February 10, 2021February 10, 2021 Laya

Parsha Mishpatim

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Parsha Mishpatim is full of Mishpatim (Laws). It explains in detail laws that relate to people and property, interpersonal relationships, justice, right and wrong and the judicial system. The laws are precise- written in the Torah, then the Oral Law gives more details, then the texts in the Talmud which is the Gemarah and Mishna, have deep explanations from our ancient sages. (These details were written down after the destruction of the second temple in 70 CE).

Teaching rules and Laws are part our our tradition, passing it down from one generation to the next so our children can follow a righteous path. It’s not enough to just hear a rule and follow it perfectly- we really need to understand the laws and applications and their implications. We, as adults, parents, grandparents, need to role model these rules, so that as the children grow into adulthood, they can apply the rules to their own experiences. ‘Na’aseh VeNishma’ – The ‘Crown’ of the Torah. (‘Crowns’- are part of the theme for activities this week).

Many of the rules we read this week start with the Hebrew word-‘Im’/ ‘IF’ : If you do THIS then THAT will happen….. Most of the Parsha is made up of ‘IF’S’.

This reminded me of the poem ‘IF’ -( which I included in the blue block in this blog). IF we break rules, there are consequences, – we need to be responsible for our actions and take them seriously. How do we transmit this to our children and grandchildren?…..gently, carefully, and strongly. (see some suggestions in the yellow block)

One of the most mysterious verses in all 5 books of the Torah appear in this weeks Parsha,- describing the vision of the elders of the Jewish people at Mount Sinai: “…and they perceived the G-d of Israel and beneath His feet was like the forming of a Sapphire brick and the appearance of the heavens for clarity”(Exodus; 24;10)

What was this vision?- Brick? Sapphire? Clarity of heavens?

A brick is a human invention, man made and made of earth. The Sapphire brick was pure, transparent, translucent- letting in Divine light from the heavens, from G-d. This vision captures the essence of Judaism, which is that G-d places us on earth to create bricks that are as pure as the heavens. Rashi explains further that the ‘Brick’ refers to the time when the Jewish people were suffering in Egyptian slavery and their primary labor was the creation of bricks. The ‘Heaven’s for clarity’ represents the joy G-d Experienced when the Jewish people were not slaves anymore. The message is that Hashem is a personal G-d, and he is aware of our suffering and our triumphs. (Remember that thought as we try to create a ‘sapphire’ brick for our crafts this week.)

The Parsha also mentions “you should not cook a kid in the milk of its mother…” This is the last part of a sentence which seems like it is ‘by the way’. No, in fact this the whole law of Kashrut- We cannot eat meat and milk together! The Torah gives this prohibition three times, and the Sages explain that we cannot cook milk and meat together, we cannot eat it, and we cannot benefit from it. Meat represents the ‘animal’ portion of life, Milk represents the reproductive capacity of animal life, and is the nourishment for new life. Animals instinctively eat and reproduce and there is no separation of these 2 activities. However, we, as human beings have a higher calling and need to differentiate between these activities. Our duty is to grow in our service to Hashem, and not to succumb to animal instincts. We have to be careful to put Godliness into our activities especially with the separation of milk and meat. In the same way as the laws of the festivals and first fruits teach us about elevating ourselves, about holiness of the seasons and G-d’s blessing of prosperity. That is why this law is part of the sentence; “The choicest first fruit of your land shall you bring to the House of Hashem, your G-d; you shall not cook a kid in the milk of its mother.”

Helping children to follow ‘rules’ can improve often when we try and explain the reason why we do it. Present the ‘rule and then give the reason.
Examples:
If we clean up the floor that’s full of toys, and then it will give the whole family place to be in the lounge.! OR We are going to visit your grandparents… because it will show them that we care and we love them…

‘IF’
Rudyard Kipling, 1895

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And-which is more-you’ll be a Man, my son!

Fun Crafts

Making a ‘Sapphire’ brick. Walk around the neighborhood and building sites and try and find a brick that you can take home. Wrap the brick in a blue/ turquoise paper and place it on the Shabbat table -It will be the centerpiece for a great discussion. AND/OR take a white piece of paper and turquoise/blue crayon and find a brick to etch/ trace over it. Milk and Meat Pictures – Divide a paper in 2 with a line- one side with milk products and meat products. Find stickers/ cut out pictures from magazines/ newspapers and stick them in the appropriate section. Design your own Meat Placemat and Milk Placemat . (Ask mom’s/ dad’s to plasticize it/ or cover it with plastic)

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Fun Foods

‘Sapphire brick’ Chocolates. A conversation piece! Melt white chocolate (milk or parev), add a drop of blue coloring, and put into ‘brick’ , square moulds. Place in the freezer to set, and serve for dessert. You can also ice a cake with ‘sapphire color’ in the shape of a brick. ‘Crown’ Dessert (remembering ‘Na’aseh Venishma’) Puff Pastry, with apple filling . Cut the Puff pastry in the shape of a crown. Place it around a cookie tray upside down ( to keep the shape of the crown)- Bake until golden brown. Place it on a plate and fill it with stewed apples ( or can make it savoury). Milk and Meat Plate. Divide plate with a piece of red licorice. Make large round white cookies, and chocolate cookies. Sandwich the chocolate cookie between the 2 white cookies to look like a hamburger, Put red licorice or red/ yellow lollies/ icing over the chocolate cookie ( mustard and tomato sauce) . On the other side of the plate, – a clear glass of milk/ almond milk. ( This is fun-thinking about what we eat- be careful- it looks quite real!)

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So many great ideas and themes this week. Think- ‘Milk and Meat’, Crown, Sapphire Brick and notice things around you which relate to this weeks Parsha. Celebrate Rosh Chodesh Adar, with a crown on your head..and be happy!!

Check out the video to Parsha Mishpatim:
https://youtu.be/iXxf-pR7Vh4

Chodesh Tov and
Shabbat Shalom

Safta Laya