Parshat Matot-Massei

This week’s Parsha includes a continuation of the saga of the daughters of Tzelafchad. Their situation is significant to all Israelites because it leads to a discussion about the general laws of inheritance. In fact Chazal repeatedly refer to this episode as “Parshat Nachalot” (the portion dealing with inheritance matters).

Having secured their father’s inheritance in the previous Parsha,  they’re now concerned about marriage. It’s important to note that the daughter’s claim occurs right after the census (26:2). Rav Elchana Samet explains that since only men were counted, and their father was dead, the daughters stood to lose their father’s inheritance in the land of Israel. Because the tribal borders were to be based on this census.

They married within the shevet of Menashe but future generations of women who inherited land were allowed to marry ‘out’ of their tribe. In this generation only they had to marry within their tribe so that Menashe’s property wasn’t diminished.

I wanted to do a recipe that was connected to Shevet Menashe. I thought of the B’nei Menashe, a small group of people in North-Eastern India who believe that they are descendants of Menashe and are part of the ten lost tribes. They’ve been practicing Judaism for over 27  years and many have them moved to Israel. They are situated close to Myanmar – Burma. I’m assuming that there is a similar cuisine because of the close geographic proximity. Here’s a Burmese recipe for Beef Potato Curry. I think that next time I cook this recipe I’ll substitute cauliflower for the potato.

Beef and Potato Curry: a recipe from Burma

Beef Potato Curry from Burma

• 1 lb beef, cut into strips or cubes
• 5 potatoes, cubed
• 2 onions
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons, chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• salt
• 2 cups water

Put the garlic, ginger, turmeric, onion, and chili powder into food processor and process until it’s a paste. Heat oil in a sauce pan and add the paste. Cook for 5-10 minutes, adding water if it starts to dry out or burn. Add cumin and continue cooking until golden brown. Add meat until browned. Season with salt and add water and potatoes. Cover pan and continue cooking until the potatoes are soft.

Chazak chazak V’Nitchazek.

 

 

 

Parshat Pinchas – July 7, 2012

In Numbers 27:1-11 the five daughters of  Tzelaphchad – Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah – approach Moshe, Eleazar, and the other leadership of the Israelites. Their father has died and although they are daughters, they wish to inherit their father’s inheritance. Moshe consults with God who tells him that the daughters ‘speak justly’ and their father’s inheritance should indeed be transferred to them.

Rabbi Benjamin Yudin discusses the contrasting opinions of two commentators. The Yalkut Shimoni states that this incident took place in the second year of the desert, immediately following the sin of the spies. Another opinion holds that it took place in the 40th year following the death of Aaron the Kohen. According to Rabbi Yudin:

Following Aharon’s demise, they [Israelites] started traveling in the opposite direction, away from Israel back towards Egypt… what is most exemplary on the part of these five righteous women is that at a time when the popular tide and trend of the nation was “let us appoint a leader and let us return to Egypt” (Bamidbar 14:4) they requested an inheritance in the Land of Israel. 

The Yalkut derives a most important principle from the above: one who lives in a society that is practicing evil, but has the integrity and commitment to buck the system and do what is right, not only receives his due reward, but also all the potential reward and blessings that could have been accrued by the generation. Thus the daughters of Tzlofchad not only received their reward for their love of the Land and pining, but received the reward that was potentially awaiting the rest of the generation.

The women’s request for their father’s inheritance leads to a series of guidelines from God to Moshe on this issue. The story of these righteous women is truly an inspiring story.

This week’s recipe simply had to honour the five daughters of Tzlaphchad.

I decided to look for a recipe that combined women and Israel. “How to Cook in Palestine” written in 1936 is considered the first Israeli cookbook. Unfortunately it’s out of print. But I did find something fantastic, written by Lady Judith Cohen Montefiore in 1846 called The Jewish Manual: or Practical Information in Jewish Modern Cookery, with a Collection of Valuable Recipes and Hints Relating to the Toilette, edited by a Lady. The best part of this book is that it’s available digitally for free through Project Gutenberg.

Sir Moses Montefiore was an outstanding Jewish philanthropist who became Torah-observant after his first visit to Eretz Yisrael in 1827 and even traveled with his own personal Shochet. (ritual slaughterer)

I’m a bit of an afficionado for historical ‘ladies’ magazines. I love Good Housekeeping from the 1940’s “Oh my, how will I ever become a bride living with the pain of halitosis!”  Lady Montefiore’s cookbook is fascinating even though it’s completely impractical.

Here’s an example:

DIET-BREAD CAKE.

Beat together five eggs and half a pound of white sugar, then add six ounces of flour well dried and sifted, a little lemon-juice and grated lemon-peel; bake in a moderate oven.

See what I mean?

• ingredients aren’t really measured
•  ingredients are limited (butter, milk, almonds, flour, basic veggies) and sometimes…strange
• No oven temperatures: just put things ‘on the fire’
• The entire animal is used ‘take the head of a calf’
• Pheasants, pigeons, partridges, venison, galore!
• butter, butter, and more butter!

