Parshat Balak

For 40 years the Jews wandered in the desert sand,
At last it was time for the Jews to enter the promised land,
The mighty nations of Sichon and Og were defeated by the Jews,
The nation of Moav couldn't believe the news.

Balaam, was the one that King Balak did hire,
To have the Jews cursed was his desire,
Balak and Balaam did not get their way,
The curses were transformed to blessings on that day.

"He crouches and lies like a lion," Balaam did say,
It is a powerful description of the Jews that applies today,
"Like a lioness; who will dare rouse him?"
If you anger a lion your situation is grim.

If a lion or lioness you train,
A free animal it will always remain,
A lion can never truly be a pet,
In one second it can be a threat.

A lion can be captured,
But it can never be conquered,
To the circus viewers the lion's submission may seem real,
But in a second the lion could turn his trainer into a meal.

We have been in exile for many generations,
And have been enslaved by many nations,
To our enemies it seems like we've given in,
But in one second we can reveal our Neshama deep within.

Thank G-d, to practice our religion today we are free,
But we can't allow our Neshama to be in captivity,
We are distracted by money, fashion and technology,
Only when we allow our Neshama to shine can we truly be happy.

Let us always remember and be proud of who we are,
We are kings of the forest and we can go far,
Even if it is not popular, another Mitzvah we can do,
We can be a shining example for our family and friends too!

Like a lion let us be strong,
May we always know right from wrong,
May we utilize our power,
And do good deeds every hour.

May we merit the coming of Moshiach speedily,
Which Balaam did foresee in his prophecy,
When evil will be transformed totally,
From the cage of materialism we will be set free!

Souvenir: lion craft kit

Parshat Chukat and Gimmel Tammuz

The Mitzvah to love a fellow Jew is one we know,
But how far do we have to go?
In Parshat Chukat we learn that the right thing to do,
Is to be willing to sacrifice for another Jew.

Every year when this Torah portion is read,
The explanation for the Red Heifer is above our head,
Why is it that someone who comes in contact with the dead,
Has to be purified with water and ashes from a cow so red?

To bury the dead is the kindest act that one can do,
Because the person that passed can never repay you,
The fact that it causes impurity,
Is a real mystery.

What is even more puzzling,
Is that the Kohen who does the sprinkling,
Becomes impure until the night,
Although he helped a Jew return to his spiritual height.

The reason for this command is above our comprehension,
Mitzvot that we don't understand strengthen our connection,
But the lesson is clear for me and you,
We need to sacrifice in order to help another Jew.

In this Torah portion there is another mystery,
Why is Moshe punished so severely,
Moshe was punished because the rock he did hit,
To enter the promised land Hashem did not permit.

Why was Moshe banned,
From entering the promised land,
To bring the Jews to Israel was his goal,
Why couldn't Moshe fulfill that role?

Moshe was a faithful shepherd so kind,
He couldn't leave his nation behind,
In the desert his generation passed away,
He sacrificed his goal but with his people he would stay.

Moshe preferred to be "hit" like the rock,
Then to be separated from his flock,
Because a Moshe and his people belong together,
They are connected forever!

There is a Moshe in every generation,
The Lubavitcher Rebbe is our inspiration,
He sent his Shlichim far and near,
For every Jew he does care.

Although physically he passed away,
He is with us more than ever today,
Because a shepherd can never leave his flock,
He watches and prays for us around the clock.

Let us learn from this Torah portion and sacrifice a little more,
To bring another Jew through our Chabad House door,
One more Mitzvah can bring Moshiach right away,
May we be reunited with our Rebbe today!

Souvenir: picture of the Rebbe

Parshat Korach

In this week's Torah portion, Korach does declare,
"For Aharon to be the high priest isn't fair!
At Mount Sinai, we all heard Hashem speak,
We are all equal, no one is unique!"

For 5 months Aharon was working diligently,
What happened to make Korach revolt suddenly?
The answer lies in the previous Torah portion which mentions,
The sin of the spies who had good intentions.

