Mishpatim Postcards--for you to Color!!

 Let all that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians 16:14

The LORD is good to all, 

and His mercies are over all His works.

Psalm 145:9

♡

Love and blessings,

Shayndel

Parsha Yitro--Ten Commandments and Two 5-Strand Challah

 Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness that ADONAI had shown to Israel, since He had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.      Exodus 18:9

Yitro is the name in Hebrew of this week's (* last week's, by the time I am posting!!)  Parsha, named for Moses' father-in-law Jethro.  Jethro was a Midianite priest and former idol-worshiper who became a believer in the one true God, after hearing the wonderous things the LORD did for the Children of Israel,  that He parted the Sea and He set them free.  Jethro also had a good advice to Moses not to do everything himself, but to hire good men to help him.＊

I used my "Mt. Fuji and Ten Commandments" Challah cover this week in honor of the parsha.  The Challah cover is also a visual "prayer" that here too where we are in Japan the people will hear and be transformed by the truth of the one true God and receive His word and Salvation! 

For this week I made 2 five strand challah to make 10 strands total to represent the Ten Commandments!  For the Challah-cast this week (HERE, or see "screen" below!)  I show how to braid a five-strand challah.  My brother, who has been watching my weekly challah-casts, has been telling me to put in more of the making of challah and less talking!! (I did the challah making, as per his request,  but there is also still a lot of talking, sorry Jim, I'm working on it!)

In the parsha Moses tells the children of Israel not to be afraid of the thunder and mountain quaking, but  that they have to Fear the Lord and not go astray (Exodus 20:20).   God Himself tells them several times in the book of Exodus and later throughout the Torah, that if they fear Him and observe all His commandments He will not bring upon them the diseases "that He brought upon the Egyptians". 

²⁶ He said, “If you diligently listen to the voice of Adonai your God, do what is right in His eyes, pay attention to His mitzvot, and keep all His decrees, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians. For I am Adonai who heals you.”                                                             Exodus 15:26

He also made this clear in the ten plagues, where the plagues were judgement put upon the people of Egypt and yet didn't touch the Children of Israel who were all in one accord to follow His ways.

He is the same yesterday and today and tomorrow.  May we Praise Him,  and fear Him and not go astray.  Observe His statutes with delight. And may the diseases not come near our tents (Psalm 91:10).  May more and more people say Yes to His Salvation.

Did you know that at the time of the giving of the Torah, it is said in an  account in the  Mishnah(Sifrei Devarim 343) that all the nations were given the chance to receive the Torah and the Ten Commandments.  But all said no on certain commandments that they couldn't abide by, and after that only Israel said YES, and their YES was without  questioning the specifics of what they would have to do, they put all their faith in Him and said Yes, we will do all that You ask.  The other Nations all were said to have said no to one or the other commandment, and turned down His offer of the TORAH on those things that didn't agree with them.  For one nation, "no murder" was unacceptable, it was their way of life, they just couldn't commit.  For another, no adultery--- out of the question as that was part of their way of life (I am not naming nations! but so it is said!).  And so on! Only Israel  gave their reverential and unequivocal YES, acknowledging that that HE is their Master and Creator and Sovereign King, and they agreed to receive the Torah.

 We are given the choice each day anew to say Yes, LORD, we will do ALL that you ask us to do because You are our God.

Seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all else will follow.

Blessings and Love,

S h a b b a t   S h a l o m !  !

♡

＊Thank you Hobbyloes! I added this line from your comment:)!

Shayndel (doing Challah Cast as Joanne!)

The Shema

The Shema is contained in the book of Deuteronomy.  The Shema is also "contained" in the mezuzah (see below)

You shall speak of them when you walkest by the way

Pointer at the start of the Ten Commandments, you can also see the left side of the scroll winding down

The grass withers, the flower fades.  
But the word of God stands forever.

