BO

בס"ד

SHABBAT IMABBA:
  Here is a great way for my father and I to learn a little bit of Parsha each week, even though we live far from each other. ( I like the play on words of Abba in the word Shabbat and Imabba meaning "with Abba" and Ima Abba written together!  Thanks Abba and Ima :-)!

In this week's parsha it says:

	וַיְהִי חֹשֶׁךְ אֲפֵלָה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים. לֹא רָאוּ אִישׁ אֶת אָחִיו וְלֹא קָמוּ אִישׁ מִתַּחְתָּיו, שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים.
– שמות, י׳, כ״א-כ״ג

"There was a thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days:  they saw not one another, neither did anyone move from their place, for three days..."  The greatest darkness that there can be is when לא ראו איש את אחיו. When a fellow Jew is in need and-  לא קמו איש מתחתיו, no one does anything to help him out, and turns away, that is the greatest darkness.
This is a lesson that all of Am Yisrael should be learning.  Especially in Bet Shemesh.  Where are our fellow brothers?  Why are people not helping each other?  Where is the Achdut???? Let us hope that people will finally see the light.
 Happy Anniversary to my wonderful parents!  May you have many more wonderful years together ad meah veesrim!

PARSHA POINTS:

• Hashem brings another two plagues on the Mitzrim: locusts and darkness.

• Hashem tells Moshe of his plan for the last plague: Makat Bechorot, death of the first born. He explains to Moshe that this will push Pharoah to let Bnei Yisrael go free.

• Moshe and Aharon learn about the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh from Hashem and teach it to Bnei Yisrael.

• Bnei Yisrael slaughter lambs to use as a Korban Pesach, and use the blood to mark their doorposts so Hashem passes over the Jewish houses as He kills all the first born Egyptian boys.

• At midnight, Hashem passed over Egypt and killed all the firstborn Egyptian boys. Pharoah panics and rushes to find Moshe to tell him that the Jews are free to go and that they should leave immediately.

• Bnei Yisrael left Egypt the next morning and left with lots of gold and silver and cattle. They traveled to Ramses and Sukkot, until they reached the Red Sea.

• Hashem commands Bnei Yisrael to sanctify all the firstborn males, in remembrance of makat bechorot. 

PARSHA PUZZLE:

In this week’s Parsha, Parshat Bo,

There are a lot of things we know.

Pharaoh said “no” as was predicted,

And then three more plagues Hashem inflicted.

First came the locusts, it destroyed the crop,

The Mitzriyim screamed, please make this stop!

And once it stopped, without a doubt,

He did not allow the Jews to go out.

And then came darkness no one could see,

But the Jews all saw just perfectly.

Pharaoh was stubborn he said o.k.,

He will let the Jews out right away.

He then said no, so each first born male will die,

The Mitzriyim all began to cry.

Just let them go, and do it quick,

That last makka seemed to do the trick.

There is a date and a certain holiday,

The Jews made something quickly and were on their way.

Do you know the answer, do you know this clue,

You are a Parsha Wiz then if you do.

PLAYING WITH THE PARSHA:

At midnight of the appointed night, the last plague falls upon the Mitzriyim, with every non-Jewish firstborn dying, including Pharaoh's own son. Pharaoh quickly sends the Jewish people from Egypt. The Bnei Israel travel forth in a hurry with the great wealth they have just been given by the Egyptians.

Give each child an empty plastic bag.  Without warning them, tell them they have one minute to fill it up with what they think is important.  When they come back to the table, have each one show what they placed in their bag.  Each person can also make up a story with the items in their bag.  See how many different stories you could come up with, with the same items.  Discuss how Bnei Yisrael left in such a hurry.  How does it feel?  What would you take with you if you had to leave in a hurry?  Why? What would you leave behind?

    Blindfold each child and spin them around.  Have them try to walk around the room without banging into anything.  Discuss how it feels like to be in darkness.

· Look at the moon this week.  Describe the different phases of the moon and how it pertains to Rosh Chodesh.