There’s a recipe for apple sauce for goose in which she says, ‘the acid of the apples is reckoned a corrective to the richness of the goose.

Okay, that’s just plain yuck. 

Here’s an example:

DIET-BREAD CAKE.

Beat together five eggs and half a pound of white sugar, then add six ounces of flour well dried and sifted, a little lemon-juice and grated lemon-peel; bake in a moderate oven.

The beauty trips are great too. (how to remove a tan – let’s just say that it involves lots of cucumber, you can also learn how to remove freckles, etc.)

Here’s this week’s recipe taken straight from 1846! (I used bar-b-q turkey and beef)

ITALIAN SALAD.

Cut up the white parts of a cold fowl, and mix it with mustard and cress, and a lettuce chopped finely, and pour over a fine salad mixture, composed of equal quantities of vinegar and the finest salad oil, salt, mustard, and the yolks of hard boiled eggs, and the yolk of one raw egg, mixed smoothly together; a little tarragon vinegar is then added, and the mixture is poured over the salad; the whites of the eggs are mixed, and serve to garnish the dish, arranged in small heaps alternately with heaps of grated smoked beef; two or three hard boiled eggs are cut up with the chicken in small pieces and mixed with the salad; this is a delicate and refreshing entrée; the appearance of this salad may be varied by piling the fowl in the centre of the dish, then pour over the salad mixture, and make a wall of any dressed salad, laying the whites of the eggs (after the yolks have been removed for the mixture), cut in rings on the top like a chain.

B’Tayavon and have a great Shabbos!

Parshat Balak – July 7, 2012

This week’s Parsha recounts an unusual interaction between a non-Israelite prophet and his donkey.

Balak, the Moabite king  summons the prophet Balaam to curse the Jewish people after he’s seen what they’re done to the Amorites. Balaam saddles his she-donkey and travels with the Moabite officers. Rashi explains that Balaam was a conceited and hateful man who did not wish any good on the Jewish people. God is angered by Balaam’s evil mission so He sends a sword-wielding angel three time to obstruct their path. The angel is only visible to the donkey and every time she sees him she refuses to continue. After Balaam beats the helpless donkey all three times the donkey speaks to Balaam:

Bamidbar 22:28-30 The Lord opened the mouth of the she-donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?…Am I not your she-donkey on which you have ridden since you first started until now?”

God  finally reveals the angel to Balaam. The angel  asks Balaam why he beat his donkey. He tells Balaam that he was sent to thwart their path.

The idea of a donkey as a vehicle of prophecy is truly baffling. It is a completely treif (non-kosher) animal, bearing both signs of ritual impurity. (non-ruminant and no split hooves) The Maharal of Prague wrote that the Hebrew word for donkey “Chamor” is related to “Chomer” – material. To him the donkey symbolized physicality over spirituality.

And yet…

The Mitzvah to redeem the first-born male applies to kosher animals and…the donkey! (Exodus 13:13) Rav Kook discusses the significance of the donkey. First, donkeys transported silver and gold from Egypt. According to Chazal, just as the Israelites were indistinguishable from idol-worshippers…on the outside…the donkey’s true significance lies beneath its physical characteristics. Second, Moshiach is described in Zechariah (9:9) as arriving as a “pauper riding on a donkey.”

This prophecy contradicts another one in Daniel where the Messianic king arrives “with the clouds of the heaven” (7:13). So what is it? Heavenly clouds or the lowly donkey? The answer lies in the level of spiritual merit of the Jewish people. A high spiritual level brings a miraculous redemption. But an ‘undeserved’ redemption in the final hour will come through natural means.

According to Rav Kook:

The Messiah’s donkey represents the period of Ikveta deMashicha, the generation when the ‘footsteps’ (ikvot) of redemption are first heard. The Talmud (Sotah 49b) describes this era as one of terrible spiritual decline, replete with brazenness and immorality, falsehood and corrupt government. But the Zoharteaches that, despites its external faults, the generation will be “good on the inside.” This inner goodness is reflected in the special souls of the pre-messianic era; despite the heavy darkness clouding their behavior and beliefs, they are blessed with an innate segulahholiness, as expressed by their great love for the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

Rav Yosef  said, “Let the Messiah come, and may I merit to sit in the shadow of his donkey’s dung”  (Sanhedrin 98b) Even the darkest period of Jewish history will contain the spiritual seeds of light and even the most coarse of matter is a vehicle for redemption.

On a personal note, I have to say that donkeys are awesome.  They are gentle and affectionate and have fabulous ears.

Did you know that you can get a miniature donkey for as little as $500? They are friendly and lovable – and adore attention. Plus, (and this is simply fantastic – especially if like me – you love getting good value for your dollar) you can get a full membership in the Donkey and Mule Society for only $27 a year.

