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Overwhelmed and Stressed

Its been a hectic week and I don't see the end in sight until next Tuesday.  Between medical issues and my Phd research and teaching, I'm so buried that I need to work on Friday!  I have tried very hard to keep Friday's for cooking.  Its therapeutic to be able to focus on making Shabbat meals.  Instead, I have to write a paper that is due to the workshop committee on Monday!  ARghhh...

In any case, we have a pretty quiet weekend.  Two guests from a seminary in Jerusalem and no other guests for meals.  Counts are simple at 10 people.  That's very small compared to our usual meals.

This shabbat is one of my favorites in terms of discussion topics.  In this weeks parsha, we have two major events.  

Dena is raped by Shchem and the brothers (Shimon and Levi) use a ruse to disable the residents.  They then destroy the city and its inhabitant in revenge.  Yaacov just shrugs.  So many questions: Was Dena to blame for the rape?  Were the inhabitants of Shchem honest in their conversion to Judasim?  If they were not, then why did they circumcise themselves?  Were Shimon and Levi correct in taking revenge?  Why did Yaacov say that the only problem was what other people would think about his family?  He implicitly agrees with his boys behavior!

In the second event, Reuven sleeps with his fathers wife Bilha.  Yaacov hears about it and he has 12 children.   So what happened here?  The Talmud says that Reuven did no such thing and we are wrong to thing that he did.  They base this on the fact the Yaacov had 12 children and if Reuven had actually done this, he would have been disowned.

It is going to be a fun shabbat.  If you want to weigh in on these issues, either post a response, or come over and chat!  I need to the break from the daily grind.

My kids are making most of the food, so I'll just list the main ingredients.  Use your imagination.  I'm sure it will be tasty.

Dinner - 10
Chicken Soup and vegetables
Turkey Roll and Vegetables (cooking in an oven bag)
Beef something or other
Rice

Lunch - 10+ (our kids may invite friends)
Meat Roll
Chicken Breast
Couscous

May we by healthy and live in happiness
Elliot

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