Beis Lechem, the House of Bread, the Hebrews House of Good Midos

Beis Lechem, the House of Bread, the House of Good Midos Beis Lechem, the House of Bread, the House of Good MidosBy Evelyn Haies,Founder andPresident Rachel’s Children Reclamation Foundation 1995-2013, Bnei Rachel Inc.Parasha Terumah,5773See www.theracheltear.blogspot.com for events, your bookings, contact information I just returned from the Dead Sea, an oasis of a pleasantness, a vacation from stress, spas in a heavenly landscape guarded by towering mountains, each unique in form and texture where the geraniums were redder than I have ever seen, where the pansies were of the whitest white, yellowest yellow and purplest purple. The sunset was not one painting but painting after painting of turquoise and cantaloupe reflecting off the mountains onto the sea,of rose and pink, of purple and lavender, of lavender gray whiting out onto the sea, fading into night. Stressless, I would have called it a day, but there were night events in Beit Bnei Rachel, the Rachel’s Children majority owned property in Beit Lechem. The first event I viewed as I entered from the rear of the building was on lower ground level. It was where our first Jewish occupants lived, a battalion of IDF, before the walls. It wasa class given by Hadassah. There were about forty women in a circle blessingthe fruits so abundant in Eretz Yisrael, the cakes, the water and kneading the dough. The women were Chareidi, chiloni, Sephardic, Ashkenazie, from Gilo, HarHoma, Bar Ilan, Rehavia, Bayit Vegan, Har Nof. They wore sheitels, teichals, nohead coverings, long skirts, short skirts, pants. They were united in theirprayers, blessing and blessed. It was a Hafrassat Challa ceremony. Upstairs inour Reception Center another 40 women were engaged in blessings and prayers, of kneading dough for challah for Shabbos. There were no me-s and we-s; it was us from the past, in the present, for the future. On the RCRF Sefer Torah dedicatedin memory of my grandmothers, both Rachels in 1998 on the closed undivided street in front ofRachel’s Tomb, it says, “the roots of the past are the foundation of the future.” The women were rooted in the past in the Beis Lechem of Rachel mother of Yosef Hatzaddik and Ruth, grandmother of David Ha Melech. Stressless, it was truly Beis Lechem, a house of bread,of women together, united in their Jewishness, a family of families at peace,different but more the same, the same as in the time of Naomi and Ruth, in theplace where Ima Rachel died on the way to teach her Jewish children the way. It was truly a place for the Jewish Mom, homemaker, daughter filled with ruach and emunah with much to bring home. Stressless, in prayer, preparing for Shabbos, singing,crying and being the way it is meant to be. And it was Parasha Mishpatim, Shekalim, the time of thereadings of the laws of living and giving, of crime and punishment, of good deeds and the building of His Sanctuary. And it will be Parasha Terumah this Rosh Chodesh Adar. TheTorah of the past is the Torah for the present, a living Torah to guide us for a future of goodness. The women act in the ways of the past, Jewish ways with good midos, building good from our good land with good hearts, blessing and blessed, in tune with their identity in the place Beit Lechem, the House of Bread., the house of our roots. The singing and kneading were overwhelming. As they are blessed, may we be blessed. As "they shall take for Me a donation", as they take home their dough, the terumah,their hearts filled with love, having and giving, remember, Rachel’s Tomb is in Beis Lechem, the birthplace of Benyamin in Israel, the name of the place since ancient times, the name of the place connected to Moshiach for good living and life, for Jewish affirmation and actualization of true Torah midos. Upcoming events/ Sunday, February 10. Kumzits, open mike, Tuesday, February 12. Efrat Rosh Chodesh Shiur. Wednesday, February 13 Atar Gur, Rochel Imeinu Scholar. Thursday: February 14 evening Shiur.