·       

PARSHA CAKES:

Korban Pesach:

What you will need:

1.     Cookie dough

2.     Cookie cutter in the shape of a sheep

3.     Small rectangular cake

4.     Long thin licorice

5.     4 round wafer cookies

·   Make Sheep shaped cookies.  Add chocolate chip to make an eye.

·   Once they are cool, you could add marshmallows to them (using marshmallow fluff to stick it together) to make it look like sheep skin.

·  Place the rectangular cake on a plate or covered cookie sheet.

·   Place the round wafer cookie on each side to make it look like a bedpost.

·   Lean the sheep cookie against the rectangular cake and tie a licorice piece around its neck.

·   Tie the other end to the bedpost.

Cake:

1 cup vegetable oil

2 1/4 cups sugar

5 eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup water

1 cup orange juice

zest of 1 orange, minced

3 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Chocolate paste:

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons warm vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans

Prepare the chocolate paste by placing the cocoa and oil in a small bowl

and mix well. Add a drop or more of oil if the mixture appears too thick.

For the cake, in a large bowl, blend the oil with the sugar , scraping the bowl often.  Blend in the eggs and stir in the vanilla, water, orange juice, and zest.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredients.

Pour one third of the batter into a smaller bowl. Stir the chocolate paste to make a chocolate batter and add the chocolate chips. Pour alternating portions of white and chocolate batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cakes for 35 to 40minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes.

Seder Plate:

What you will need:  

1.     10 inch round cake.

2.     Frosting

3.     Fondant or paper muffin holders

4.     Bone candies

5.     Candies that look like eggs

6.     Praline candies

7.     Green candies

8.     Marshmallows

9.     Green candies

    ·        Frost the round cake. 

·        Either take 6 paper cups and place it around the cake or make the holders out of fondant.

·        Your Seder plate is now ready.  Add each of the candies to their place.  Put the egg candies- symbolizing the beitza  on the top right, the bone candies- symbolizing the zroah on the left and so on.  Use your imagination….

Thought of the week:

In Parshat Bo, Hashem commands the Jews in Egypt and all future generations to fulfill the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach. The Ramban discusses the significance of using a lamb for the Korban Pesach. He explains that when Hashem punishes a nation, he also destroys their god. This helps teach the nations of the world that Hashem is the true God. Therefore, since the lamb was the god of Egypt, Hashem commanded the Jews to use the lamb for the mitzvah of Korban Pesach. It is also no coincidence that Hashem vanquished the Egyptians during the zodiac of aries (whose symbol is a ram) since that is the time of the year when their god was at its strongest. Rashi explains that this is why Hashem destroyed Sdom at daybreak when both the sun and the moon were present since both were worshipped by the people of Sdom. Looking back at history can help strengthen our belief in Hashem which is why the Torah writes:    "זכר ימות עולם בינו שנות דור ודור שאל אביך ויגדך זקניך ויאמרו לך".

Have a wonderful Shabbat and a great Chodesh!  Ruchie

How Do I Know if My Child  Has a Communication Disorder?

                                                                    By Ruchie MACCCSLP

The ability to communicate is one of Hashem’s most precious gifts to man. It takes experience and time for a child to learn to express his ideas and his needs in words so that others can understand him. Language is a process that most children learn on their own. However, for some children the process of mastering language is not self-initiated. This may be due to various factors, such as individual differences, behavior and environment. Whatever the reason, these children need some special help to overcome their delay.      

Children with communication disorders have deficits in their ability to exchange information with another person. A communication disorder can occur in speech, language or hearing. In discussing methods of helping a child in developing adequate language skills, we often use the terms “speech” and “language.” Although they are inter-related, it is important to understand the difference between them. 

 Speech is the articulation of sounds. The way we place and move our tongue, lips, teeth and jaw are important in producing sounds (p, b, k, t, etcֹ) to form words.

Language is the message that is conveyed by a speaker to a listener. Language can be subdivided into two categories:

• Receptive Language relates to the understanding of language.

