Being So Behind!

Trying my hardest to finish getting ready for passover (Pesach).

Seems every year I get way behind the “eight ball”. I have great ideas of how to do this and I have wanted to start around late December the year prior. Going room by room just deep cleaning. Seeing as passover has zero yo do with “spring cleaning”, I get myself all backed up because my mind is on hyper speed trying to do it all. Which is so goofy of me.

I decided in February to get my rugs cleaned. So that was completely done 2 weeks ago. I’m so glad I scheduled that. I just was not able to deep clean this year due to a torn menincus. Not great timing at all for this injury. I also had Lupus organization pick up clothing that no longer fit and have not been worn in 3 years. So that made a great mitzvah to give to an organization and help others out. When I was going through my cabinets for chemetz, I pulled all unopened boxes and that went to a local family in need call that Mitzvah #2. Now I am on the next step. Last night, the microwave was cleaned and koshered. You put a cup or bowl of water in it. Microwave on high 5 minutes. Being careful once it is done. You can let it cool down so you do not burn yourself with the water. It is nice amd steamy inside the microwave, which helps get any stuck on items off. Dry well and wash all internal parts, tray and round wheel that helps turn the plate. Whalla, done! Next I washed the inside of my toaster oven. Racks and all. If there is a separate tray, wash that too. It amazes me how much crumbs get under and behind the toaster oven! Got that done! I am in a mini roll! (No pun intended). Stove top was next. After cleaning that. I put the burners on so the grates get koshered. Do that for approximately 5 minutes. You need to stay close to observe it, so it does not cause a fire with the open flame. I have natural gas stove. So it can get really hot. That ended my night. Having worked closing at my retail job. It was a long day!

This morning, I woke to having to finish more kitchen koshering. So I took the pans and grates out of the oven, because they would impeed koshering the oven. Wiped inside of oven down with white vinegar. Then put the oven on at 500° for 1 hour. I was so blessed today it was really cool in the apartment, so it was nice to get this done now. After it was done. I waited for it to completely cooled. Then sprayed white vinegar and paper towels to get all the gunk off.

Today was also cooking day. Menu is brisket, potatoe salad, deviled eggs, crosett and salad. Set the table cloth, put silverware and plates out. I have a cup for Miryam and one for Elijah. My schemorzah mataz will go in my decorative cloth napkins. I was getting my candles ready, especially the one for yom tov’s that can last days. I was unable to find my sedar plate! I looked in all the spots it could or should have been in. Nope, can’t find it. So I am using a beautiful jewish Ceramic platter. I love putting the sader plate, where an empty seat for Elijah. He has his own setup, awaiting his arrival to my sedar.

Well the brisket is still in the slow cooker. Time to make the deviled eggs.

Pesach Chag Semeach!

This Year May ee go to Israel! Normally, we say “next year in Jerusalem”!

Rambam on Eating, Drinking and Sleep. How to live Long and Healthy

The Rambam on eating, drinking and sleep.

According to this:

Sleep 8 hours

Do not go to bed before you digested food 2 to 3 hours. Make sure you stop eating that much time before laying down.

Sleep – Never sleep on your back or stomach. Start your night on the left side (for your organs. Your stomach is on that side.) End your sleep on your right side. This is to puts less pressure on your other organs.

Eating is a mitzvah. You should always sit down, never stand up eating. Actually mention leaning to the left side, just like we do for passover seder.

Do not eat too much, then lists foods that are best, I.E. chicken broth, chicken meat. (Sorry beef eaters, it is not mentioned). Almonds figs, apples, grapes are good. Do not eat too much dried fruit as it has too high of a sugar content.

Water is best to drink. He did mention watered down wine during dinner helps aid in digestion.

Exercise in the morning. (This is a hard one for me, as I do not have time nor energy to do this. Maybe I can learn!).

Exercises like Thai Chai, Yoga are good for slow strong movements. Strength training, walking are all good also.

He also mentioned bowel movements, consistancy, and how often. Going to the bathroom as soon as its felt you need to and not waiting to do so.

