VA'EIRA
Exodus 6:2-9:35
Torah Reading for Week of January 10-16, 2010
Tevet 24-Shvat 1, 5770
“I am HASHEM and I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt; I shall rescue you from their service; I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I shall take you to Me for a people and I shall be a G-d to you; and you shall know that I am HASHEM your G-d, who takes you out from under the burdens of Egypt. I shall bring you to the land about which I raised My hand to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I shall give it to you as a heritage-I am HASHEM!” (6:5-9)
This week's parsha, Va'eira, begins with Hashem repeating Moshe's mission - telling him to once again encourage the Jews not to loose faith. Moshe does what Hashem says, yet the Jews are not encouraged by his words.
"And they did not listen to Moshe, because of shortness of breath, and hard work." (6:9)
The Jews were so overcome by the burden of slavery that they no longer had the patience nor the interest to embrace Moshe's message of redemption and freedom.
"Moshe spoke before Hashem, saying, 'Even the Children of Israel have not listened to me, so how will Pharaoh do so?" (6:9)
Moshe is disappointed that somehow G-d has not acted as predictably and swiftly as Moshe thought he would in the process of redeeming Israel from Egyptian bondage. His complaint to God that "You have not saved Your people" is an understandable one, Pharaoh had increased the Jews' workload. Things had gone from bad to worse for the Jewish people. Moshe is disheartened, and questions his mission. How easy it is to become
impatient and not impart the enthusiasm needed to convince a person to change their lives, not to mention a nation. Perhaps the people did not want to hear about this mission of departure from the only home that they knew, despite the terrible conditions. Sometimes it is difficult to just walk away from a bad situation; as time progresses, we get accustomed to the situation, and we have no energy to even think of change. Freedom is a struggle, it does not come about easily. Even Moshe Rabbeinu who was the one human being that “G-d Knew” and spoke with “face to face” had difficulty with this.
Many have known disappointments and setbacks, however we need to continue to work toward our goals with the understanding that G-d will help. Ultimately, Moshe and his brother Aaron are the leaders who energize the people and go to Pharaoh on behalf of the Jewish nation. Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they made their demand on Pharaoh. The Lord told Moses and Aaron, "When Pharaoh says to 'produce your miracles,' then cast your rod before Pharaoh and it shall turn into a serpent."
The turning of Moses rod into a snake and the role which water plays in this weeks parsha teaches us the importance of flexibility like a snake we should aspire to being flexible in situations we encounter, we must learn to be adaptable as water, which never losing its own identity adapts to almost any situation which is it put in.
Throughout history the odds against the Jewish people’s survival has been overwhelming, yet we have survived and thrived while our enemies have perished. The very existence of the Jew, despite the adversity and aversion that we sometimes experience is uncontestable proof to our ability to survive. We must continue to move forward and energize each other with determination to continue on the path of our forefathers. The exodus from Egypt was the beginning of our journey, which enabled us to move as a people to claim Israel as our own, now we must continue to inspire ourselves and others to keep this energy alive as we become closer to Hashem.
Shabbat Shalom,
Miriam
The 7th plague mentioned in this weeks parsha is Hail. It ruined the barley crop but did not affect the wheat.
"The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was ripe and the flax was in its stalk. And the wheat and the spelt were not struck for they ripen later."
Beef Mushroom Barley Soup
1 1/2 oz dried mushrooms(I used dried oyster and
shitake mushrooms)
1/4 lb. regular sliced mushrooms
3 cups boiling-hot water plus 8 cups cold water
1 lb cross-cut beef short ribs or flanken (you can
also use bone marrow or chuck steak)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup pearl barley
tsp thyme or sage
splash of sherry or port or red wine
Soak dried mushrooms in boiling-hot water in a bowl until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain and reserve soaking liquid. Rinse mushrooms, pat dry, and finely chop.
Bring soaked mushrooms, soaking liquid, ribs, salt, pepper, and remaining 8 cups water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, skimming foam, until meat is just tender, about 1 hour. Transfer ribs with a slotted spoon to a cutting board to cool, reserving broth.
While meat simmers, cook garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and creminis in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in barley and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Deglaze pan with a splash of sherry or port or red wine.
Discard bones, fat, and gristle from meat, then cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces and add to broth along with barley mixture. Add thyme. Simmer, uncovered, until barley is tender, about 40 minutes. Salt to taste.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Wonton Soup
18 - 24 won ton wrappers
Filling:
1/2 pound boneless chicken, chopped finely
1 tablespoon soy sauce
a few drops sesame oil
1 teaspoon sherry
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 green onion, finely minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 dashes of white pepper
Other:
Water for boiling won tons
4 1/2 - 5 cups chicken stock
green onion, thinly sliced, as desired
a few drops sesame oil (optional)
Preparation:
Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. Lay one won ton skin in front of you. Cover the remaining won ton skins with a damp towel to keep them from drying out.
Filling the won tons: Moisten all the edges of the won ton wrapper with water. Place a heaping teaspoon of won ton filling in the center.
Fold the won ton wrapper in half lengthwise, making sure the ends meet. Press down firmly on the ends to seal.
Use thumbs to push down on the edges of the filling to center it. Keeping thumbs in place, fold over the won ton wrapper one more time. Push the corners up and hold in place between your thumb and index finger. Wet the corners with your fingers. Bring the two ends together so that they overlap. Press to seal. Repeat with remaining won tons.
Boiling the won tons: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the won tons, making sure there is enough room for them to move about freely. Let the won tons boil for 5 - 8 minutes, until they rise to the top and the filling is cooked through. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon.
To make the soup: bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the won tons and bring the soup back to a boil. Add the green onion, remove the pot from the heat and add the sesame oil, stirring. Ladle into soup bowls, allowing 6 won tons per person.
Cauliflower Souffle
For soufflé
1 1/4 cups finely chopped cauliflower florets
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
White pepper to taste
1/2 stick margarine
4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups non-dairy or soy milk
6 large egg yolks
8 large egg whites
1 stick margarine
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
spray souffle dish with Pam
Stir together cauliflower, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and white pepper to taste in a large bowl.
Melt margarine in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then cook, whisking, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add nondairy a little at a time, whisking constantly until very smooth. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking, then simmer, whisking, until quite thick, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in yolks, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir into cauliflower mixture.
Beat whites in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until they just hold stiff peaks (they should not look dry). Stir a heaping spoonful of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whites until just combined.
Gently spoon into soufflédish (leave at least 1 inches of space at top) and bake until golden brown and top appears set, 35 to 40 minutes.
Serve soufflé immediately, drizzling with warm melted margarine
Shabbat Shalom!.
Shabbat Shalom!.
Click here to add text.
Shabbat Shalom!.
Shabbat Shalom!.
