Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8)
Torah Reading for Week of Aug 30-Sep 5,2009 -
Elul 10-16 5769
And it will be that when you come into the land that HASHEM
your G-d gives to you as an inheritance and
you settle in it. And you should take from the first of all the
fruit which came from the land that HASHEM your G-d gave to you……And he brought us to this place and He gave to us this land flowing with milk and honey…and now I am bringing the first fruit of the land that HASHEM has given to me…” (Devarim 26:1-10)
Baruch HaShem is Hebrew for "Thank G-d." Many don’t understand why the need for observant Jews to constantly repeat these 2 simple words . In this weeks parsha, Ki Tavo we are told to serve Hashem and observe the mitzvoth, “with joy”. Proper service of G-d does not simply consist of observing the mitzvot. It involves doing them with joy! We should thank G-d for whatever comes our way because we believe Hashem wants only good for us and gives only good to us. Many times we do not feel this way or see this, since human nature is such that when we have so much; many times we focus in on what we do not have, as a result we get depressed when we should be extremely grateful. As Pirke Avos teaches, a wealthy person is one who feels joy with his/her lot.
The mitzvah of "Bikurim", the process of bringing the first fruits to the Temple is in the beginning of this weeks parsha. We are provided an opportunity to thank G-d for the bounty of the harvest. When we wake up every morning we are obligated to say 2 words "modeh ani" - I acknowledge and thank You G-d for having given me the gift of life. A general attitude of gratitude and thanks makes living life easier and simpler, even in the face of obstacles, problems and severe difficulties. The person who is appreciative and thankful
will always see the glass as being half full. There is greater appreciation for what one has and less jealousy and concern over what one does not have.
The Torah promises tremendous blessing for the Jewish people when they observe the mitzvos.
“Blessed shall you be in the city; blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall you be when you come in; blessed shall you be when you go out.”
Twice in the Torah we read the Tochachah, the admonition of terrible events that will occur should we cease to follow Hashem’s Torah properly. The people have frequently been warned about the consequences of disobeying Hashem’s commandments. As they were about to enter Israel, Moshe felt it incumbent upon him to place even greater emphasis on the results their future behavior would bring — if they observed Hashem’s words, they would receive numerous blessings the alternative would lead to disaster.
The Torah states that G-d’s blessing will “catch up with you.... and they will reach you” At times, a person doesn’t realize what is truly good for him and he mistakenly runs away from the blessing. Therefore, the Torah guarantees that the blessing will pursue the person and reach him even though he is trying to escape from it. Only after he receives the blessing will he become aware of what is truly good for him. Although we attempt to strive for what we think is best, nevertheless, we are aware that our vision is limited.There are many stories I hear of parents who fear when their child has decided that they wanted to become "more Jewish". It worries them that they will become "religious fanatics" or feel that the rabbi's have brainwashed them. In today's generation it appears as if many of our children are becoming more religious than we ever were. Perhaps this is just a perfect example of G-d's blessing catching up to you. As human beings we do not know what the "true" perspective is or what the outcome shall be, sometimes when things don’t go the way we anticipate, we react with frustration. As it says in the torah
“You flee, but there is no enemy pursuing you.”
We are tempted to flee from blessing because we don't recognize its goodness. The ultimate blessing, however is that G-d won’t let us escape. He causes it to pursue us, until it catches up with us. Thus, the Torah promises that these blessings will come on, and overtake, us.
Jewish tradition demands that we be grateful and thankful, not only in attitude but in our words and deeds as well. Those who find it difficult to say thank you to other human beings for their help will also find it difficult to say thank you to G-d for the gift of life and all that accompanies this gift. As we approach Rosh Hashanah let G-d's blessings overtake us. This has happened in my family and if you let G-d enter your home it can happen in yours. !
“And all of these blessings shall come on you and overtake you.”
Baruch Hashem and Shabbat Shalom,
Miriam
The joy and thanks that come naturally from bringing Bikkurim reminds us of Hashem's mastery over the land .
Rosh Hashanah Easy Apple Cake
2 cups flour(all-purpose)
3 tabl. Sugar
3 teasp. Baking powder
1 teasp. Salt
1 cup whipping cream (pareve)
4 apples
1/3 cup sugar
1 teasp. Cinnamon
3 tabl. Melted margarine
Mix first four ingredients. Whip the cream and blend in with a fork. Spread in greased cake pan. Pare, core and quarter apples. Cut each quarter into three slices and arrange in rows on dough, pressing edges into dough. Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over apples. Pour margarine over all. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Best Apple Kugel Ever
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter or margarine
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup pecans, halved
1 pound wide noodles
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Melt half the butter in a 12-cup mold or tube pan. Swirl it around the bottom and up the sides.
Press the brown sugar into the bottom and press the pecans into the sugar, layering them
Boil the noodles according to the package directions and then drain. Mix with the eggs, the remaining butter, melted, cinnamon, sugar, and salt and pour into the mold.
Bake in a preheated 350*F (175*C) oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the top is brown.
Let sit for 15 minutes before unmolding. The top will become slightly hard like a praline.
Fruit Pizza
DOUGH:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 sticks butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Sift together flour, baking soda and cream of tartar into bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly using pastry blender. Beat eggs, 1 cup sugar and vanilla in another bowl until well blended. Stir egg mixture into crumb mixture and mix until blended. Cover and chill in refrigerator 15 minutes. Divide dough into fourths. Roll out each fourth of dough on floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness.
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature(can use tofutti plain
cream cheese)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavoring (almond, orange, or lemon)
Fresh blueberries, banana slices, mandarin orange sections, seedless grapes
strawberry halves, kiwifruit, peaches- whatever fruits you enjoy!
1/2 cup orange, peach, or apricot preserves
1 Tablespoon water
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an ungreased 14-inch pizza pan with dough overlapping slightly. Bake 12 minutes or until light brown; remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract or other flavoring; spread over cookie crust. Arrange fruit over cream cheese layer in any design you want (use your imagination).
In a small saucepan over very low heat, make a glaze by heating preserves and water. Brush glaze over fruit, making sure to cover the fruit that will turn dark. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Shabbat Shalom!.
