Metzorah And Shabbat Hagadol

Look what happens to a house struck by Tzoraat....

PLAYING WITH THE PARSHA:

This week’s Parshat Metzora talks about a person who was stricken with tzaraat. Tzaraat was a punishment from Hashem for a person who spoke Lashon Hara 
( evil speech). 

Lashon Hara hurts many people. It hurts the listener, the one being spoken about, and all those who hear about it after. 

Hashem gave us the power of speech and we have to use it wisely.  If someone talks bad about someone else it is very hurtful.  

Once you say something to someone, you can never take it back.  Imagine counting feathers and then taking it outside on a windy day and letting it go.  

After a while, if you try to collect the feathers, you will never be able to retrieve all of them.  So too is lashon Hara.  Once you tell one person, it spreads.

A great game to play is telephone.  Have one person at the table whisper a sentence to the next person.  The next person will then whisper what he heard to the next one and so on.  No one can repeat what they whispered.  The last person has to say what he heard out loud.  Most of the time, it is different than what the first person said.  So to is lashon hara.  It never comes back the way it started.  Good lesson!

PARSHA PUZZLE:

Bracha’s dress was not so nice,

and Sara came home with some lice.

Shalom sang low in a play,

and Moshe misbehaved today.

Chaya’s family is poor,

Devorah’s clothes are all over the floor.

Esti’s baby is not so cute,

And  Racheli cannot play the flute.

You cannot wait until Tova’s call,

So you can really tell her all.

You really have to think this twice,

besides that all this isn’t nice.

You know that you really should,

always judge people for the good.

And anyway we learn this week,

Guard your tongue from what you speak.

There is a pasuk and a famous Rav too,

If you know it, you guessed this clue…

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

This week we will make a cake in the shape of a house and tzaraat all over it. (Ok and an erev Pesach cake to get rid of all the leftovers! :)

What you will need:

9x13 inch pan

Red sprinkles

Lemon Cake

9T margarine                                                                                   

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cup sugar  ¼+1/8 tsp salt

3 eggs                                                                                           

 3/4 cup pareve milk substitute

2 1/4 cup flour                                                                       

 grated rind of 1 lemon

Cream margarine and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs.  Sift dry ingredients, and add alternately with milk to egg mixture.   Stir in the lemon rind.  Pour in a greased and floured 9x13 inch baking pan.  Bake at 350 for around 25 minutes, until cake springs lightly to touch. 

*Optional glaze: Combine ¾  cup sugar with the juice of 1 lemon.  Spoon onto hot cake.  Return to oven for 5 more minutes. 

When the cake has cooled cut ¼ of the top of the cake.  Cut that in half diagonally so that you have a triangular shape.  Place the triangle on top and now you have a cake that looks like a house!  Sprinkle to cake with red sprinkles- and there is the house with Tzraat in it.

Answer to Parsha Puzzle:(Mi haish hechafetz Chaim, Ohev yamim lirot tov, Netzor leshoncha meira… 

Have a great Shabbat!  Ruchie