Shabbat Shalom!.
Shoftim
Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
Torah Reading for Week of August 16-22, 2009
Av 26-Elul 2, 5769
"When you besiege a city for many days to wage war
against it to seize it, do not destroy (lo taschis) its trees
by swinging an axe against them, for from it you will eat,
and you shall not cut it down; is the tree of the field a
man that it should enter the siege before you? Only a
tree that you know is not a food tree, it you may destroy
and cut down, and build a bulwark against the city that
makes war with you, until it is conquered." (20,19;Deuteronomy)
Shoftim deals primarily with the administration of justice in the land the Israelites were about to inhabit.It is the establishment of a system of leadership needed to ensure the conditions for a civilized society. Justice should be administered righteously and impartially, and leaders need to be true models of human potential,
"Justice, justice shall you pursue,that you may live and possess the land the
L-rd your G-d is giving you."
Moses' warns against false prophets, he describes cities of refuge and instructs the people to increase the number of cities as their territory increases. The parasha concludes with statements related to the rules by which Israel is to conduct war. Toward the end of the parasha, the basis for the mitzvah bal tashchit, "do not destroy" is discussed. While the verses themselves deal specifically with cutting down trees during war, the Sages extended their meaning to cover all forms of wasteful destruction. They taught that anyone who deliberately wastes our resources, either natural or man-made, violates the law.
There is much discussion today on being a “ Green society” conservation of the environment is being promoted all over the country on a daily basis. How interesting it is that this is one of the 613 commandments found in this weeks parsha. For over 3,000 years Jews have been concerned about the environment. Although these instructions are specifically directed to the care of fruit trees during war, this lesson has far-reaching implications for all life on our planet. Our ancestors understood that life depends upon preserving the land. It is our duty as Jews to acknowledge our God-given responsibility and to realize that everything we have been given is meant to be utilized to help us grow as individuals, to help us serve Hashem . Throughout the Torah we are urged to respect creation and not waste or destroy. Our Torah is referred to as the "Tree of Life." which not only tells us that we have a unique responsibility, it also contains plenty of practical instructions about how to use our G-d given natural resources. The prohibition to destroy fruit trees implies that it is forbidden to destroy anything that is beneficial to humankind. Laws governing the use of the land are spelled out in our torah. for example the law of shmittah which says that every seventh year, the land can not be tilled and planted and that people would rely on what grew naturally.
Although todays familiar words like "ecology," "global warming," or "environmental crisis," are not used the concepts that they represent were clearly understood and respected with vandalism against nature entailing the violation of a biblical prohibition.
"For this is the way of the pious…they who love peace are happy when they can do good to others and bring them close to Torah and will not cause even a grain of mustard to be lost from the world…" (sefer Ha-hinnukh)
As we approach Rosh Hashanah the month of Elul awakens our inner faith, hope and belief in a better future. Especially during this time as we approach Rosh Hashanah "the King is in the field." This is a time when G-d's ear and mercy are accessible to all.
"Make Me an opening the size of the eye of a needle, and I shall make for you an opening the size of a great hall" (Midrash on Song of Songs). Just try to make a small commitment, a small opening - and Hashem promises that He will help us make it even stronger.
Shabbat Shalom,
Miriam
my grandchildren recently informed me of the importance of the tree which produces Maple syrup, after visiting a forest with a tree ranger. Maple syrup is a sweetener made from the sap of some maple trees. These trees store sugar in their roots before the winter and the sap rises in the spring enabling it to be tapped and tasted! Real maple syrup is is made by boiling down the filtered sap of maple trees. I dedicate these recipes to them
Pear-Maple Upside-Down Cake
(substitute margarine and tofutti sour dream to make this pareve)
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup(s) maple syrup
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1/2 cup(s)sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup(s)unsifted cake flour
2 tablespoon(s)unsifted cake flour
1/4 cup(s)granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in 1/4 cup maple syrup and the brown sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and arrange pear slices in skillet in a circle, overlapping the slices with wider ends facing out. Set the skillet aside. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks, egg, and 1/4 cup sour cream, the remaining 1/2 cup maple syrup, and the vanilla. Set egg mixture aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on medium speed, blend in remaining 8 tablespoons butter and remaining 1/4 cup sour cream. Working in three additions, mix in egg mixture, scraping down sides of bowl after each. Pour batter over pears in skillet. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center of the cake comes out clean -- 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes and invert onto cake plate; serveAnd... speaking about sweetness,there is
a young lady, Chaya who has a knack for making fantastic salads
Chaya's Cesear Salad
if your teens dislike anchovies try this recipe!
2romaine hearts chopped
1/2 cup croutons(salted pretzels)
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
Drsg
1/4 cup Hellmans mayo
1/4cup olive oil
3/4 tbl. dijon mustard
1 tbl.Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tbl. fresh parsley
1 tbl. onion powder
1 egg(coddled)
1/4 teasp kosher salt
1/2 teasp. pepper
whisk together all drsg. ingredients and pour over salad and toss lightly. serve immediately.
Greening pear salad
the maple syrup adds a subtle swetness to the dressing
9 oz. spring mix greens
2 peeled pears, cored and sliced
1 Tbl. lemon juice
2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
¼ cup red onion, sliced thin
Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tbl. Dijon mustard
1 Tbl. garlic, minced
pepper to taste
To prep the pears: Gently toss the sliced pears with the lemon juice until all cut sides are coated. Set aside.
To prepare the dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients until well emulsified. The dressing should be a light yellow color. Keep vinaigrette chilled in the refrigerator until ready to toss with the greens.
To assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss a small amount of the vinaigrette with the greens until the leaves are lightly coated. Add additional vinaigrette if needed. Pour the coated greens into a serving bowl. Evenly distribute the pears, cheese and toasted pecans across the top of the salad.
Shabbat Shalom!.
