Hi boys and girls! This week is the first week after Pesach, the first Shabbos that we can eat Chometz, bread, and other leavened goods.
Did you know?
During Sefiras Ha’omer, we work on ourselves and therefore we can go back to eating Chametz.
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
Instructions
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?