About the promised land, the spies spoke negatively,
Because they wanted to live lives of spirituality,
In the desert, Torah, the Jews could study,
About food and clothing, they wouldn't have to worry.

But the spies didn't realize,
That action is the most important thing in Hashem's eyes,
Learning Torah all day is great,
But a home for Hashem, we need to create.

For the Jews to enter the land of Israel was Hashem's desire,
Hashem has a mission for us that is higher,
From the physical we shouldn't shy away,
We need to elevate the physical every day.

Korach's approach was the opposite of the spies' view,
If the most important thing is what we do,
Then he mistakenly thought it doesn't matter how or who,
Why can't the high priest be any Jew?

"In the morning" was Moshe's reply,
To make our Mitzvot shine we need to try,
In the morning the sun's rays give light,
Action is most important but devotion makes our Mitzvot bright.

Action alone is like a plain cake,
With icing and sprinkles you can enhance the cake you bake,
To think that action alone is enough was Korach's mistake,
A beautifully decorated colorful cake we can make!

Souvenir: fancy cake eraser

Parshat Shelach 2

Challah

Seven ingredients the Challah does contain,
Representing seven Spiritual blessings for us to gain.

In abundance WATER does flow,
May Hashem shower us with kindness wherever we go.

SUGAR is the faith that Hashem doesn't rest,
May life become sweeter, knowing that everything is for the best.

YEAST (שמרים) and protect (שמר) have the same Hebrew letters as you can see,
May Hashem protect and watch over you and me.

SALT represents discipline, we need a little of that too,
May we choose right from wrong in everything we do.

An EGG represents great potential within,
May our talents "hatch" and not remain hidden.

OIL from crushed olives always rises to the top,
May challenges and obstacles not make us stop.

FLOUR represents the sustenance that Hashem does give,
May we be blessed with everything we need so that a meaningful life we can live!

Souvenir: mini Challah

Parshat Shelach

The Mitzvah of separating Challah in this Torah portion we find,
Even when baking bread, we must have Hashem in mind,
Bread is the most basic food that we need to survive,
We acknowledge that Hashem is the one who keeps us alive.

All the ingredients together we knead,
In every part of our lives, Hashem we need,
We have to mix that dough and then let go,
Give it a chance to not only rise but to double in size.

To knead the dough we have to do our best,
To Hashem we leave the rest,
When we work hard and have faith it does show,
Hashem will bless our efforts and our success will grow.

In the Torah you will find,
That Challah is defined,
As the piece that is separated,
As a gift for Hashem it is designated.

How did it come to be,
That if you look in the dictionary,
The definition you will see,
Is that Challah is a loaf of bread for you and me?

To the Kohen the piece would go,
It affected and elevated the rest of the dough,
The entire loaf of bread is called Challah today,
Permeating the physical with spirituality is the way!


Souvenir: play dough

Parshat Behaalotecha

In this week's Torah portion, Aharon is instructed to light,
The beautiful Menorah so bright,
There are many lessons that we can learn,
From the flames that did burn.

"When you raise up the lamps," are the words the Torah does use,
The word "kindle" or "light" why doesn't the Torah choose?
Rashi explains that the wick may not be left alone,
Until it can stand on its own!

Aharon's task was to raise up every soul,
To bring out the great potential was his goal,
Like a Kohen we must try to be,
The great potential within every Jew we must see.

A smile, compliment or a kind word can bring delight,
A soul it can uplift and ignite,
This doesn't just apply to a stranger,
It applies to a sibling, child or neighbor.

Cell phones should be put away,
Pay attention to a friend or spouse right away,
At their side we must remain,
Until they can light another flame.

The Menorah was made by Hashem we are told,
It was hammered out of one piece of gold,
It had 7 branches with cups and flowers,
Representing 7 holy soul powers.

We don't have to all be the same,
To fit into a cookie cutter mold isn't our aim,
There are different ways to serve Hashem,
Hashem appreciates every one of them.

