Parshas Achrei Mos

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Apple Juice

1/2 Cup Oil

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 tsp. Salt

1 Packet Dry Yeast

1/4 Cup Lukewarm Water

2 Eggs

4 1/2 Cups Flour

Filling:

1/2 Cup Cocoa

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

3/4 Cup Oil

Supplies:

1 Large Bowl

1 Small Bowl

Mixing Spoons

Rolling pin

Measuring Cups

Baking Tray

Baking Paper

Recipe Card

Instructions

1. Ask an adult to preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix 1 packet of dry yeast with 1/4 cup of lukewarm water let it bubble, and set aside.
2. In your mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup of apple juice, 1/2 cup of oil, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1 tsp of salt.
3. Add 2 eggs to the yeast mixture, then mix in 4 1/2 cups of flour. Knead the mixture until a smooth dough forms, and divide it into 20 equal balls.
4. In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup of cocoa, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and 3/4 cup of oil to make the filling.
5. Roll out each ball of dough into a rectangle, then cut the rectangle in half diagonally to create two triangles.
6. Spread some filling on each triangle. Starting from the larger side of the triangle, roll the dough until it forms a Rugelach shape.
7. Bake Rugelach for 15 minutes until golden brown.
8. Betayavon! Your Rugelach looks exquisite and tastes delectable. These freshly baked Rugelach will be a great Shabbos table dessert.

Imagine…

Your school is making a show that all the parents and people in the community will get to watch. You hear the good news that you have been chosen to be one of the main actors in the play! You feel very proud and pleased because you will get to show off how good at acting you are. You notice that most of your classmates were not chosen to be actors. You start to think that you are better than them because they are not as good at acting as you are.

But then, after discussing the exciting news with your mother, she shares an important slice of wisdom to keep in mind. She tells you, “You are very talented at acting. I’m so excited for you! But if you are good at acting, does that make you better than other people who are not? Are you good at acting because of yourself? Or did Hashem give you that talent? Right, Hashem gave you that talent so that you could use it to share positive messages with other people.”

Delving Deeper

During Pesach, we are not allowed to have even the tiniest crumb of Chametz, but as soon as Pesach is over, all of a sudden Chametz is not a problem anymore. Why is that? Chametz symbolizes pride, as Chametz are foods that rise and get big and puffy. That’s why on Pesach, we want to distance ourselves from it. During Sefiras Haomer, we’re supposed to purify ourselves and refine our egos, just like the Yidden did after they left Mitzrayim to receive the Torah. Mitzrayim was not a pure place, and although Hashem took the Yidden out, they were still very steeped in the immoral ways of Mitzrayim. They had to work on purifying themselves, to be ready to receive the Torah 49 days later. After Pesach, we could eat Chametz again, having learned to use our pride positively. Similarly, we should be grateful for our talents and use them to spread Torah and Mitzvos, rather than bragging about them. So if you’re a great actor, instead of boasting about it, you can express gratitude to Hashem for the talent and use it to inspire others in a positive way.

Point to Ponder

What is a talent or ability that Hashem gave you? How can you use it to help you in doing Torah & Mitzvos?