Symbolic Foods for Passover

Well, if you are like me, I’m way behind schedule for this Passover. I thought I was doing great with the Koshering the brisket, Kosher-Cleaning of my apartment and with getting rid of all my chemetz (rising agents like yeast).  Until I was listening to AM radio this morning and my shopping list grew from brown sugar and 2 cases of soda to a long list!

Good Grief… I have tonight after work to find these items at the local Kosher store and then after sunset have to look for the last spec’s of Chemetz in cabinets, couch etc.

So with that said, I went on Ask.com (My favorite web-search host besides Lycos.com) and found the following.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-symbolic-foods-at-a-passover-seder.html

plus Chabad.org has a great Passover webpage, http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/default_cdo/jewish/Passover.htm

With one of the sections is an “interactive sedar plate”.

http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/flash_cdo/fileid/434480/aid/269147

If you do not own a Haggada of the Sedar (Sedar means order)… http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1735/jewish/The-Haggadah.htm  (Copy and paste the hyperlink)

After the searching for Chemetz tonight I will be cooking my heart out.

For those of you who celebrate Passover – Chag Semaech  and if you do not, I think there are some very cool insights to read about. Remember, even Moses brought out people who WERE not Jewish…  BTW… they were Hebrews and Egyptians and anyone else who wanted to take part in leaving the “Grind of slavery”. We have slavery today, its called our jobs, our schedules and our way we treat sports and entertainment as a project. Leave it all behind, let go and let live!

If you haven’t read the prior articles on the “Nile is turning Red”… I’ve been informed this is really happening this year.

As we say on the last part of the Sedar “NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!”

“Selling Your Chemetz”

For the Jewish, we spend the next weeks koshering our kitchens. Cleaning every nook and cranny and our cars, our furniture our office desk or anywhere we may eat. If your like me, the couch can be the place of chemetz (Flour in form of bread, etc).

If your lucky and live near a Shul, Temple or Synagogue then you can do this directly with your Rabbi. If you live too far away from a Rabbi, you can “Sell your Chemetz” online with Chabad. *(Hyperlink at bottom)

Selling your Chemetz is not a joke or to be taken lightly.

My personal favorite idea is to give it all away to a local food bank- If you cannot do that, then you definitely need to sign the Chemetz contract with a Rabbi.

For me, the open packages are the issues.  Food is too expensive today to just hit the garbage can with the items. So, I do what many do, I choose a cabinet in my kitchen that gets rubber-banded shut (via the door knobs).   For some they put it in the basement, or garage, and seal it off so that no one will open it.

You can give your foods that are open to local families you know are having financial problems or you know can use the extra items. (There have been times that I have done this also).  This can be a sensitive issue if the family is either too proud to take the items or they didn’t think anyone really knew they were having problems. So be very tender with this process.

Whichever way you choose to get rid of your Chemetz, is important that you do what you do.

A Rabbi friend I knew use to let me come to their Shul just to sign the contact of giving away my chemetz. He explained how this is a true binding contract.  My signature gave the Rabbi the right to not only sell my chemetz to someone, but if that person truly needed it, the contents of all would go to that person.  That (unknown) person is normally a non-Jewish person since none of us can have the chemetz in our homes (Cars and our jobs).  This lasts for the entire 8 days of Passover. So anytime during the 8 days this person is allowed the food from you. Like I stated, “It is a binding contract”.  If your wondering why would someone do this with a Shul, the Shul will pay the person who was willing to help us out to sell the items to them for their time and effort.  SO this is where the binding contact is “Fully Binding”.

When Passover ends, we can again bring these foods back out and use them. There is several Halacha rules to this that you can look into if your interested further this topic.

Many stores that are owned by Jewish (and that can be any food chain) has special guide lines. You will know if it is Jewish owned by seeing the sign somewhere by the customer service desk about Chemetz.

Buying after the Passover is another issue… make sure the store sells fast and often so that you do not get chemtz that could have been created during the 8 days of Passover.  Again for more details on this you need to seek your Rabbinical council or your Rabbi.  There are some who wait up to an 3 extra weeks before purchasing all their chemetz again. (Pastas, etc)

This is the link to sell your chemetz online. (You do not have to pay for this service, you can give a donation if you feel so lead.).