Be proud of who you are,
You are a shining star,
You can bring light wherever you go,
Because of the sensitivity and kindness you show.

We need to remember that we have one goal,
We are all part of one whole,
We aren't 7 branches stuck together,
We are one forever.

Souvenir: flashlight

 

Parshat Naso

In Parshat Naso it does say,
That if a husband suspects that his wife did stray,
He brings her to the Beit Hamikdash right away,
Her loyalty is tested on that day.

Hashem's name is written on a parchment with ink,
It is placed in a cup of water which she must drink,
If she is guilty her death is imminent,
She is blessed with beautiful children if she is innocent.

Why would Hashem agree,
To have his name erased totally?
Hashem agrees wholeheartedly,
Because a Jewish marriage is so holy.

There is nothing greater in life,
Then bringing peace between a husband and wife,
Because a marriage joins two halves of one soul together,
We must do all we can to make a marriage last forever.

From this portion we learn a marriage tip,
Every day, one needs to work on their relationship,
There are three P's to keep the peace,
So that a loving relationship will only increase.

If one is upset at their spouse they should not respond right away,
They should take a PAUSE, before something they say,
They should look at the situation from another PERSPECTIVE,
Giving the benefit of the doubt, is much more affective.

The most important thing to remember,
Is that a spouse is a treasure,
Because a spouse is a PART,
Of a person's soul and heart.

Souvenir: peace sign bracelet

Shavuot

On Shavuot, the Jews received the Torah at last,
When Moshe went up to heaven, the angels said, "Not so fast!"
The Torah has a view,
On real estate too!

A man must offer to sell his land to his neighbor,
Before selling it to a stranger,
Because buying land from a neighbor is an opportunity,
That doesn't come by so easily.

The angels were the Torah's neighbor,
Moshe was the stranger,
Since they are closer to Hashem,
The angels felt that the Torah should belong to them,

To answer the angels, Moshe was told,
Let us see how the debate could unfold,
The Torah is not a piece of land, Moshe could say,
But the angels could refute it right away.

The reason that land is singled out from all the rest,
Is because it can not be moved, its location makes it the best,
Even if you shop around,
The advantage of buying land next door can not be found.

Torah is singled out from all the moveable objects in the store,
Because it can not be manufactured in China or Singapore,
For objects that can be moved you can shop around,
But another Torah can not be found.

The angels could claim,
That a neighbor's land and Torah are the same,
Because they are both unique, the angels could be sure,
That the Torah would remain in heaven like before.

There is an amazing law that does say,
That if a neighbor wants the land to plant today,
And a stranger wants the land to build a home right away,
Then the stranger is the one who gets his way.

To the angels, Moshe's response was clear,
Did Hashem take you out of Egypt this year?
Is refraining from idol worship a challenge for you?
Do you have parents to honor and listen to?

In this physical world things are not black and white,
We have an evil inclination to fight,
But when we overcome our challenges and do what is right,
We build a home for Hashem and reach the greatest height.

The Torah has to be in a world so low,
Because this is where Hashem wants His home to go,
This is how we fulfill our mission,
And realize Hashem's desire and vision.

Building a home for Hashem is our priority,
We received the Torah for this purpose specifically,
On Shavuot the Torah is given anew to every Jew,
Because we are all part of Hashem's construction crew.

Souvenir: blue resin torah

Parshat Bamidbar

There once was a puzzle piece with a beautiful design,
He lived in a box with many other pieces so fine,
The puzzle belonged to a girl of three,
She loved her puzzle dearly.

The pieces the girl would often count,
To make sure she had the right amount,
The little puzzle piece didn't want to be counted with all the rest,
It said, "I'm an individual, I want to shine and be the best."

The girl said to the puzzle piece,
"When you are counted with the rest your value does increase,
Yes, you have much talent and a magnificent design,
But when the puzzle is complete that is when you really shine."

