Community Magazine May 2013

Apples Did you ever wonder why apples are red on the outside? It’s for the same reason that laundry detergents come packaged in bright colors. Proctor and Gamble spent millions of dollars on research to determine which color has the greatest eye appeal. They have done countless studies proving that putting Tide in a neon orange container will result in more sales. Shoppers favor it, and they will reach for it before the other brands. Cheerios has been in that same yellow box for over 60 years, because studies show that this particular shade of yellow sells more cereal than any other color. People simply prefer it. So, too, Hashem made apples red because it is a nice color to look at, and that makes eating the apples more enjoyable. As any chef knows, the presentation adds to the dish. Hashem designed foods with eye appeal to enhance our experience of eating. Keep in mind that food is only needed to provide nourishment. Any other feature is there because Hashem had a specific reason for it. And many of these features were created simply so that we should have greater pleasure and enjoyment. Here is another example: what happens when you bite into an apple? You don’t get that burst of flavor that you get when you bite into an orange. You get a crunch. Why is that? Why not design all fruit the same? The reason an apple is crunchy is because it is fun to crunch on food. That’s why your supermarket has an entire aisle, 70 feet long, floor to ceiling, stocked with breakfast cereals, each one bragging that it is crispier than the next. Crispy, crispier, crispiest . “ Ours is so crispy, we even include ear plugs for your neighbors down the block! ” Why is each company trying to convince you that its cereal is the crispiest? Because it’s fun to bite into something crunchy; we like that sensation. So General Mills makes their cereals crunchy, and when Hashem made apples, He designed their cells to form hard walls so that when we bite into them, we get a texture that provides a crunch. It didn’t have to be that way. Hashem designed it so that we should enjoy it. (For the life of me I still can’t figure out why bananas are mushy! But I guess that sometimes we are in the mood for a texture that is soft and squishy.) A typical salad contains many different vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, lettuce, and mushrooms. Each one is distinct with its own shape, texture, and flavor; each contributes its unique qualities to the whole. Why create them that way? Why not make them all brown like beans? Why don’t they all taste like potatoes? The reason is that it wouldn’t have been much fun. The food we eat comes in so many assorted flavors and textures, each one appealing to a different element of our tastes so that we should enjoy them. Hashem invested a remarkable amount of detail and concern for us to have pleasure. Look for the new Shmuz on Bitachon Book: Finding and Keeping your Soul mate. Available, in stores, online at www.theShmuz.com , or by calling: 1 866-613-TORAH. O Come pick out your Shabbat flowers! 448 Avenue P 718-645-0555 Mon-Thur: 9am - 7pm Friday: 8am - 1 Hour before Shabbat OPEN SUNDAYS Rose Garden שושנת השרון 2 dozen Roses $10 iYAR - SIVAN 5773 MAY 2013 83