*  https://chabadorg.clhosting.org/holidays/passover/sell_chometz.htm

For more on Passover:  http://www.chabad.org/generic_cdo/jewish/Passover.htm/aid/109747

Just a little footnote:  The most popular foods after Passover are Pizza and Chinese.

 

Feed the Poor- The Torah Way

Positive Mitzvah 121: Leaving Fallen Stalks while Reaping

Leviticus 23:22 “Nor shall you gather any gleanings of your harvest…,

you shall leave them to the poor and to the stranger”

Another way for the farmer to provide the poor people with their share in the field is to leave fallen stalks.

As the produce is reaped, individual stalks often fall to the ground.

The Torah commands us to leave them on the ground so the poor can collect them afterwards (see Negative Mitzvah 211).

*   *   *

Negative Mitzvah 211: It is forbidden to gather stalks that have fallen during harvesting

Leviticus 23:22. “Neither shall you gather any gleanings of your harvest”

When the farmer collects his crops, he ties sheaves of stalks together into bundles.

This makes it easier for him to gather the crop afterwards.

All he has to do is collect the bundles.

While he is collecting the stalks, one or two may fall out of his hand or the container, before he ties them into bundles.

The Torah forbids him to pick up those fallen stalks. They are left for the needy to come and collect.

*   *   *

Positive Mitzvah 123: Leaving Defective Grape Clusters in the Vineyard

Leviticus 19:10 “And you shall not glean your vineyard,… you shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger”

A Jew must think about the needy not only in his field, but also in his vineyard.

As he is picking his clusters of ripened grapes, he must look out for those clusters of grapes that are not attached to a central stem or do not have the grapes lying one upon the other.

HaShem commands him to leave those clusters for the poor (see Negative Mitzvah 212).

*   *   *

Negative Mitzvah 212: It is forbidden to pick “Ollelot” in the
vineyard.

Leviticus 19:10 “And you shall not glean your vineyard”

This Mitzvah of “Tzedakah” applies also to vineyards (not just fields-see above).

While picking the fruit, we must look out for those clusters that do not have the grapes attached to a central stem. We should also notice those clusters that do not have grapes lying on one another.

These bundles are called “Ollelot”.

It is forbidden to pick Ollelot. They must be left for the needy people who may come and collect them.

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MY NOTES:

If we did this we would NOT have the Poor Among us, like the NT states. Why would they claim that!  If we all did according to the “Old Testament” (The Tanak, more specifically the Torah) we would be feeding all our people.  So I have to ask myself… Anyone who states “They will always be with us”. Is obviously NOT following the Jewish Scriptures NOR Torah. You can’t claim to be Jewish and then disregard the tenants of life.

Yom Kippur – Charity in the Name of Your Dearly Departed

Yizkor on Yom Kippur is one time in the year when we have the opportunity to honor and connect with the souls of our loved ones who have left this earth ahead of us.

As we remember and mention the names of our beloved on this holiest day of the year,

it is customary to make a monetary contribution to a cause that is dear to us.

This material act brings an additional measure of dignity

and 

merit to the departed souls,

and

helps channel their presence into our lives on earth.

**
I really believe that we should start within the area that we live in.

Know someone who’s lost a job,

get them a food card to the local food store.

Do it anonymously so that they have pride and you do not.

**
Give to the local  school –

they would know what children are in families that are having financial issues.

Again, give a food card to a person in the office that you trust and know will give it to the needy family.

(Do it anonymously so that they have pride and you do not. )

**

Give to a local food bank,

either food or money.

Some areas have even churches that offer food to the towns people.

**

Give to the local animal shelter,

they are in dire need of food.

Ask them they may have an amazon.com account that you can give and its shipped directly to them.

**
If you don’t have money then give your TIME… “Time is Money” ask any big business person what their view of TIME is.

**

Remember this is in the name of your departed,

once we leave this earth,

we no longer have a way to give back.

By you putting it in their name,

they are basically

“getting credits”

toward tithing now that they can no longer do it.

And finally…

Light a candle and watch the flame… this is symbolic of the soul. Remember those who have passed before you.

