Baruch sh’amar v’hayah ha’olam, baruch Hu. Blessed is the one who spoke and the world was, blessed is He. These words open one of the central prayers of our morning liturgy. How fitting that each day begins with the reminder that the world was created as God’s mouth was opened, using words to bring into being the cycle of life that gives us life every day.
Help! Why is it so hard for anyone other than the Beatles to ask for it? This too is Torah.
There’s always that line in action movies when one character says, “We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way.” Is it just me, or is that parenting in a nutshell?
Like many children, when I was growing up I had a chore chart. I received monetary compensation for doing small jobs around the house like making my bed, getting the mail, and putting away my laundry. One special responsibility of mine was taking care of our family pet.
If you take a toy to the potty with you, there’s a chance it will fall in. The lessons that stick with us are the ones in which we can experience (and be reminded of) real consequences. This too is Torah.
On my father’s side of the family, I come from a line of what I like to call “creative in the kitchen” people. My Nana was an excellent cook and baker, and my Uncle Larry is an executive chef who loves recipe development. There are certain dishes that played starring roles in family meals for as long as I can remember.
The Shema and V’ahavta, which appear in this week’s parshah, are two of the most well-known passages of the Torah. These lessons of listening and loving are also two of the most important things we teach our children.