VAETCHANAN

Shabbat Nachamu...

Shma Yisrael, good enough to kiss....

PARSHA PUZZLE:

Numbers, numbers everywhere,

This week is number 10.

We know we’re counted in a minyan,

If there’s that many men.

From Adam until Noach

there were 10 generations,

From Noach until Avraham too,

when we became a nation.

We know we give maaser-

one tenth we give to poor,

these all sound so familiar,

we’ve learned this all before.   

Aseret Ymei teshuva,

Here we go again,

That famous number that we said-

The important number 10!

Dam, tsfardeya, kinim,

arov, Dever, and shechin,

barad, arbe, choshech,

makat bechorot for their sin.

In this week’s parsha do you know,

What 10 you should recall,

Can you tell us what it is

And also name them all?

(Aseret Hadibrot.  I am Hashem, No other god, Do not take the name of Hashem in vein, Keeping Shabbat, Honoring your parents etc…)

PLAYING WITH THE PARSHA:

Hashem told Moshe that he would not enter the land that was promised.  Moshe really wanted to enter Eretz Yisrael because he loved it so much.  Whenever he had an opportunity to try to have Hashem annul the decree, he tried to do so.  In the beginning of the sedra Moshe begged Hashem (vaetchanan) to give him a second chance and allow him to enter the land.

One game that you can play is Mother May I. Have everyone stand in a line.  One person is chosen to be the Mother or Father.  Everyone else must stand facing the Mother or Father a distance away.  Everyone can only move one at a time following instructions by the mother or father.  Each person has to try to touch the mother/ father.  Mother/ father will chooses someone, and give them instructions such as: “you may take one giant baby step.” The chosen one must say “May I?” and do what they are told.  If someone forgot to say “May I” or does it incorrectly, they go back to the beginning. It could be something like- Mother may I take 3 giant steps, 2 baby steps, 4 hopping steps etc….. If one forgets to ask "Mother may I?" he/she goes back to where he started from. First one to touch the Mother wins.

There are lots of different steps you can ask people to do which have special names for example:

Baby – very small step
Bunny Rabbit – a hop with both feet together
Giant – a very large step.

PARSHA CAKE:

In this week’s parsha we read the first paragraph of the shema.  What better cake to make then a mezuzah one.  It tastes so good you will want to kiss it too.

What you will need:

Apple cake recipe (see below)

Fondant or cookie dough 

The letter shin cookie cutter or make your own

Food coloring to color the fondant.

Applesauce  Cake Recipe (Thanks Yaffie!)

3 eggs                          

2 cups sugar

¾ cup oil

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups flour

½ tsp baking powder

1 cup apple sauce

Mix everything together well in 2 well greased small rectangular pans.

Bake at 350⁰ for 1 hour.

Let the cake cool.  In the meantime, take a piece of fondant (batzek sukar) and roll out.  Work quickly as this tends to dry fast.  Mix in some food coloring and knead the fondant again.  Shape into the letter shin and let dry.  When the cake has cooled, put the shin on top.  No need to frost the cake.  If you have a pretty rectangular dish to display it, even better!

Have a great Shabbat!!!     Ruchie