If you fast, may you have an “easy fast”… if your unable to fast… Know in your heart/mind and soul, that you too are fasting!

May we all be SEALED for a good year 5776

NOTES:
Excerpt of 1st paragraph only copied from: Simon Jacobson and The Meaningful Life Center

A “Labor” Day Note (Planting & Growing)

I’ve been asked by some people “How do you feed yourself or pay for all your bills as a single mom?” and others ask “How do you eat when your not allowed to garden during the Schmeta year and now the year upcoming is Jubilee”.

Here is the perfect answers:

Deut 6 vs 9 – 14

And thou shalt write them upon the door and houses full of all good things,

which thou didst not fill,

and cisterns hewn out,

which thou didst not hew,

vineyards and olive-trees, which thou didst not plant,

and

thou shalt eat and be satisfied—

-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.

And it shall be,

when the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land which He swore unto thy fathers,

to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob,

to give thee–great and goodly cities,

which thou didst not build,

then beware lest thou forget the LORD,

who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt,

out of the house of bondage.

Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God;

and

Him shalt thou serve,

and

by His name shalt thou swear.

Ye shall not go after other gods,

of the gods of the peoples that are round about you;

**

Joshua 24 vs 8 – 10

And I brought you into the land of the Amorites,

that dwelt beyond the Jordan;

and

they fought with you;

and

I gave them into your hand,

and

ye possessed their land;

and

I destroyed them from before you.

Then Balak the son of Zippor,

king of Moab,

arose and fought against Israel;

and he sent

and

called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.

But I would not hearken unto Balaam;

therefore he even blessed you;

so I delivered you out of his hand.

 **

Another great answer:

Jonah 4 vs 5 – 11

Then Jonah went out of the city,

and sat on the east side of the city,

and there made him a booth,

and sat under it in the shadow,

till he might see what would become of the city.

And the LORD God prepared a gourd,

and made it to come up over Jonah,

that it might be a shadow over his head,

to deliver him from his evil.

So Jonah was exceeding glad because of the gourd.

But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day,

and it smote the gourd, that it withered.

And it came to pass,

when the sun arose,

that God prepared a vehement east wind;

and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah,

that he fainted,

and requested for himself that he might die,

and said:

‘It is better for me to die than to live.’

And God said to Jonah:

‘Art thou greatly angry for the gourd?’

And he said:

‘I am greatly angry,

even unto death.’

And the LORD said:

“Thou hast had pity on the gourd,

for which thou hast not laboured,

neither madest it grow,

which came up in a night,

and

perished in a night;

and should not I have pity on Nineveh,

that great city,

wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand

and

their left hand,

and also much cattle?’

My Note:  Never worry, if you are having problems, G-d knows and G-d will help you.

Impurity of Food and Drink

Positive Mitzvah 98: Impurity of Food and Drink

Leviticus 11:34 “Of all the food which may be eaten…and all drink that may be drunk”

Food and drink can become impure if they have come in contact with a source of impurity.

The first stages of your life are to learn to be a master over yourself.
But then comes a major and difficult transition in life,
when you take on the responsibilities of a family.
Now you must learn to put aside your own self improvement for their sake.
But you surely realize that,
in the long run,
what is best for them will be best for you.

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My Notes:
1) You may be asking yourself… “WHY is it called a Positive Mitzvah?” Positive because we want to make sure that we are doing something correct and Mitzvah because that is the Hebrew word for “deed”
2) If this was a Negative Mitvah (or better stated Negative deed) it would have been just worded a little differently to state we are Not to eat or drink things that are impure. (To name a few would be pork, shelled fish (Muscles, clams, lobster),
or blood which would be cooked or in a liquid form)
3) All religions that I’ve experienced do have a blessing before a meal. In Catholic settings we said just a thanksgiving type prayer for the food. In Christian settings we said “Bless the food to our bodies” and in Jewish settings
we say a blessing of the food from where it comes, so if it is fruit or from the earth it is “Blessed are you Lord G-d King of the world who creates the food from the earth”. We know that Adam was formed from the earth as well.. And the actual word
in that blessing I just named would have been really said as “Baruch Attah Eloheno Melach Ha Olam borah Pre Ha Adam” (Phonetically typed out).   However with that said, there are many individual names you can specifically name the food item.
Jewish households also say blessings after the meal is consumed, so that one does not walk away filled and not remember to thank G-d who gives us plenty and does not leave us hungry. There are 4 parts to that blessing.
4) So now you’re probably saying, “If I did my blessing” then how in the world did the food/drink become impure when it was something we are allowed to eat/drink? There are many ways for it to become impure and that is discussed further in other of the 613 Mitzvahs.
For further reading on Mitzvah’s you can go to: http://www.chabad.org/search/results.asp?searchWord=ha+mitzvah