• Expressive Language relates to the way the child communicates by using words and sentences.

Hearing is the child’s first connection with the talking world. First, he becomes aware that sounds exist, and then, that sounds actually mean something. Finally, he learns that when he makes sounds that resemble those he has heard from others, people will understand him.

A child with a communication disorder can have difficulty in any or all of these areas. If he cannot hear well, he will have a difficult time distinguishing the difference between sounds, understanding what they mean, and learning to say them himself. If he cannot speak and make sounds clearly enough for people to understand him, he will have trouble expressing his ideas. If the child does not master language, spoken sounds may not mean much to him. Specialized instruction and guidance from a speech and language pathologist can be very helpful to such a child.

It is very important for parents to realize that they are not to blame for a child’s delay in communicating. It is not because they are doing something wrong. Communication disorders occur from many different conditions. It is partly because of the way the child perceives and reacts to his environment.

Tips for Parents

• Listen to your child. Encourage and praise him.

• Don’t appear anxious about his speech or try to correct him.

• Don’t make him speak or recite before strangers or visitors 

   unless he wishes to do so.

• Try to keep your own speech clear and unhurried.

• When your child mixes up words in a sentence repeat the

   sentence back correctly. You do not need to tell them that

   what they said was wrong.

• Remember that hesitations are normal between 3-6 years of

   age.

• Read, read, read! Reading books together with your child is a

  wonderful opportunity for special time together and will

  enhance your child’s vocabulary. Ask questions as you go

  along. Let them try to guess the next part of the story.

• If you are very concerned, consult a speech and language

  pathologist for help.

General Guidelines for Speech and Language Acquisition

Sound Acquisition

Generally, children should make the following sounds correctly by ages indicated:

Age:

3-4 years - m, b, n, t, p, d, k, g, w, h, and vowels.

5-6 years - sh, ch, l, l blends (i.e. black, fly)

7 years - v, j, th, s, z, r, s blends (stick, slow), r blends (i.e. broom, great).

Vocabulary and Language Acquisition

Age:

12-18 months  First words

2 years  2 word sentences

3 years  3-4 word sentences 400-900 word vocabulary

5 years  5 to 6 word sentences, 1500-2500 word vocabulary

After age 5 the child rapidly advances.

If your child displays any of the following behaviors, it does not necessarily mean that there is a speech and language delay, however, a professional evaluation is suggested:

• The child is not talking by age 2.

• Speech is difficult to understand after age 3.

• The child uses mostly vowel sounds after age 3.

• The child omits beginning sounds after age 3.

• There are many substitutions of sounds at age 5

• Word endings are often dropped after age 5.

• Words are left out, mixed up or ungrammatical in sentences

   at age 5.

• The child has difficulty with speech sounds at age 7. The

   child’s voice is too loud, too soft or monotone.

• The child displays frequent repetitions of sounds or words.

• The child displays attention difficulties, is fidgety and

   impulsive.

VAEIRA

Hashem hardened Pharoh's Heart!

PARSHA POINTS:

• Hashem sends Moshe and Aharon to go speak to Pharaoh again to let Bnei Yisrael go. When Moshe says that he has a speech impediment and can't talk, Hashem instructs him to use his brother Aharon as the speaker.

• The parsha lists all the heads of the tribal families.

• There are seven of the ten plagues in this week's parsha: blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, pestilence, boils and hail. 
• Every time Pharaoh asks Moshe to get rid of a plague, Pharaoh says he will release Bnei Yisrael. However, each time Moshe davens to Hashem to end the plague, Pharaoh changes his mind.

• Bnei Yisrael are not affected by the plagues .

PARSHA PUZZLE:   
In Parshat Vaeira, we all surely know,
That Moshe asked Pharaoh to “Let my people go!”
But Pharaoh was stubborn, again and again.
Then they received the Makot- how many? There were TEN!

The first one was blood, their water all turned red,
The second, the frogs- jumped all over their bed,
The third plague was itchy; they were covered with lice,
But Pharaoh was so stubborn, did not listen to their advice. 

