HOME & FAMILY

These parshiyos emphasize, again and again, the importance of gratitude, even to inanimate objects. Moshe Rabbenu refrained from inflicting the first three plagues so as not to be guilty of ingratitude. We show our appreciation to the dogs who did not bark when we left Egypt etc.

A basic character trait. A prerequisite for the Giving of the Torah.

LETTERS, FEEDBACK, EITZES

Thanks for all your letters. We will try to print them piecemeal.

Deep Roots for Solid Growth
by Bayla Gimmel

A Tu Bishvat selection

Seeds and weeds... foreign soil... proper nurturing... thorns in the vineyard or blessed olive sprouts?

Shira -- `Prosaic' Poetry
Adam and the Atom
by Pennee Lauders

SHABBOS SHIRA - PREVIEW TO MATTAN TORAH

`Shir' -- to sing -- and `Shur' -- to see. Seeing through the prism of one's soul and expressing the marvelous vista through your own individual, unique facet. A personal song of praise.

Awakening the Sleeping Warrior
or Hospital Gown with Strings Attached
by Varda Branfman

The modern world does not worship idols as it did in olden times. But it does worship other gods, like the big god Medicine.

VARDA BRANFMAN, suffering from colitis, is subjected to a battery of tests and comes to her own fascinating conclusions about healing and Healer.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
Making it Sweet
by R' Zvi Zobin

R' Nosson was an elderly Jew who used to daven in our Beis Medrash. Our minyon was comprised mainly of teenagers and we felt litle in common with him. Sometimes he frowned at some of our antics, but mainly he would come into the shul, take a gemora from the shelf and was soon lost to the world.

Your Medical Questions Answered!
by Joseph B. Leibman, MD

Finishing up with fever. Dysentery is not much of a problem in the West, but still plagues us in the Holy Land. This disease, which classically has diarrhea, fever, and bloody stool, is a disease of poor hygiene and poor food preparation. It is caused mainly by two organisms -- shigella and salmonella -- the latter the same family as typhoid fever.

POET'S CORNER
She was there. So were you...

Song of the Sea
by Ruth Fogelman

Crying on the shores of the Red Sea
"Where shall we go now?"
Egyptians at our heels,
Their heavy chariots pounding
Behind us,
Their horses whinnying as they gallop
And the earth trembles beneath our feet.

My mother, my brother have perished
In plague of harsh darkness
My father, my sister, too,
And I am left to mourn my family.
Why have I come thus far --
To be killed by my oppressors,
Or drown in the sea?

Teacher of Israel,
Moshe ben Amram
Stretches rod over water.
Through the night,
A ferocious east wind whistles
In a thunderous rumble.
Tall walls of water to left and to right,
And we walk through
On dry path.

On reaching far shore,
A horrendous crash we hear
The heavy waters have returned
Drowning horse, chariot and rider.

"I shall sing to the L-rd
For He has triumphed,
Horse and rider
Are thrown into sea!"
Miriam sings, drum in hand,
And I, beating timbrel,
And all the women
Transcend our mourning and our grief,
And answer her in song.

Hearing our responsive song,
Moshe takes our cue,
And, with the Sons of Israel
Sings the glorious and prophetic
Song of the Sea.