SHLACH

PARSHA PUZZLE: 

What can we say, what can we do,

Everyone’s trying to guess this clue.

At the table on Friday night,

Cupcake Grapes...

Reading and trying to see if it’s right.

Even getting the neighbors to come,

To see if they know where the answers are from.

High in the sky, low on the ground,

Every person who might be around.

Many giant things this is about,

Each one is trying to figure it out.

Ruchie’s parsha page, the educated guess,

Are you sure there’s an answer and not one big mess?

Getting closer to the end, what can we say,

Leave it alone, for another day?

It’s in this week’s Parsha, most did sin,

Maybe look closely, the answer is within….

(Look at the first letter in each sentence and see what it spells out to get your answer…)

PLAYING WITH THE PARSHA:

The Parsha begins with Hashem telling Moshe to send men who will “Spy out the Land of Canaan which I am giving to the Children of Israel".

Twelve spies, a leader from each tribe, were sent to spy out the land. The Torah tells us that they were given specific instructions: They need to go see the land, the people who live in it, whether they are strong or weak, few or many, if the land is good or bad, what cities they live in and whether the land is fat or lean.

A nice game to play is called “I spy”.

Look around the room and silently think of an object that can be seen by everyone.

Tell everyone “I spy” and give a description of the object, such as "something blue" or "something small."  Try to make it tricky.

Have all the players take turns trying to guess what the object is.

The player who correctly guesses the selected item picks the next object.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Moshe sends the twelve meraglim (spies) to the Land of Canaan. They return forty days later carrying a huge cluster of grapes, a pomegranate and a fig, to report on the bountiful land.  Why not make cupcakes shaped like a cluster of grapes.  If your guests want to know how you know the parsha tell them you “heard it through the grapevine…”

You will need:

Cupcakes (see recipe below)

Purple food coloring (or red and blue mixed)

A leaf

Vanilla Cup Cake recipe
5 oz (150g)	margarine - softened
5 oz (150g)	superfine (castor) sugar
6 oz (175g)	flour
3	eggs
1 tsp	vanilla extract
	Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degreesC).
	Line a 12 cup muffin pan, with cup cake liners.
	Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.
	Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until light and creamy.
	Divide the mixture evenly into the muffin tins.
	Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
	Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
	Fully cool before icing. Icing: Whip up non dairy dessert whip.  Add purple food coloring or mix the red and blue food coloring to spread on the cupcakes. The land is very very good (and so are the cupcakes. Have a great Shabbat!