Then came many wild animals for plague number four,    
Pharaoh found it difficult he could not take it anymore.
Once the plague had stopped Pharaoh surely lied,
So Hashem brought Plague five, where all the cattle died.
 
After that came boils and then down came the hail,
He did not let the Jews out, to no avail.
Who caused the first two plagues?Who was Hashem’s messenger?
And why not his brother? Do you know the answer?
 
 

PLAYING WITH THE PARSHA:
In this week’s parsha Hashem sends Moshe and Aharon to go speak to Pharoah again to let Bnei Yisrael go. When Moshe says that he has a speech impediment and can't talk, Hashem instructs him to use his brother Aharon as the speaker.

                                                              

Play the Taboo game or make up your own.  Think of a word- preferably from this week’s parsha and write down 5 words that the player cannot say.  For example if you are thinking about frogs then write down:  animal, plague, green, Kermit, jump.  The player has to describe the word without using any of the words written.  Teach the children what it is like to have a speech and language impediment.  Sometimes you don’t know how to express yourself or you are afraid to say certain words because they are pronounced incorrectly.  Explain and discuss how Moshe must have felt.

·         You can buy plastic frogs that jump and make a parsha game out of it.  Whenever you get the frog into the bucket you answer a Parsha question.

A TASTE OF THE PARSHA:

 Hashem-Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart

What you will need:

1.      Cookie dough

2.      Heart shaped cookie cutter

3.      Melted chocolate

4.      Aleph bet chocolate mold or cookie cutters

Make heart-shaped cookies.  Dip half of the heart in the melted chocolate and let it harden.  Voila- Hashem-hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

Make Red Jello to resemble the blood!

Staff turns into Serpent

Take a glass cup and place candy canes and gummy snakes into the cup – because Pharaoh’s magicians turned their staffs into snakes.  The kids will love this! 

The Seven Makot

What you will need:

      1.      7 cupcakes

2.      Frosting

3.      Red food coloring

4.      Candy frogs

5.      Coconut and black sprinkles

6.      Animal cookies

7.      Red Hots

8.      Round shaped candies

9.      Animal shaped gummy candies

·  Frost 6 of the cupcakes in white frosting.  Save a bit of the frosting for the seventh frosting. 

·  Put a few drops of red food coloring in the frosting.  Spread it over the first cupcake - for blood. 

·   Put candy frogs on the second cupcake. 

·   Sprinkle coconut and some black sprinkles for the third cupcake - lice.  

 SHABBAT IMABBA:

 Here is a great way for my father and I to learn a little bit of Parsha each week, even though we live far from each other. ( I like the play on words of Abba in the word Shabbat and Imabba meaning "with Abba" and Ima Abba written together!  Thanks Abba and Ima :-)!

       In this week's Parsha perek 6/3 it states: "And I Hashem
    (G-d), appeared to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov." Rashi states that the three were the Avot.  We know that already, so what is Rashi trying to teach us?  Avot might be from the loshon of "eiva" which means to want. If a person wants to be close to G-d, He will be there for him.  Hashem is with you all the time and when you acknowledge Him he will always be there for you!

Thought of the week:

   The Torah in Parshat Vaera tells us that Hashem     hardened Pharoah's heart during the Ten Makkot so he would continue to enslave the Jews in Egypt. This raises an important theological question: How could Hashem harden Pharoah’s heart and at the same punish him and Egypt for not freeing the Jews?

    The Ramban answers that although Pharoah would have freed the Jews had Hashem not hardened his heart, it would have been to stop the plagues and not because he was repenting from his evil ways. In fact, during the first five plagues, the Torah doesn't even mention that Hashem hardened Pharoah's heart. This is because Pharoah’s evil heart was hard enough to ignore the first five plagues without any outside help.