In Parshat Bamidbar, Hashem gives a command,
The Jews should be counted, their total would be grand,
Since Hashem knows everything,
What is the point of this counting?

Hashem wanted the Jews to be counted for our sake,
There is a point that Hashem wants to make,
When things are counted together with care,
A common denominator they must share.

Our common denominator is that we all have a Neshama flame,
From the soul perspective, we are all the same,
On the outside we are different from each other,
But in the inside we are all part of one another.

Each individual person is necessary for sure,
When connected together we can accomplish so much more,
To create a beautiful puzzle is our goal,
Every Jew is an important part of the whole.

My personality I don't need to ignore,
By being counted my individuality is enhanced even more,
I am not just a number, on the contrary,
I am part of Hashem's family.

Souvenir: puzzle piece

Parshat Bechukotai

In Parshat Bechukoti, the Torah does say,
The rewards we will get, for walking in Hashem's way,
But why is it that in exile we don't see,
The rewards that Hashem promises immediately?

If we look back in history, the contrary we see,
The most righteous Jews suffered terribly,
Why is it that the Jews suffer persecution in every generation?
Why are the most evil always running after the Jewish nation?

The answer is that during exile Hashem is concealed,
G-dliness is not revealed,
Holiness and spirituality are hidden but very much alive,
Evil is attracted to holiness, because that is the only way it can survive.

The end of the exile is like the labor pains before birth,
But when Moshiach comes, evil will be eradicated from this earth,
All the veils, curtains and obstacles will be dissolved,
With G-dliness, Torah and Mitzvot we will be involved!

The world will be in a perfect state,
To enjoy fruit that we plant, we won't have to wait,
Everything will be absolutely great,
With a parable, all the above, we will illustrate.

There was once a king who was as lost as could be,
In the deep forest, tree after tree was all he could see,
His hunting party was nowhere to be seen,
It was like a terrible dream.

Suddenly, rain began to fall,
There was no one to hear his call,
He didn't have an internet connection or a cell phone,
He was drenched to the bone.

In the distance he finally saw a small light,
In the clearing there was a small hut in sight,
Moshe the Jew, opened the door right away,
He offered his guest a place to stay.

Moshe gave his guest whatever he had,
With goat's milk and straw the king was glad,
The next morning, Moshe took his guest to the city,
The king was as grateful as could be.

The next day, a royal carriage did arrive,
Moshe was taken by surprise,
Moshe came before the king,
He was rewarded with everything.

A few days later, Moshe did meet,
His friend Yankel, walking down the street,
When Yankel heard what Moshe did for the king,
He decided to try the same thing.

To bring goat's milk and straw to the palace, was quite silly,
Yankel was thrown out of the palace immediately,
In the forest, the identity of Moshe's guest was unclear,
Therefore the goat's milk and straw, to the king, was dear.

To the bitter exile, the forest does compare,
In our exile, Hashem is hidden but near,
Every Mitzvah to Hashem is so precious and dear,
We will receive the greatest rewards with Moshiach this year!

Souvenir: present box

Parshat Behar - Bechukotai

For another lesson on perspectives we don't have to look far,
It is clear in Parshat Bechukotai, which is often read with Behar,
In Parshat Bechukotai, it does say,
That we need to give ten percent of our earnings away.

A person could say, it's not fair,
I don't want to share,
From this story we will see,
That giving Tzedakah should be our priority.

A charity collector once asked a rich man for a donation,
He was turned away with an explanation,
The wealthy man said that he already gave his share,
He showed his charity receipts from the past year.

Looking around the room, the collector did see,
The wealthy man's home full of beauty,
The collector asked if he could share,
A Torah thought for all to hear.

When the Beit Hamikdash stood in all its glory,
Tithing from one's flock was mandatory,
How was this process done?
The animals walked out of the pen one by one.

The owner would count one, two, three,
With red dye the tenth would be marked immediately,
Why was this exercise necessary?
Why did each animal have to be counted individually?

