by Rebbetzin Malkah Forbes,
Seattle, WA

When the Baal Shem Tov was young, he lived in the mountains of southern Russia.
From time to time he would walk to the top of a mountain, and lose himself in thought.
Lost to the world, lost to himself, but found to G-d.Deep in this lostness and this foundness, he once began to walk where there was no ground to walk on.
As he put his foot down, he was stepping into an abyss.
But before he could hurtle downward, a nearby mountain moved, and closed the gap.
The Baal Shem, all unknowing, continued on firm ground:  lost to the world, lost to himself, but found to G-d.            - - Chassidic tale

Stonewashing is a process in the textile industry that is used to give a new denim cloth garment a worn-out appearance. This process also helps to increase the softness and flexibility of otherwise stiff and rigid fabrics such as denim.  This process entails what the name implies: washing the denim with large stones to roughen up and soften the cloth.

By Joshua Brumbach

Exodus 10:1-13:16

Last week's Torah portion, Va'era, introduced the first seven of the ten plagues. This week, Parashat Bo identifies the final three plagues and records the mitzvot ("commandments") concerning Passover.

Each of these plagues is devastating enough on its own, but added up together you can see why the result was the dramatic climax of Israel's exodus from Egypt. Each plague is a demonstration of God's might and omnipotence. What most people miss in the story is that each plague carries its own unique message, as each plague was meant to bring a direct assault against a different Egyptian deity. "... and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, I am the LORD" (Exodus 12:12b).