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Vaeschanan

Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11

Torah Reading for Week of Jul 26-Aug 1,2009

Av 5-11 5769

" Hear O’ Israel , HASHEM is our G-d, HASHEM is One. And you should love HASHEM your G-d with all your heart and all your soul and with all your might." (Devarim 6:4-5)

"And these words, which I [G-d] teach you this day, shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder before your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and upon your gates."

Before he dies Moshe continues to review the words of Hashem and states his final instructions to the people of Klal Israael.All the commandments mentioned in the Book of Devarim Although Hashem "commanded" these responsibilities of the people, He wanted Jews studying His Torah to encounter them as if Moshe were stating them, in other words one person to another.

"THESE are the words that Moshe spoke to all of Israel."(Devarim 1:1)

These directives are not only 'God decreed' but were brought into existence, as part of Torah, by a human being, in Moshe. They only became included in the Written Torah when God told Moshe to record his own speeches as part of Torah.

Shema the oldest prayer in the torah, is reiterated here. The rabbis say this is a tribute to Yaakov. The Talmud relates that when Jacob was on his death bed and he summoned his children he was troubled that they would not believe in the G-d whom he had, to which they reply, “Hear o Israel the Lord our G-d, the Lord is one….” when Jacob heard these words, he exclaims with joy: “blessed be his glorious kingdom forever and ever’ This commitment to Hashem is in essence what Parshas Vaes'chanan contains. This first paragraph of the Shema refers to the acceptance of G-d and committing ourselves to His service. Even the most secular Jew is usually familiar with this verse "Hear, O Israel, the Lord, Our God,the Lord is one ." These words of Shema are the first a child learns to say and the last words a person recites when he dies.

The Shema is a focal component of the morning and evening services. Most important, it contains practical steps explaining how to achieve this vital relationship with the Divine. "You shall love G-d your L-rd with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your resources. And these matters that I command you today shall be upon your heart." One's relationship with God is no different than that of human beings; it requires communication. The structured prayers serve as our crucial guide to expressing and connecting to our Creator. In addition, built into the heart of every human being is the natural power to talk to God, at any minute of any day. Wherever you are, you have the ability to simply open your mouth and speak to the Almighty.

Additionally, Moshe reminds the Jewish nation that we are held to a higher standard. The Torah commands us to heed its words and follow the Chukim (decrees), "for (those laws) are your wisdom and discernment in the eyes of the nations, who shall hear all these decrees and declare, 'surely a wise and discerning people is this great nation." We need to remember this as we read this parsha that if we exhibit the required high standards of morality and honesty we earn esteem in the eyes of the world. This surely is as true today as ever when we read the papers and are horrified at the fact that many Jews have been involved in unethical behaviors. We are not a large nation and when we hear these reports we might remind ourselves that Judaism teaches us that there is such a thing as collective responsibility as well as individual responsibility—no person is an island, each exists as part of the whole and is responsible for the actions of others as well as his or her own. Just as in the story of the Golden Calf, every Jew is the guarantor for his fellow Jew. Possibly this is why we are so personally disturbed when we hear of these events and a Jew is involved.

It especially interesting that Moshe specifically addresses the Jewish nation saying that he is not afraid that they will sin,(this nation about ready to enter the land of Israel) but he is wary that future generations who have not witnessed the miracles of Hashem first hand will sin. Moses foresaw the sins of the Jewish nation and said that we would be scattered among the nations of the world. We now see the truths of these prophesies.

Shabat Shalom,

Miriam

This shabbos is called "Shabbat Nachamu" traditionally called Shabbat Nachamu, the Shabbat of consolation, when we are comforted after our terrible loss.(destruction of the 1st and 2nd temples) The Haftorah we will read from Isaiah begins with the phrase: "Nachamu, Nachamu, Ami.... "Be comforted, be comforted, my people...., hence the name Shabbat Nachamu. Tu B'Av (15th Av) comes less than a week after Tisha B'av (9th Av), The destruction of the Temple was the lowest point in Jewish history, but with Tu B'Av we pick ourselves up and go on again. Tu B'Av is about hope and continuity even after the worst of things. After we have mourned our loss we are now ready to get on with life, looking at the world with fresh eyes and rebuild it with a renewed sense of purpose. and of course with love. Tu B'Av, as it's traditionally called, has for centuries been the Jewish holiday celebrating love.

Spinach strawberry salad

Baby spinach dressed in a light raspberry vinaigrette and tossed with fresh strawberries, almonds and creamy goat cheese. What could be more romantic and easy !

Ingredients

1/2 shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

6 ounces baby spinach

5 strawberries, thinly sliced

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Method

Combine the shallots and vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly

add the oil to the mixture while continuously whisking. Set dressing aside.

Put spinach, strawberries, almonds and goat cheese into a large bowl and gently toss to combine. Add dressing to taste and toss once more. Serve immediately.

Mushroom + Leek Beggar's Purse

4 Leeks, washed thoroughly

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 lbs of mushrooms (mixed is fine), I used shitake and button mushrooms.

You can use chanterelles or criminis too.

1-2 tablespoons of fresh crushed thyme leaves

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/4 cup of sherry or Madeira Wine

6 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed in refrigerator

8 tablespoons (1 stick), margarine melted

Long stemmed chives (use for ties)

To prepare leeks, cut away the blue/green leaves on top and trim the base. Peel away the first layer. Slice the leeks in 1/4" rings from top to bottom. Saute leeks over medium heat in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Do not brown. Remove from skillet and place in a large bowl. Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to skillet. When hot, add 1/2 of the mushrooms to cover the bottom of the pan. Saute over medium high heat about 5 minutes until mushrooms are soft. With a slotted spoon place cooked mushrooms in a bowl with the leeks. Repeat with rest of mushrooms. Return mushrooms and leeks to the skillet. Add thyme, salt, pepper and Sherry or Madeira Wine. Cook over high heat, stirring until all liquid is reduced to a syrupy consistency. Set aside.

Carefully unwrap the Phyllo pastry and unroll flat. Cover with a damp dish towel to prevent the dough from drying out. Lay out a sheet of phyllo and brush it sparingly with melted butter. Add a sheet on top of this one, brush with butter and repeat until you have 3 sheets. Cut the sheet into 4 rectangles.

Place 1/3 cup of the leek/mushroom mixture in the center of the rectangle. Fold the centers of the sides inward to prevent the mixture from spilling out. Fold over and slightly twist each long end toward the center to create a cinched "purse" shape. Take two or three long strands of chives and tie around each purse. Repeat with rest of mixture and sheets of phyllo pastry.

Place beggar's purses on an ungreased cookie sheet. When all purses on on the sheet, place the cookie sheet with purses in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, chilling until firm .Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven. Take a fresh long stemmed chive or two and tie around each purse. Serve hot.

Pan Seared Sea Bass and Spinach:

Center Cut Fillets of Sea Bass

Salt and Pepper

2 Tbs canola oil

6 ounces of fresh spinach, washed

2 Tbs butter or margarine

Directions:

Season the sea bass on both sides with salt and pepper. Place a heavy skillet over medium heat, add the canola oil and bring it to a very slight smoke. Add the sea bass and cook for 7 minutes (Don't move it). Carefully

turn the fish and cook the other side for the same time. The beautiful golden color and crispy skin is your reward. Remove the sea bass and hold in a warm location.

In the same skillet, add the spinach. To the wilted spinach add the butter and season with salt and pepper.