--Isaiah 40:8, from this week`s Haftarah 

In this week`s Torah Portion, we are drawing nearer to the end of the Torah cycle.
Its like a crescendo right now, everything from the beginning is coming together in the fifth book of Torah as Moses speaks the words (Devarim) to the Children of Israel.  Can you feel it even now, as the left side of the scroll shortens, and we are coming into the last month of the Hebrew year.

At the same time closer to the beginning.  The Day of Atonement, the Fall Feasts that mark the end of one cycle and beginning of the next, as well as the New Year on the Hebrew calendar are approaching.  God`s cycle of time is eternal and it is also clearly marked with Shabbatot and `Chagim` (Feasts).

This past Shabbat is also called the Shabbat of Comfort, from the first words in the Haftarah from Isaiah, that is read in the same week.
It follows a series of Shabbatot that marked some of the sad and bitter times in Jewish history.

But now is a time of `Comfort`.

"Comfort, comfort My people,"

says your God.   ---Isaiah 40:1

Reading this portion,  it is indeed `comforting` as there is both the Ten Commandments and the `Shema` in this week's reading.
Do you know what the Shema refers to?
It is the scriptures in Deuteronomy 6:4 , which start, Hear O Israel.
In Hebrew, Shema Y`Israel.

 I grew up knowing these words as the Shema, and that they are  "the watchword of our faith." 
I am amazed when I look at my childhood, that my parents  obediently followed the command to "teach these words diligently to your children."  I don`t remember `learning` them, but I don`t remember ever not knowing them.  Its like they were always there... and they were! And they are!!

Even my years as a runaway from the God of Israel (you may know that part of my story from elsewhere on the blog!), I still said these words as a prayer before bedtime, it was almost automatic, and I never really thought that I was keeping my connection by saying them, I just said them.  Its like a piece of me wasn't rebelling and knew that they were a treasure to keep.  So when I returned to the God of Israel, and said these words, it was like they really were a lifeline and felt soo....well... to use a word from this week...comforting!!

   As I reflect on them in reading in this week cycle, their eternal place in our lives  and the way they are a direct connect to the God of Israel just spoke to me in a new way.  I don't know if you were brought up saying them every day as maybe it is something that just Jewish parents teach, I am not sure, but if you don`t say them each day, I would just like to invite you to!!  Like a parent teaching them diligently to a child, I would leave these words here,  and if someone is reading this and inspired to begin to incorporate them into your daily prayer times, then I will have done my `mitzvot` for today.

These are the words of the Shema Israel.

Shema Israel ADONAI Eloheinu

ADONAI Echad

Hear O Israel

The Lord our God

the Lord is One.

שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל:  יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה אֶחָד. 

וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ
וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--עַל-לְבָבֶךָ
 וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ, וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ
וּבְקוּמֶךָ
 וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת, עַל-יָדֶךָ; וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת, בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ
 וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ, וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ

V'ahavta et ADONAI Elohecha b'chol-l'vav'cha oovchol-nafsh'cha oovchol-m'odecha.
V'hayu had'varim ha'elleh asher anochi m'tzav'cha hayom al-l'vavecha
Oovlecht'cha vaderech oov'shochb'cha oovkumecha.
ookshartam l'ot al-yadecha v'hayu l'totafot bein einecha.
oochtavtam al-m'zuzot beitecha oovisharecha.

Love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These words, which I am commanding you today, are to be on your heart.  You are to teach them diligently to your children, and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.  Bind them as a sign on your hand, they are to be as frontlets between your eyes, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4~9

 Amen.

♡

Note:  A  `Mezuzah`is pictured (a little exaggerated so you can see it!) in the picture.   
The Mezuzah is a box that contains a scroll which has written on it the words of the Shema.  The letter `Shin` that you see drawn on it is the Hebrew letter with the sound `Sh` that starts the Shema.   When you come in to the house it is customary to kiss the mezuzah by kissing your hand and touching the `Sh` thus acknowledging the words contained in the Shema!!