The owner would realize, as the animals walked out the door,
That although he was giving, he was getting much more,
It was as though Hashem was saying, "After giving you nine,
I'm asking for just one to be mine."

All of our wealth, from Hashem does come,
We need to share with everyone,
We need to change our perspective,
And give without being selective.

Souvenir: Tzedakah box

Parshat Behar

Parshat Behar, on the mountain, it does mean,
Hashem spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai, so green,
When you enter the land, on the seventh year, you must let it rest,
For six years, to work your land, you should do your best.

Why isn't the verse reversed,
If the six years of planting come first?
With Hashem we need to touch base,
And ask ourselves why we are working in the first place.

Do we live to eat or do we eat to live?
Do we work to make money or do we make money to give?
Do we give up on raising a family to have a career,
Or do we have a career to support our family so dear?

Before we go work to do our part,
We have to have our perspective straight from the start,
To devote the seventh year to Hashem, is our priority,
Hashem is the one who gives prosperity.

This applies to resting on Shabbat too,
Hashem sustains every Jew,
We won't make an extra dime,
If on Shabbat, in the office we spend time.

There is a lot we can learn,
From a parable about an urn,
A unique urn had six spouts all around,
Filling up cups of coffee, six men were found.

The seventh man did complain,
Because there was no coffee by the time he came,
"If only there was a seventh spout,
There would be coffee for me, he did shout."

The amount of coffee that the urn can contain,
The man didn't realize, remains the same,
If you add an extra spout,
No extra coffee will come out.

We need to have faith and learn,
That Hashem decides how much money we will earn,
In six days or seven, we will earn the same amount,
To give Tzedakah and to put into our bank account.

Souvenir: # 7 candle

Out of the Dumps Story

The counting of the Omer is a journey,
Of transforming freed slaves into royalty,
Let us take a lesson from this story,
And become truly free!

There once lived a family,
That was as poor as can be,
For clothes and food they had no money to pay,
They moved to the garbage dump one day.

They ate leftover food and played with broken toys,
That were thrown out by other girls and boys,
They ran around freely and didn't go to any schools,
They had no chores and no rules.

One day the king rode by,
When he saw the children he began to cry,
He offered the kids an opportunity,
To come with him to the palace and live royally.

The children said, "No, thank you,"
To go to school and have manners they didn't want to do,
They wanted to be free and have fun,
With this life only one boy was done.

Yisrael, was the only boy who was grateful to the king,
He went to the palace and learnt everything,
He couldn't run around and be wild anymore,
But he married the princess and was happier than ever before!

When Yisrael came to the palace, he had to cleanse himself and shower,
For seven weeks, to refine our character, we have the power,
The world laughs and says that the palace rules are extreme,
But following Hashem's laws is what true freedom does mean.

Souvenir: crown rings

Parshat Emor

In this week's Torah reading, to count the Omer it does say,
During this time period, the Omer we count every day,
To receive the Torah we are delighted,
We count for seven weeks to show we are excited.

On the second day of the Pesach holiday,
An Omer, which is a measurement of barley, was offered right away,
It was an offering of thanksgiving,
For the harvest season that was beginning.

What is the connection between the Omer offering,
And the seven week counting?
There is another question that we need to explain,
Why do we count the days that past instead of the days that remain?

When the Jews were freed from Egyptian slavery,
Their spiritual state was one of barley,
Being free was a dream come true,
Now they thought, no one would tell them what to do.

Every Jew has a G-dly and an animal soul,
At this point the animal soul was in control,
Now that they were finally free,
The animal soul said, "Now, it's all about me."

No schedule or rules, for an animal is O.K.,
For a human being it is no fun after a day,
The animal soul has to be trained to see,
That there is more to life than barley.

In this world there are many physical things that are tempting,
When we run after our desires, it is our animal soul that we are serving,
When we give in to our emotions and wants, we are still in slavery,
All the materialism in the world won't make us happy.

