Portion of the Portion

Portion from the Portion- Parshat Re'i

SUNSET HIGHWAY

A month of summer vacation has passed, but there is still the whole month of August to go. Parents try to find meaningful activities to do with their children. Families can take the opportunity of having the kids home during the summer to travel in our land and make verses of the Torah come to life. This week’s portion gives us just that opportunity.
At the beginning of the portion (11:29), the people are told that when G-d brings them to the Holy land they should recite blessings on Mount Gerizim and curses on Mount Eval. Hashem spends a whole verse describing where these mountains are (11:30) - HALO HEIMA B’EIVER HAYARDEN ACHAREI DERECH MEVO HASHEMESH B’RETZ HAK’NAANI HAYOSHEIV BAARA- VA MUL HAGILGAL EITZEL EILONEI MOREH - They are across the Jordan, just beyond the Sunset Highway on the way to Gilgal, near the plains of Moreh, in the territory of the Canaanites who live in the flood plain.”
There seems to be a very straight forward explanation, but Rashi has a lot to say about this verse. Most people would read the verse with the words “ACHAREI DERECH MEVO HASHEMESH - connected and teaching us one thing. But Rashi reads it otherwise - On the word ACHAREI, he says that it means beyond - very far away - he even teaches us that any time it says ACHAREI it means very far.
Then on the words DERECH MEVO HASHEMESH - the Sunset Highway -  he says it tells us that we should look for these mountains to the west of the Jordan. He brings a proof to his explanation of these words from the cantillation marks. The marks that are written on the words are marks that make the reader separate the words from each other.  ACHAREI has a PASHTA and DERECH is with a MISHPAL.
Mount Gerizim is about one mile west of Shechem 2849 feet high and Mount Eval is about two miles north east of that rising 3077 feet high - the highest point in Samaria. There are many lovely places to tour in Samaria and the summer and especially this week is a good time to start.
Since the verse talks about the sun, here is a recipe for a cool salad with sunflower seeds that can be served on these hot summer days.

BULGUR SALAD WITH SUNFLOWER SEEDS
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 1/2 cups boiled water
2 lg. tomatoes, diced
1 med. cucumber, diced
1 med. yellow pepper, diced
2 green onions, chopped fine
1 Tbsp. dried parsley (or 3 Tbsp. fresh)
1/4 cup dry roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

DRESSING:
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. water

Soak bulgur wheat in a bowl in the water for at least a half hour. The wheat will soak up the water and become puffy and chewable. Drain excess water. Combine dressing ingredients. Add vegetables, parsley, sunflower seeds to bulgur wheat. Mix. Add dressing and toss well.

• Other Portion of the Portion
• The Hide & Seek of Purim
• SHOV'VIM TAT
• The Women in Sh'mot