FTL #7 - Plagues and Miracles - March 2015

CALENDAR - Take the March Calendar you created during Mishpacha this week and put it somewhere prominent in your house (fridge, bathroom, car, etc.). Here are some possible ideas of how to use it:

1. Find a “wow” moment each week that you want to work toward.
2. Look back on your week and see which moments were actually “wow” moments that you may have not taken the time to see as “wow” moments.
3. Think of a way your family can celebrate everyday “wow” moments of each person. Maybe it happens around the dinner table, at bed time, in the car, or through post-it notes on the refrigerator.

SONG - Halleluya takes on many forms in song and prayer. 

Option 1

• Check out the Rick Recht song Halleluya and lyrics.
• Have your family write a few more lines to add to this song.
• You might begin with I feel…. or I will… or choose your own beginning.
• Send it to bethany.friedlander@gmail.com and maybe Rick Recht will add a few new lines to his song on March 21, 6pm

Option 2

• Look at the lyrics of Miracles from Fiddler on the Roof. What other miracles would your family add?

Option 3

• Listen to and see how you think the idea of Hallelujah is expressed in these songs, too:
• Shrek: Halleluya
• Kid’s Cartoon: Halleluya

HOLIDAY MIRACLES - Do we still have Jewish miracles?

• We talked about various miracles found in the Torah from the burning bush, plagues, part of the Red Sea. Do miracles like these still occur today? 
• What holidays do we celebrate both in Judaism and in America that contain a part of miracle? 

All interpretations are valid (for example - Thanksgiving - Native American’s helped pilgrims survive, Purim: The word “pur” means “lottery”. That is a game of pure luck - chance. In the story of Esther, God is not even mentioned. Yet we see many miracles in the story. The Jew, Esther, becomes queen of Shushan. Mordechai is singled out for not bowing to Haman. A decree sealed with the kings ring is sent out to kill all the Jewish people but this small group is able to fight back and win with the support of the same kingdom that had just the other day planned to kill all of them.)

BLESSINGS - Upon awaking, it is Jewish custom to say a set of prayers called Birkkot Hashachar (morning blessings).

Some of these blessings are:
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, ruler of the world…

• who opens the eyes of the blind
• who clothes the naked
• who frees the captive
• who raises those who are bent over
• who provides for my every need
• who girds Israel with might
• who gives strength to the tired

Have each family member take something they do in the morning and image what it would be like if they could not do it. (For example, if you could not open your eyes - you were blind, if you could not get out of bed by yourself, if you could not brush you teeth because you had no running water or toothpaste, if you could not eat breakfast because there was no food to eat). Are these things we take for granted miracles?