Hebrew notes if you would like to read on!
1.  Something I noticed as I was writing the transliteration, the word Devarim, which I have used in a few posts recently.  This word is the name of the Fifth book of the bible in Hebrew and means "Words".  In English we call this book, Deuteronomy.   Of course the Parsha is always named after the first words in the reading, but I find it also interesting how often Devarim, or words is used throughout the book!!

Other note'  You can see the word "Mezuzot" in the last line in the Hebrew and it is the plural of "Mezuzah" and means doorpost.

this post's Hebrew lesson!

Shema=hear, listen
Ha devarim=these words
al m'zuzot=on the doorposts

Nachamu= Comfort
Shabbat Nachamu=Sabbath of Comfort

and one bonus word
Ahava =  Love
(as in Ve ahavta et Adonai Elohecha, you shall love the Lord thy God)

Mt. Fuji Torah Challah for Shavuot in Japan!

writing the Hebrew letters in dough, a new Challah challenge!

A Mt. Fuji Torah Challah for Japan, under a Mt. Fuji patterned Challah Cloth.  Shabbat Shalom!

in challah, Mt Fuji with the 10 commandments and a Torah scroll at the top!

Alef, bet, gimel dalet, hey!  Vav, zayin, chet, tet, yod.

Have a piece! Which letter did you get!?

evoking a mood on the Shabbat table of going up to the mountain to receive the Torah! For Shavuot, the mountain, the Torah, the flowers, and the feasting are all part of the holiday

I am a lily of the valleys.  --Song of Songs 2:1

"Come let us go up to the mountain of ADONAI, 
to the House of the God of Jacob! 

Then He will teach us His ways,
and we will walk in His paths." 

For Torah will go forth from Zion
and the word of ADONAI from Jerusalem.

Isaiah 2:3

Inspired by  Mt. Sinai and Ten Commandments challot (plural of challah!)  that I had seen for Shavuot (plural of Shavua, week!),  this one became a Mt. Fuji Torah Challah! Can you see the first 10 letters of the Hebrew alphabet?   They represent the Ten Commandments, and on top of the mountain, a Torah Scroll!! 

Shabbat Shalom!! 

Challah note:  I followed  this recipe for a Ten Commandments Challah.  Once I started rolling the shapes, the  inspiration came to make it a Mt. Fuji Torah Challah.   The recipe uses less yeast than a regular challah recipe, and few eggs (just one egg yolk) so it is a manageable dough and great recipe to use for making shapes and for making the Hebrew letters in challah.  Thank you Joy of Kosher! 

Blog note:  See a related post on a Ten Commandments related Challah that I made HERE in a somewhat earlier parsha!

The islands will wait for His Torah.       ---Isaiah  42:4  

Two Five-Strand Challahs=Ten Strands, Ten Words

 

Parsha Yitro!
This is is the Torah portion (Exodus 18:1~20:26) where ADONAI speaks what we know as the Ten Commandments to the Children of Israel. 

Moses tells the people to consecrate themselves, for they will prepare to meet God and receive His Law at the base of Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19) .  Halleluyah!

 My Challah this week is an expression of this parsha! If you are just joining in to read my blog, you might want to see some of my previous challahs that attempt to express something about the weekly parsha.  For example, there was Red Bean Challah for Abraham, Fig Challah for Israel,  a rainbow slice of many colors for Joseph, and others.   This weeks expression is two challahs made in five strands each, to make a total of Ten Strands to represent this weeks Parsha Yitro which speaks about the Ten Commandments (Ten Words). 

I`ll try to give my `drash`, i.e. interpretation, of how the challah this week is meant to express this！ For the post I will use the words the Ten Words, for the Ten Commandments (see note below). 

Then God spoke all these words saying,            ---Exodus 20:1 TLV

For the challah,

We start with making one big round ball of dough.
From this dough will come all the bread.
This dough contains all of what will be our two Shabbat challah loaves.

Can you see how this relates already to the parsha about the Ten Words?
All of the mitzvot＊ are contained in the first One.
The first statement is:
"I am ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage."  --Exodus 20:2 TLV

From the very first words, "I am ADONAI`, or even `I am ` or even `I` , all the rest of the commandments are contained!!  Once we agree to this one, that He is our GOD, He is the God who loves us so much He brought us out of bondage, we are all ready to accept all the rest.

