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Post by peachymom1 on Jan 14, 2017 21:12:32 GMT -5
What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.
Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:
Angelika
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy
And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting - you are welcome to do that but you are also welcome to chime in!
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Post by peachymom1 on Jan 14, 2017 21:14:37 GMT -5
Good morning and shavua tov!
Yesterday we finished reading the book of Genesis, wrapping up with the portion Va’yechi. This Torah portion includes the following text:
So he [Jacob] blessed them on that day, saying, "With you, Israel will bless, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and like Menashe.' " (Gen. 48:20)
We give this blessing to our sons on Friday nights. Why do we want our sons to be like Ephraim and Menashe? Why skip over all the Patriarchs and all 12 Tribes? Because they are the first set of brothers in the Torah who lived in harmony with each other. We want our sons to be filled with understanding and respect for others, and to build loving relationships with their siblings and other family members. I think this is wonderful.
I’m not so crazy about the blessing we give our daughters, however: “May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.” I personally do not hold these women in high esteem. I don’t think they were good mothers or good role models. Recently I mentioned to DH that I wanted to change the blessing we give our daughter on Friday night. He asked me what characters I thought we should mention instead. I immediately thought of Esther and Ruth, for their extraordinary courage and loyalty, then remembered that the Sabbath song they sing in “Fiddler on the Roof” says, “May you be like Ruth and like Esther...” Maybe that’s been germinating in my head for a few decades and finally came out! So I think we’re going to change our Friday night blessing for our DD28 (and her fiancée), starting this Shabbat. We’re going to talk to them first and ask for their opinions.
What do you think of this? Do you think the Matriarchs are fine examples and I should stick to tradition? Do you think other characters would be more appropriate? What are your opinions and comments?
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Post by 1kflute on Jan 14, 2017 21:33:32 GMT -5
I have always had trouble with the matriarchs as role models. Thanks for suggesting Ruth and Esther.
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Post by happysavta on Jan 14, 2017 22:01:08 GMT -5
Peachy, I would like to add Noa, daughter of Zelophehad to your list, if that's OK.
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Post by happysavta on Jan 14, 2017 22:44:47 GMT -5
Peachy, considering that Ephraim and Menashe were the sons of an Egyptian woman and spent their formative years immersed in the Egyptian culture and lifestyle, it's even more astonishing that Jacob passed over the 12 tribal leaders who were his sons and gave these 2 young men that blessing.
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Post by hollygail on Jan 15, 2017 1:43:50 GMT -5
Kol hakavod! Peachy, I never understood why, if boys got a blessing that they'd be like Ephraim and Menasheh WHY girls would get a blessing to be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah in the first place. It's so NOT parallel a blessing. I don't have daughters, but I do teach, and while the Shabbat table blessings for children is not on my regular list (in my curriculum), I do mention it from time to time. I'll talk about Esther and Ruth the next time these blessings come up!
On a side note, I had my rabbi chant the aliyah this morning (it's 10:40pm Saturday here) about Ephraim and Menasheh. Afterwards, she stopped the whole Torah reading with this giant smile on her face and went into a whole explanation of why she was so moved; namely, that she'd been using the blessing for Shabbat for years and this was the first time the opportunity to chant it from the scroll came her way (I quipped in the background something like, "well, looks like I assigned you that one for a reason, huh?" and she readily agreed). It was a lovely moment. (And yes, my bar mitzvah student did all of us proud!)
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lee058
This space for rent
Posts: 23,285 
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Post by lee058 on Jan 15, 2017 8:53:30 GMT -5
Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well. The sun is shining here in VA, and I am going to be doing laundry today (as usual on a Sunday). Right now, I'm drinking coffee and looking out the window. I am SO glad that we didn't have any snow or ice yesterday.
Re today's topic: I don't know much about blessings, so I don't really have anything to add. However, I am a great believer in saying positive wishes to DS and other members of my family.
Yesterday, our refrigerator stopped working. Fortunately, we have two, so we were able to transfer almost everything to the other one, toss some stuff, clear out expired items, and do some cooking. We have a turkey that got partially defrosted, so it is continuing to defrost in the second refrigerator and we plan to cook it tomorrow (H will give it a water bath if it isn't finished defrosting). The repair guy came over quickly and was able to get the fridge working again. He did say that we will probably have to buy a new one if the condenser stops working, as the fridge is 20 years old. Hopefully it will keep working for awhile!
I'll check back later. Have a peaceful day, Lee
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Post by peachymom1 on Jan 15, 2017 10:34:09 GMT -5
Good morning! Our power is out. Ugh!
Fortunately, my phone has power. Trying to figure out what to make for breakfast. No smoothie...No toast...No microwave,.. but we do have heat and water. Scrambled eggs, it looks like. We have a gas stove. I'll bbl!
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Post by savtele on Jan 15, 2017 11:58:26 GMT -5
Boker Tov & Shavuah Tov All!
I suppose in 1 sense, Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, v' Leah did what they could. Then again, Esther, Ruth, D'vorah, Yael - I suppose it might be a good thing to take the daughters' talents and passions into account, as along as we are changing things. There are many women in our history that we might aspire to!
We've managed to make it through the worst of the bone-numbing cold - temps are supposed to rise by about 25-30 degrees by tomorrow night! All that snow will go in 1 fell swoop & people are already filling sandbags because the storm drains will not be able to handle the snow-melt! (they keep talking on the news about where you can go to pick up your sandbags - you will then have to fill your own, on a beach, or a vacant lot?) Meanwhile, the sun is sparkling on the trees & on my deck, for the last time - I will enjoy it!
I have a funeral to go to today - friend from H2Oaerobics. Another one next weekend (my DD's BFF since HS) It's been a hard winter!
Have a good day ladies!
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Post by gazelle18 on Jan 15, 2017 13:45:09 GMT -5
The matriarchs in the Torah remind me of some of my female ancestors; there may be lots to recoil from, but you revere them because theyre ancestors! I agree, though, there are some stories about them that would argue against them being role models. This is a. Dry interesting point, which I had never considered before!
I remember once discussing names with my oldest granddaughter, whose Hebrew name is Rivka. I told her she was named after a particular grandmother. She said, but who was the grandmother named after ? I said I didn't know, but that the very first Rivka was in the Torah, and she was my granddaughter's great, great, great, great, great, etc., etc, grandmother! Fortunately, she didn't ask for proof!
Peachy, I hope your power comes back on soon, and Lee, sorry about the fridge. And Angelika, I know you are a Seahawks fan; sorry they lost yesterday. Please know that in New Orleans the Atlanta Falcons are known as the "dirty birds."
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Post by peachymom1 on Jan 15, 2017 14:56:26 GMT -5
Hello again everyone, the power is back on, hooray! I'm especially glad, because DH had planned to make hamburgers for lunch on his indoor grill. We had some leftover chili in the freezer that was extra from the last time I made it, so we're having chili burgers. We're using Oroweat sandwich thins instead of full hamburger buns, so it's more point-friendly, and we'll have salad to help fill us up.
Great comments from everyone -- thank you! And it sounds like Mother Nature is having some fun with us, with the variety of weather going on. After raining all week here, it's clear and sunny outside today, but still cold. In SoCal, if you have to put on a scarf and gloves with your jacket, that's cold!
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