    We on the other hand, can be comforted by the fact that Hashem is always ready to accept our earnest repentance. This concept is part of the Tefila of ונתנה תוקף that we say during the Yamim Noraim: "כי כשמך כן תהלתך, קשה לכעוס ונוח לרצות, כי לא תחפוץ במות המת, כי אם בשובו מדרכו וחיה, ועד יום מותו תחכה לו, אם ישוב מיד תקבלו"!

Have a wonderful and restful Shabbat!  I would love to hear from you!  Ruchie

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

                                                         RuchieB MACCCSLP

In Parshat Shemot, Moshe Rabbenu said he was "heavy 

of speech and tongue." 

Rashi says this means that he stuttered.  The Rashbam

 states that he wasn't fluent in Egyptian or their culture, after
forty years of absence .  Ibn Ezra points out that it might have 

been a a congenital disability.  Other Mefarshim say that he 

could not pronounce certain sounds and therefore he felt 

unable to speak.  Hashem replied: " Who gave man a mouth,...

 not I?  Go and I will be with you and show you what to say" (Shemot

4:11-12).  Hashem was Moshe Rabbeinu's Speech therapist. 

Hashem gave Moshe the tools that he needed.  Hashem gives 

each of us the tools that he feels is best for us and we need to use it 

in the right way.

As a speech pathologist, this is an amazing example to use. 

Everyone is unique and special in their own way.  Even Moshe

Rabbeinu, the greatest and most humble man had a speech

impedement, yet he went on to be a great man.  You should 

always strive to reach higher, even if you think that something

is holding you back.

Hashem made us different then any other living creature.  He gave 

us the power of speech.  Use your speech correctly and protect

your voice.  Here are some tips for you...

"בשלשה דברים אדם משתנה מחברו: בקול במראה ובדעת" (סנהדרין 38)    Your voice is you and you are your voice.  No one else has a voice exactly like yours. It is your key to your identity.  Isn’t it funny how sometimes by just saying “hi” on the telephone, the listener on the other end can identify you? Your voice is your trademark.  Your voice is very valuable for social interaction as well as your profession.  Are you paying attention to your voice?

What is voice? 

“Voice” is the sound made by vibration of the vocal cords caused by air passing out through the larynx bringing the cords closer together. It is important to properly care and use your voice in order to insure a healthy voice. It is not until one loses their voice that they realize how crucial speech is.

Tips on taking care of your voice:

1.    Don’t shout. Shouting causes the vocal cords to slam together, causing redness and swelling.  Try clapping your hands together hard.  When you stop, you will notice that your hands are red and painful.  That is what you are doing to your vocal cords when shouting. Try to use whistles, clap your hands or a bell to get the person’s attention instead. Try not to shout in noisy environments.  Don’t compete with a vacuum cleaner, mixer, screaming children, bands at smachot.  Try to move to a quieter place.

2.    Don’t whisper.  Believe it or not, whispering is similar to screaming.  The vocal chords hit each other, causing strain. If you are hoarse, try to speak in a regular voice as much as possible.

3.    Don’t clear your throat.  Try to sip water, swallow or suck a candy instead.

4.    Try not to talk too loudly.  If you are lecturing, try to use a microphone, or talk closer to the listener.

5.    Limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine, which tend to dry the vocal folds.

6.    Avoid eating spicy foods which can cause reflux which is stomach acid that moves up to the esophagus or throat.

7.    Try not to cradle the phone when speaking.  This could cause unnecessary muscle tension to the neck and face.

8.    Know the potential side effects of your medications.  Some medications (including hormonal medications) can cause changes in your voice.

9.    “Try” to exercise rest and eat a healthy diet.

10. Use a humidifier to keep the vocal folds hydrated and well lubricated

11. Drink, drink, drink!!!  Drinking 6-8 cups of water a day is very important.  Water hydrates the tissues around the vocal cords.

If you become worried about your voice seek professional medical help.  An otolaryngologist (ENT) can assess if there are pathological conditions.  A speech language pathologist can do voice training if indicated.

If you want your message to impact your audience, if you want to utilize your speaking voice for many years, then take care of your voice!  It is the only one that you have!