Judgments

Something to watch out for since both the

Sabbatical year and the Jubilee year

Which takes place in the Hebrew Years

5774-5776

(Autumn 2013 –Autumn 2015)

Judgment usually follows during this period.

**
From Pirkei Avot Chapter 5, Mishnayot 8-9:

Mishna # 8

Seven types of retribution come to the world,

for seven types of sin.

When some tithe and others don’t,

a hunger caused by turmoil ensues:

some are hungry,

others have their fill of food.

When all are unanimous in their failure to tithe,

a hunger by drought ensues.

For not separating chalah,

an annihilating hunger results.

**

Plaques come to the world for those capital crimes mentioned in the Torah that have not been given over to the court,

and

for desecrating the produce of the sabbatical year.

**

The sword comes to the world for the procrastination of justice,

the corruption of justice,

and

because of those who misinterpret the Torah.

Mishna #9

Carnage by wild beasts comes to the world for false oaths

and

desecration of G-d’s name.

**

Exile comes to the world for idol-worship,

sexual promiscuity,

murder

and

the failure to leave the land fallow on the Sabbatical year.

************************************

Quoting my friend Emet who posted the above and I’m sharing with you:

G-D is the true judge, our actions inside and outside the land is the cause of good and evil in this world. Our fair and swift justice or lack thereof is what will cause our exile in the wilderness or our entry into the land.

Mountains Sing & Trees Clap Hands – Return to the Lord

Ho,

every one that thirsteth,

come ye for water,

and

he that hath no money;

come ye,

buy,

and eat;

yea,

come,

buy wine

and

milk without money

and

without price.

** 

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?

and

your gain for that which satisfieth not?

** 

Hearken diligently unto Me,

and

eat ye that which is good,

and

let your soul delight itself in fatness.

** 

Incline your ear,

and

come unto Me;

hear,

and

your soul shall live;

and

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

even the sure mercies of David.

** 

Behold,

I have given him for a witness to the peoples,

a prince

and

commander to the peoples.

 **

Behold,

thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not,

and

a nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee;

because of the LORD thy God,

and for the Holy One of Israel,

for He hath glorified thee.

 **

Seek ye the LORD while He may be found,

call ye upon Him while He is near;

** 

Let the wicked forsake his way,

and

the man of iniquity his thoughts;

and

let him return unto the LORD,

and

He will have compassion upon him,

and

to our God,

for He will abundantly pardon.

**

For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways My ways,

saith the LORD.

**

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are My ways higher than your ways,

and

My thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven,

and returneth not thither,

except it water the earth,

and make it bring forth and bud,

and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth:

it shall not return unto Me void,

except it accomplish that which I please,

and

make the thing whereto I sent it prosper.

**

For ye shall go out with joy,

and

be led forth with peace;

the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,

and

all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress,

and

instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;

and

it shall be to the LORD for a memorial,

for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

NOTES:
1) Water is compared to the “living waters of Torah”. (Come)

2) Even the trees will praise Hashem

3) Hashem’s ways are not the ways of humans

4) Mountains Sing

5) Trees Clap hands

6) King David was given as our witness, he is Prince and Commander

7) Hashem knows your “thoughts” and your “ways”

 Copied from Isaiah chapter 55 (Verses 1 to 13)  http://www.mechon-mamre.org/e/et/et1055.htm

The word TaNaC means T=Torah, N = Navi or Navim (Prophet-s) and C=Writings (Scriptures)

All Bolding, Underscore, Italic done by me for emphasis purposes.