Hence, this one big ball of dough represents all of the commandments contained in the very first statement.  When I agree to loving Him, I agree to ALL His commandments!

Praise ADONAI! For the LORD is One!!
Next I will go on and share how the rest lays out!

From there, I separated the dough to make two loaves.  I was thinking about the two tablets that the Ten Words were written on.  Yet if you read this section of the Torah, you see that the tablets were not yet given!  It was just the spoken words!! But my mind jumped ahead to the two tablets, and I chose to make the two loaves represent them. 

Then I separated the dough again into ten pieces, five from each half which would be the strands.  The ten total strands would represent the Ten Words.  The five on the first tablet are said to be about our relationship with God, and the next five are said to relate to our relationships with other people. The fifth, to honor our parents, is like a bridge between both sides.

As I rolled out each one, I looked at the Hebrew there on the postcard, and I thought of each one, to Love the Lord your God, to have no other gods before Him, do not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain, Remember the Sabbath day, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie, do not covet. There they were, one strand for each.

And yet there are said to be 613 mitzvot in the Jewish law!
This reminds us how all of these ten contain so much more.  And all are contained in the first one.  The ten are like `categories` from which all the smaller mitzvot＊, which are said to be no less important, come from.

To make the challah, next we braid five each together like this, to make two loaves:

When the loaves are baked, once again the strands, are inseparable from another.
It all becomes one, which reminds us again how all the 10 words, or 613 mitzvot ＊ are all part of the `One`, which is the Word of God.

When I ate the challah, I thought about the prophet Ezeikel, when God told him to eat the scrolls!
I was eating the challah that had my meditations on the Ten Words in them!!  We do need to eat His words!  They become part of us as we study them and agree to them and abide by them.

Ezekiel 3:3  TLV
as He said to me, "Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I am giving you and fill your stomach with it."  I ate it and it tasted as sweet as honey.

As man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of ADONAI, (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4)

When we do all our life with His words in our hearts and actions, we bring the Torah, the law of ADONAI into our lives.  May we express everything contained in the first statement, to Love the LORD thy God, in all we do!!

Shabbat Shalom!! And now that its already into Sunday, Shavu`a Tov, have a great week!!

＊mitzvah/mitzvot=Hebrew word for commandment(s)

Links:

Reference:  In writing this post I referred to an ariticle on Judaism 101 with more teaching about the Ten Commandments as found in Judaism. You can read more HERE

Recipe:  You can find the Recipe I used for this weeks challah in this article HERE.  It is at the end of the article, please enjoy the article too and learn more about the real meaning of Challah!

Braiding:  For braiding a 5-braid Challah,  Video link HERE

Note:
I like the translation `The Ten Words` for The Ten Commandments.  That is how it is expressed in the Bible I use, the Tree of Life Version, where they are stated in the first verses of Exodus chapter 20.  Also in the article link above, the author tells that in Hebrew the words for what we say are `Ten Commandments` come from the Hebrew in the Torah that says `Aseret ha-D`varim`.  He says this would translate into `Ten Sayings`, `Ten Statements`, `Ten Declarations,``Ten Words`, or even `Ten Things`.  Please read the article HERE for a fuller explanation.

Post script note:
After posting this, about a week later as I am looking for cherry blossoms challah, I came across someone who made a Ten Commandments challah!! Hers is HERE.  I learned from her post that there actually is a tradition to make a challah to commemorate the Ten Commandments, and this is done on Shavuot!!  Its fun to make the discoveries `myself` (it is God who shows us all things, so its never just `me`!) , and then learn after about the tradition!! It seems confirmation that these traditions come from somewhere, and that by reading the Torah and connecting with Him, He will show us what we need to know!! Shavuot is coming up,  stay tuned for a possible return of the Ten Commandments challah in some form.  Blessings and Shalom!