Parshat Chayei Sara

In this week’s Parsha, a tremendous amount of real estate – 67 Psukim! –  is spent on Avraham’s servant Eliezer and his journey to find a bride for Yitzchak.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe has a beautiful vort on this episode. He points out that the first marriage in the Torah is  Adam to Eve. “Theirs, of course, was a marriage wholly made in Heaven: G‑d Himself created the bride, perfumed and bejeweled her, and presented her to the groom,” says Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

The story of Avraham’s servant Eliezer’s search for a wife for Yitzchak (Rivkah) however, represents the first time that the Torah relates a marriage that is the result of human endeavor.  The Torah details the story of the Shidduch (match) which involves very familiar elements of a traditional match; a matchmaker (Eliezer), assessment of the bride’s character, her family background, and the dowry negotiations.

The Rebbe points out that the Torah is often economical in its wording. A single word can be the source for myriad laws and guidelines. The lavish attention to detail in this story however, with its unusual repetition (Eliezer re-telling the story to Rivkah’s parents) offers an important guide to our own approach to marriage, as the Rebbe points out “both in the conventional sense as the union of two human beings, and in the cosmic sense as the relationship between G‑d and man.”

For this week’s recipe, I drew (!) on Eliezer’s test for a bride of character – at the well. He davens to Hashem that if he asks the right girl for water she’ll immediately offer to feed his camels too. Rivkah appeared immediately. The recipe? Water!

Bereishit 24:14 And it will be, [that] the maiden to whom I will say, ‘Lower your pitcher and I will drink,’ and she will say, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels,’ her have You designated for Your servant, for Isaac, and through her may I know that You have performed loving kindness with my master.”

Bereishit 24: 13 Behold, I am standing by the water fountain, and the daughters of the city are coming out to draw water.

Water Infusions:

For the first combination I used one lime, one clementine and a sprig of mint. Use a wooden spoon to ‘grind’ it a bit on the bottom of the pitcher in order to release the flavours.

For the second combination is used five strawberries, half a lemon, and a sprig of mint, grinding some of the fruit to release the flavours.

Add ice cubes. Be creative. Add rosemary, cucumbers, grapefruit, or whatever catches your fancy. 

Enjoy!

B’tayavon and have a great Shabbos.

 

Parshat Vayeira

In this week’s Parsha God appears to Avraham as he sits at the entrance to his tent (Bereishit 18:1). Before Avraham gets a chance to react, he see three men (angels, actually) at the tent, who he welcomes with extraordinary hospitality.

So what happened to his interaction with God?

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks offers a truly incredible insight here  by suggesting that in Pasuk 3, Avraham is not actually addressing the guests when he says, “My lords, if only I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass on from beside your servant,” but he’s talking to God.

Wait a minute. Avraham is asking God to wait while he serves human beings?

Rabbi Sacks’s explanation is unbelievably profound. He explains that in Avraham’s time, people worshiped the sun, the stars and the forces of nature — God’s creations. Avraham, by contrast, understood that God is beyond nature.

The Torah tells us that out of all of God’s creations, only one was set in His image: the human being.

Rabbi Sacks explains that, “the forces of nature are impersonal, which is why those who worship them eventually lose their humanity. You cannot worship impersonal forces and remain a person: compassionate, humane, generous, forgiving.”

He further explains that “because we believe that G‑d is personal, someone to whom we can say “You,” we honor human dignity as sacrosanct.”

Avraham recognized the Divine in the faces of the strangers. Welcoming them was an affirmation of God Himself. Avraham was honouring God through honouring His image – humanity.

This week’s recipe is inspired by the three strangers that came to Avraham to deliver the news of Sarah’s impending pregnancy. They were messengers from God – angels.

Grilled garlic chicken on angel hair pasta.

Bereishit 18:2 And he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing beside him, and he saw and he ran toward them from the entrance of the tent, and he prostrated himself to the ground.

Grilled Garlic Chicken on Angel Hair Pasta

This recipe is ridiculously easy, but oh so delicious.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into strips 1 1/2″ wide
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons teriyaki or garlic sauce
• 1  lb angel hair pasta

Directions:

1. Cut up chicken breasts and marinade in garlic sauce for an hour.
2. Bake chicken for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F in marinade.
3. Remove chicken from oven (reserve sauce) and place on grill (if you don’t have a bar-b-q, you can broil it) for five minutes.
4. Pour the sauce on top of the cooked pasta, adding another 2 tablespoons of garlic sauce. Place chicken on top of the pasta.

Enjoy!

B’tayavon and have a great Shabbos.

Parshat Lech Lecha

In this week’s Parsha, Avram enters Canaan, a region of city-states that’s been embroiled in conflict  for the previous quarter century.

For twelve years four kings led by King Chedorlaomer of Elam subjugated and terrorized five kings in the Sodom Valley.  The five kings finally rose up against their oppressors in a rebellion that lasted thirteen years until Chedorlaomer and his alliance decided to crush the five kings once and for all. The four kings won battle after battle across the Sodom Valley (Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim, Hori, Amelik, Emor, Sodom.)

Avraham’s nephew Lot was taken captive.

When Avram was informed, he mobilized his 318 servants and pursued the four kings with their armies all the way Chova, just west of Damascus. He was victorious, redeeming Lot and recovering the property and the other prisoners. The king of Sodom offered the recovered property to Avram who refused it.

