Parshat Bamidbar- Wave Your Flag

In this weeks Parsha, Parshat Bamidbar, Bnei Yisroel enters a new stage of their relationship with Hashem. They have been forgiven for the Eigel Hazahav incident and the Mishkan is complete. Then they begin counting Bnei Yisroel, each male from the ages of 20-60 has to give a half a shekel. Then they are divided into three camps, The Camp of the Shechina, The camp of the Leviyim, and the camp of Machane Yisroel. At Har Sinai Bnei Yisroel watched as 22,000  chariots of Malachim accompanied the Shechina descending from the mountain. These Malachim were divided into 4 divisions and each division had a flag. Watching this heavenly army, Bnei Yisorel wished they could be the army of Hashem surrounded by the Shechina, so Hashem granted them their wish. Moshe told Bnei Yisroel that they now would be divided under four banners: The Yehuda division, which also includes Yissachar and Zevulun; the Ephraim division, which also includes Menashe and Binyamin; the Reuven division, which also includes Shimon and Gad; and the Dan division, which also includes Asher and Naftali. Each flag would have a mascot and words embroidered on it.

I chose to make flag cupcakes to represent the flags of the four divisions.

Good Shabbos

Parshat Bechukotai- Let The Rain Fall Down

In this weeks Parsha, Parshat Bechukotai, Hashem wants Bnei Yisroel to dedicate their hearts and minds to learning Torah and doing Mitzvot. Hashem promise them 5 Brachot one being RAIN. Hashem promises to give rain to Eretz Yisroel at the right time. Ran isn't as simple as we think, when we daven we want to ask for just the right amount because too little or too much can devastate the land. Hashem promises that the rain will freshen the water supply and keep Bnei Yisroel, their children and the animals healthy. I chose to make rain drop cupcakes to represent the rain Hashem promised to Bnei Yisroel to keep them healthy.

Enjoy this RAINY shabbos!

Good Shabbos

Parshat Behar- Shmita- Dontcha Wanna Eata!

In this weeks Parsha, Parshat Behar, it talks about Shmita. Beginning on Rosh Hashana of the seventh year, the Shmita year begins. What is Shmita you ask? For the entire your farmers do not plant, sow, plow or work the field. The only work he can do is water it to keep things alive. The fruit that grows during the Shmita year cannot be sold, therefore it is free for everyone. The owner of the farm has to leave his gates unlocked so people can come in and take. The fruit is also considered holy, so you cant just throw it on the peels and core on the ground, you have to let them return to the soil naturally. As for vegetables its a different story, basically you cant eat them because they don't usually grow on their own. At the end of the Shmita year all loans are forgiven This Mitzvah applies to produce from Israel.

I chose to make apple cupcakes to represent the fruit during Shmita!

Good Shabbos!

Parshat Emor- Good Yom Tov!

In this weeks Parsha, Parshat Emor, it continues to discuss the holy nation Bnei Yisroel. What Kohanim can and cant do. And then it goes into talking about all the Yom Tovs, Pesach, Shavuos, Succos, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. I chose to make Yom Tov cupcakes to represent all the Yomim Tovim.

I chose to use pink and purple colors in honor of my new niece Ayelet!

Have a Good Shabbos

Lauren

Parshat Kedoshim- Holy Parsha

In this weeks Parsha, Parshat Kedoshim, Hashem commands Bnei Yisroel to be Holy. How exactly does he do this? Hashem begins laying out a plan in the Torah of how the Jews should live, he tells them about the Mitzvot. If you follow the Mitzvot then you are Holy. Hashem teaches us 29 Mitzvot in this weeks Parsha, One of the Mitzvot is #17 the Mitzvah of Ve Ahavta Lereicha Kamocha- Love your fellow Jew as yourself. We must all get along, and when we get along Hashem is closer to us. The Beit Hamikdash was destroyed because the Jews couldnt get along, this show us how much it means to Hashem for us to all get along. I chose to make cupcakes that represent this topic. On the top of the cupcake you can see 2 people holding hands:

 and on the bottom of the cupcake I placed a heart, to remind us to love each and every Jew:

Because of my recent trip to the Ukraine please take a minute to daven for the Jewish people there. That is the best form of achdus!

Good Shabbos

Parshat Acharei Mot- No Food For You!

In this weeks Parsha, Parshat Acharei Mot, it is the 1st of Nissan and we left off with Aarons two sons dying, Nadav and Avihu. Hashem tells Moshe not to make the same mistake they made, no one can enter the Kodesh Hakodoshim without permission. And only the Kohen Gadol can enter it on Yom Kippur and only to perform the special Yom Kippur Avodah. With this introduction, we begin to learn about Yom Kippur. We learn about what the Kohen Gadol should wear, We learn about the slaughtering of tow goats for a wake up call for Bnei Yisroel to do Teshuvah, we learn about the four times the Kohen Gadol enters the Kodesh Hakodoshim on Yom Kippur. Since we do not have a Beis Hamikdash now we recite the Avodah and Mussaf on Yom Kippur. There are a few new laws we learn about that are forbidden on Yom Kippur.

I chose to not make cupcakes this week, 1. being that Pesach is coming up and 2. to represent the food we do not eat on Yom Kippur.

Have a good Shabbos and Chag Kasher V'Sameach!

Parshat Metzorah- Our House

In this weeks Parsha, Parshat Metzorah, we continue to talk about tzarat. Most often the tzarat is caused by loshon hara. The Parsha speaks about the tzarat that was found in a home. If a house in Eretz Yisroel had a red or a green spot, they had to call the Kohain. The Kohain first orders the owner of the house to clean out his entire house before he has to look at it, otherwise everything would become tamay. This is part of the punishment for the owner because now everyone will see what they had hidden in their house. If the owner is smart he will realize this is his chance to do Teshuva and if he chooses to do so Hashem could make the tzarat lighter before the Kohain comes to check. If the spots are still there, the Kohain will come and check. He will lock up the house for seven days. If after seven days the spots are gone or are lighter the Kohain will declare the house pure. If the spots are bigger, the Kohain orders the owner to chop off the bricks with the tzarat and put in new bricks. Then the house will be closed off for another week. If the tzarat returns again, the Kohain declares the house to be demolished. If the Tzarat is gone the house goes through the same purifying ritual as a person.

I chose to make cupcakes with a house and a stop sign on it to remind us how bad the punishment was but there was a chance to turn it around. The word for tzarat on the house is nego, which means affliction, if you rearrange the letters you get the word oneg which means pleasure, this is because any affliction in our lives can become a great source of pleasure. Everything Hashem does for us is in our best interest, sometimes its more clear and other times its not as clear. May Hashem give us what we need and may everything be clear for us!

Good Shabbos