consider having something to eat before the wedding, no matter how worried you are about how the dress fits! While food may be the last thing on your mind on your wedding day, it’s nonetheless important that you start the day with some healthy and filling nourishment. It’s going to be a long (and wonderful) day and you’ll want to have plenty of energy so you can keep dancing and socializing for hours!

Hint #1

Stash a power bar snack in your purse or “emergency kit.”

Hint #2

Pre-arrange for there to be something to eat at your honeymoon hotel (believe it or not, most couples are starving after the wedding day festivities and will want to re-fuel before the wedding night festivities!)

If the Shoe Fits

Kick off the heels & settle into a more comfortable shoe; you know those stunning, sexy, strappy, ultra-high heels that work perfectly with your wedding gown? They’ll be great for the ceremony and for the formal pictures, but if you’re planning to kick up your heels at the reception, you’ll be better off kicking off the heels and settling into something more comfortable. So get a pretty, more practical pair of shoes that you can change into to keep your dogs from “barking” the entire week after the wedding!

Hint #1

It’s not a bad idea to practice walking in the shoes you’ll be wearing during the ceremony. Take a test run in the shoes and the wedding gown and get used to both.

Hint #2

Kenneth Cole reaction makes a snappy little flat, beaded thong that is heavenly comfy, inexpensive and just fancy enough to go with your gown. I’ve got a pair in bronze and black (and they come in white as well) that I carry with me everywhere. Not a bad gift for your bridesmaids either!

Point it Out to a “Point Person”

Keep track of time with an itinerary and a point person. Whether you’ve worked with a wedding consultant or carefully planned everything yourself, you should have an itinerary for the big day. Make copies, give them to a few good friends and/or close family members, then choose someone to be the “point person” who will make sure things are running smoothly and reasonably on time. You will be able to rest easily knowing at least one of your deputies will keep track of the time while you’re busy greeting those out-of-town guests and brand new in-laws whose names you can’t quite remember!