Bereishit 14:22-23 And Avram said to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand to the Lord, the Most High God, Who possesses heaven and earth. Neither from a thread to a shoe strap, nor will I take from whatever is yours, that you should not say, ‘It was I who made Avram rich.’

In Talmud Sotah (17a) it says that the reward for Avraham declaring “not a thread or a shoe-strap” was B’nei Yisrael meriting the mitzvot of tzitzit and tefillin.

Avraham’s response to the kings offer of spoils was clear: let it be obvious that the miracle of his tiny band of servants prevailing against the four kings came directly from God. Avram had no connection to the battle, but only waged it to redeem his nephew. He acted solely for the mitzvah and was unwilling to put a monetary value on that.

I find it hard to visualize what these kings looked like. Did they wear robes? Crowns? Were they related?

Here’s a more recent specimen:

Henry VIII  lived from 1491 to 1547 and was primarily known for two things – his six wives, and the English Reformation. He was an extraordinarily charismatic man of many talents. He was an intellect and scholar who played the lute and organ, composed music,  read and wrote English, French, and Latin, and excelled at jousting and hunting. On the flip side, he executed 28 people including two of his wives, destroyed the economy, and squandered his father’s fortune. Just your basic garden variety tyrant. 

Greensleeves is a classic English folk song that is reputed to have been written by King Henry VIII. There are millions of versions on YouTube, but I liked this one that includes the nyckelharpa, a traditional Swedish musical instrument.

Here’s a recipe called Maids of Honour from the Tudor era. It’s believed that Henry VIII discovered these cakes when they were being eaten by Ann Boleyn and her maids of honour (ladies in waiting). The king tasted one and was so delighted that he insisted that the recipe remain a secret and be stored in an iron box to be locked up at Richmond Palace. There he goes again, our Henry.

Bereishit 14: 22-23 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand to the Lord, the Most High God, Who possesses heaven and earth. Neither from a thread to a shoe strap, nor will I take from whatever is yours, that you should not say, ‘I have made Abram wealthy.’

Maids of Honour – a Tudor Pastry

Puff Dough Base

Just buy the puff dough!

Okay, so maybe you can’t. Or if you’re like me and just didn’t feel like driving to the supermarket to get the puff dough tonight, you can  put together this slightly healthy recipe in my Kitchen Aid:

• 1/2 margarine (I used Earth Balance vegan cooking and baking stick)
• 1/2 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp  salt
• 1/4 cup cold water
• oil and flour for greasing and dusting muffin pan

Filling:

• 2 large eggs
• 8 oz. container Tofutti pareve cream ‘cheese’
• 1 teaspoon Amaretto or almond liqueur
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 Splenda (or sugar)

Whipped Topping

I used Mimiccreme, non-dairy, vegan, whipped topping made from cashews and almonds. It whips up into delicious awesomeness.

Instructions:

1. Mix puff dough in electric mixer until it forms a ball.
2. Roll out approximately 3/8″ thick and cut out circles.
3. Oil and dust muffin pan (this recipe made 10) and press in puff dough circles.
4. For filling, beat eggs with cream ‘cheese’ until liquidy.
5. Add remaining ingredients and pour into the puff dough shells.
6. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes. Remove and when cooled, pipe on whipped topping.

B’tayavon and have a great Shabbos.

Parshat Noach

Among other items, this Parsha includes the famous story of Noach, the ark, and the rainbow. As it says in Bereishit/Genesis 9:13.

אֶת קַשְׁתִּי נָתַתִּי בֶּעָנָן וְהָיְתָה לְאוֹת בְּרִית בֵּינִי וּבֵין הָאָרֶץ

My rainbow I have placed in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Myself and the earth.

Bereishit 9:13 My rainbow I have placed in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Myself and the earth.

“Keshet B’anan” literally means a ‘bow’ in the ‘cloud.’ Many Meforshim (commentators) explain that the word ‘keshet’ throughout Tanach (Bible) means ‘bow’ as a weapon. Ramban points out that it lacks a bowstring and that the shape points Heavenward, showing that God will not aim it at us again.

Rav Amnon Bazak points out that the word קֶּשֶׁת keshet in the Parsha is not mentioned without עָנָן cloud and this combination of words is mentioned three times in Parshat Noach. He explains the combination of the bow with the cloud signifies the covenant. Since clouds throughout Tanach are mentioned as a screen, the bow is hiding in the cloud. Rav Bazak explains that Hashem is covering one of His weapons, like “returning a sword to its scabbard,” and His promise is that the bow will be ‘covered’ and will not be used against all flesh.

This week’s recipe is a rainbow-inspired spinach salad.

Bereishit 9:26 And it shall come to pass, when I cause clouds to come upon the earth, that the rainbow will appear in the cloud.

Rainbow Spinach Salad

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 package spinach, washed, checked, and cut
• 1/2 yellow pepper
• 1/2 orange pepper (use carrots if you’re stuck)
• 1/3 cup red tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup blueberries,
• 1/2 cup snow peas, cut in half, (if you have avocado that would be delicious)

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup red wine vinegar (to taste)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Lay out the salad ingredients in order the colour wheel. Mix dressing ingredients well and dress right before serving.

Enjoy!

B’tayavon and Shabbat Shalom.