To ourselves we need to be true,
We are Hashem's children with a mission to do,
Our mind has the ability to rule over our emotions in the heart,
To follow the Torah rules is where we start!

We count the days that passed,
We concentrate on our accomplishments and make them last,
Instead of thinking about what should be mine,
We make our animal soul shine.

By time the holiday of Shavuot rolls around,
Our selfish animal soul can not be found,
Our animal soul is transformed totally,
We are free to serve Hashem wholeheartedly.

On Shavuot the Jews brought an offering made of wheat,
Two loaves of bread which is made for humans to eat,
The two loaves represent the G-dly and animal soul,
Working together to fulfill one goal.

When our G-dly soul rules over our animal soul we are freed,
To refine ourselves, on Shavuot we succeed,
Shavuot is our wedding anniversary,
We are truly royalty!

Souvenir: Sefirat Haomer chart

Parshat Kedoshim

Long ago lived a sage of great fame,
Hillel the elder, was his name,
Once a man tried to put him to the test,
The entire Torah on one foot, was his request.

While the man stood on one foot that day,
This is what Hillel the sage did say,
"Love your fellow as yourself, is the Torah in its entirety,
All the rest in commentary."

"Love your fellow as yourself," seems like a nice ideal,
Is love something we can be commanded to feel?
On our perspective it does depend,
When we look at the essence, everyone is a friend.

To a candle each one of us does compare,
Candles can be found everywhere,
Candles come in every size, and shape,
There are many different scents like lemon, berry and grape.

Although candles come in every color of the rainbow,
There is one thing we all know,
In essence all candles are the same,
What they have in common is their flame.

On the outside our differences appear,
We have different opinions to share,
Each one of us is special and unique,
Some like blue while others prefer pink.

But on the Inside, we are all the same,
We all have a Neshama, flame,
For every Jew, we can feel love,
Because every Jew is a child of Hashem above.

When the layers we uncover,
We are one family, we discover,
To put the soul first is the key,
The soul is the #1 priority!

To love your fellow as yourself, in this Torah portion we see,
The other 612 Mitzvot are commentary,
Because all the Mitzvot were given,
To reveal the G-dliness that is hidden.

Souvenir: birthday candles

Parshat Acharei

"After the death of Aharon's two sons,"
Nadav and Avihu died because they loved Hashem tons,
To be united with Hashem was their desire,
They died when they brought a strange fire.

What does this have to do with me?
On their level I can be!
Nadav and Avihu paved the way,
So that we can feel passion and desire for Hashem today.

After we reach the level of desire,
We need to know that there is a level that is higher,
Saying "I love you!" or "I'm sorry!" is very nice,
But about the other's needs do we think twice?

It is selfish to just think about how I feel,
Thinking about the other's desires is the big deal,
I enjoy the time that together we spend,
But putting the other first, is what makes a true friend.

"You, I love!" we should say,
"What can I do for you today?
I can see things from your perspective too,
Because what really matters is you!"

Nadav and Avihu said, "I love you very much!"
But with Hashem's desire they weren't in touch,
What counts is what we do,
After we say "I love you!"

To do Mitzvot in this world is the way,
To express our love for Hashem today,
On Yom Kippur "I'm sorry!" we say,
But the challenge is what we do the next day.

How do we keep up the love all year long?
How do we keep our commitment strong?
We realize that we are actually,
A part of Hashem so holy.

To fulfill Hashem's will is our priority,
Because we are not a separate entity,
Hashem's desire and our desire become one.
We won't stop until we are done.

Souvenir: heart stamp

Parshat Metzora

Tzara'as, Hashem said, "I will give,"
On the homes where the Jews would settle to live,
Why does the Torah choose,
To make it sound like a piece of news?

Tzara'as was a punishment for talking negatively,
About strangers, neighbors or family,
Tzara'as came in stages four,
It wasn't something you could ignore.

First on walls, then objects of leather were affected,
Clothing was next and then the body was infected,
Tzara'as was no fun, it is true,
But there is a lesson here for me and you.

