Enjoy listening to the acoustic folk song Shabbos Kodesh from Shemesh Music in Beit Shemesh Israel while you're reading... There's no doubt that the traditional Shabbos stew called Cholent is a favorite all over the world. Devorah Klein Lev-Tov shares her stories, saying, "Cholent is one of a small number of dishes that
are intrinsically Jewish. Because Jews have been scattered all over the
world for generations, however, there is no single recipe: The flavors
have been refined according to each region’s tastes, resulting in a
large variety of cholents." Get your own Cholent started this week with a half dozen recipes, and send me your own recipes and photos to share! Rabbi Marshall I. Klaven of ISJL.org wrote a dvar Torah that brings Parsha Yitro right into our daily lives. He says, "Though written hundreds of years ago, the dynamics involved in this
midrash could easily apply to today's world, particularly with how
people deal with the sometimes conflicting obligations of work and
family." And Rabbi Yosef B. Friedman of Kehot.com shared the following in his email this week, "Important as the mother's influence on her children is in
their formative years, her role does not end there. Throughout their
lives, the entire family's spiritual and even physical well-being remain
dependent upon the mother's ongoing ability to inculcate them with
love for G-d and His Torah. Even the husband's spirituality is greatly
dependent upon his wife's. Every woman sets the tone in her home and is
thus actively responsible for the physical and spiritual health of her
entire family." What an awesome privilege and responsibility to create Shalom Bayit, a peaceful home in the light of Shabbos! "Just like it is the woman who gives birth physically, so does she bring forth spirituality and Torah into the world." Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum from her book Women at The Crossroads |