When things seem bad we need to realize,
That it is good news in disguise,
In every situation there is a silver lining,
It is really goodness that is hiding.

How could Tzara'as be a blessing, you may wonder,
Let us go back in time and discover,
When the Amorite nation heard that the Jews were coming near,
In the walls they hid their golden treasures so dear.

They knew that because they sinned they would be sent away,
They hoped that the same fate would befall the Jews one day,
To claim their treasures in the future was in their plans,
But the hidden gold would fall into Jewish hands.

Let us learn the laws and see,
How this would come to be,
If a person found Tzara'as on his wall,
The Kohen he would call.

If the Tzara'as spread, unfortunately,
The house would have to be destroyed totally,
At this point the treasures would be uncovered,
The Amorites wealth would be discovered!

In the word Amorite, Amor can be seen,
To say, is what Amor does mean,
Tzara'as transforms evil speech,
So that the treasures within, we can reach!

Souvenir: silver glitter pen

Parshat Tazria

In Parshat Tazria we learn that impurity does come,
After a woman gives birth to a daughter or son,
How can this be when there is nothing greater,
Then partnering with Hashem, the creator.

A baby is holy, precious and dear,
The women's body to a holy ark, does compare,
Because the baby is holy and pure,
When it leaves the womb the woman becomes impure.

When holiness departs impurity immediately sets in,
This is why a woman becomes impure when her cycle does begin,
Because for a holy life there was potential,
When that possibility is lost, to become pure, Mikvah is essential.

The Mikvah is a very special place,
With G-d you come face to face,
Its four walls might be plain,
But they represent the four letters of Hashem's name.

Between the woman and the water nothing can intervene,
Only the woman and G-d, there is nothing in between.
In the water Hashem is found,
His love is felt all around.

When the woman emerges from the Mikvah she is as pure as can be,
She experiences a rebirth and is filled with a spiritual energy!
Let us go back in history,
In every generation, women kept this Mitzvah carefully.

Over Sarah's tent, hovered a cloud of rain,
Representing the rain water that a Mikvah does contain,
To cleanse herself from idol worship, was Batya's goal,
In saving Moshe's life, she played a big role.

With the plague of blood the Egyptians were hit,
Because immersion in a Mikvah, they didn't permit,
The well of Miriam in the desert the women did use,
To keep this Mitzvah they did choose.

To enter the Beit Hamikdash, the Jews had to be pure,
On Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol, would immerse 5 times more,
In Masada, the Jews were afraid of being killed,
Yet, Mikvaot, they didn't hesitate to build.

In Soviet Russia the women had to break the ice,
To go to the river they didn't think twice,
During the Holocaust, the Germans filled Mikvaot with cement,
But the women's self sacrifice they could not prevent.

Jewish women were entrusted with the key,
For the special Mitzvah of Family Purity,
We are the next link in the chain,
Our commitment will forever remain!

Souvenir: baby stickers

Parshat Shemini

Eight and Ate

The Tabernacle it was time to dedicate,
For 7 days the Jews did wait,
In this world, forever, G-dliness would permeate,
It all happened on day number 8.

"How is this relevant today?" one may ask,
To bring G-dliness into our lives is our task,
How can we accomplish such a great feat?
By having only kosher food to eat.

Kosher food is healthy for our soul,
To be sanctified internally is our goal,
Kosher food opens up our heart and mind,
So that we can understand the Torah and be kind.

Numbers 7 and 8 are close to one another,
But they are very different from eachother,
7 represents nature, like the days of the week,
8 represents above nature, something unique.

The laws of kosher we don't understand,
We do it because of Hashem's command,
G-d's infinite light in this physical world on day #8,
Is in the same category as kosher food on our plate.

The Mitzvah to keep Kosher is a gift,
It gives our soul a lift,
A Jewish soul is more refined,
For us kosher food is the best kind.

Souvenir: kosher lollipop