The First Mainland Donkey and Mule Club has a page of yummy treats. Given the ingredients  (oats, carrots) I have no idea if these recipes are meant for human or donkey consumption. If anyone out there wants to give it a try, let me know what you think.

To my Significant Other, I say this: You have always resisted pets. If I can’t get a dog, at the very least can I get a donkey?

Anyhow, the Spanish word for donkey is ‘burro.’

A burrito is a ‘little donkey.’

This week’s recipe is vegetarian burritos.

Burrito: Spanish for ‘little donkey.’
Numbers 22:23: The she-donkey saw the angel of the Lord stationed on the road with his sword drawn in his hand; so the she-donkey turned aside from the road and went into a field.

(Adapted from my dear friend Sarah Zinman’s recipe. Thanks Sarah! This recipe looks deceptively simple but the taste is delicious.)

Sarah’s Vegetarian Black Bean Burritos

• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 6 – 10 stalks of celery (more or less, depending on your taste)
• 1 can black beans, drained
• soy sauce (to taste)
• 2 cups grated cheese
• avocado
• flour wraps

Directions: 

1. Saute onions and garlic until translucent. Add celery and continue frying until the celery is soft. Pour in black beans. Add soy sauce, to taste.
2. Lay out wrap/tortilla and place a few tablespoons of black bean mixture at the bottom. Sprinkle on a few handfuls of cheese and some avocado.
3. Roll up, tucking in ends.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

B’Tayavon and have a great Shabbos!

Parshat Chukat – June 30, 2012

Here it is! My first webisode for my series, ‘Burnt Offerings.’

For the first webisode my featured cook is our wonderful friend Chanoch Ephraimson who very generously agreed to share some of his chef’s tips with us. My old friend Allan (literally, since I was 12 years old) assists him. We shot this in my kitchen a couple of decades after I first proposed a kosher cooking show with Allan to a local cable station. (Anyone remember Newton Cable? They said yes, but I was in the process of moving to NYC.)

I decided to do sushi for Parshat Chukat because the parsha opens up with the issue of ‘Tum’at Ha’met’. (Isn’t that sooooo obvious? Tum’at Ha’met: ergo…sushi!) Allow me to explain:

A person who is ritually impure because of their contact with a dead person is purified through the ashes of the Parah Adumah – the red heifer. (Parah Adumah cake here.) A huge chunk of Torah deals with laws of Tumah (impurity) and tahara (purity). According to Rabbi Moshe Grylak:

The truth is that when we talk about tahara, we’re really talking about immortality. They are two sides of the same coin. Tumah is equated with mortality – the natural as opposed to the supernatural, submission to the forces of nature that eventually end all human life.

Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsh defined Tahara as:

the freedom of the soul even as it is ensconced in an earthly body. Tahara affirms that even on Earth the soul is not bound by the forces of nature, and is completely free.

Tumah on the other hand reflects the reality of those natural forces and their dominion over our lives. The ashes of the young red calf are used as a vehicle to elevate people from tumah to a state of tahara, and according to Rabby Grylak, “in limiting and directing our own natural tendencies, our physical bodies can facilitate tahara as well.”

The yin and yang of Tumah and Tahara, the physical versus the spiritual, the finite versus the infinite; these are the forces that we’re commanded to harness in order to elevate ourselves from Tumah to Tahara.

Sushi is delightful to the palate because it combines distinctive flavours and textures into bite-sized treats. The sensation of biting into a piece of sushi is particularly pleasurable because of the balance of textures. The avocado’s creaminess, the paper-like feeling of the nori, and the chewiness of the rice, come together to create a singular culinary experience. I thought of the Parah Adumah and how it might be represented by the salmon, red pepper, or mock-crab, but really it’s the separateness of the ingredients that reminded me of Tumah and Taharah.

Here are images of Chanoch’s sushi artistry: (thanks to Aliza for these awesome photos.)

I’m not going to write up a recipe since it’s contained in the video. Please do watch it – I guarantee you’ve never seen a kosher cooking show like this one!

Enjoy your sushi.

B’Tayavon and have a great Shabbos!

Parshat Korach – 23, 2012

This Parsha deals with the rebellion of Korach and 250 men of Israel against the leadership of Moshe and Aaron. According to Rashi and Ramban, their’s was a rebellion motivated by jealousy. It wasn’t service to God that Korach coveted – rather, it was the trappings of leadership and fame. They are ultimately punished by God and swallowed up by the ground.

God then instructs Moshe to set up a test to demonstrate that only Aaron and his descendants are and will be the true kohanim (priests) forever. The leaders of all of the tribes (along with Aaron) provide their staffs to be placed inside the Kodesh Kedoshim. (Holy of Holies) All of the staffs remain the same except for Aharon’s, which miraculously blossoms and produces almonds.

Bamidar 17:23 And on the following day Moshe came to the Tent of Testimony, and behold, Aaron’s staff for the house of Levi had blossomed. It gave forth blossoms, sprouted buds, and produced ripe almonds.

Rashi points out that the almond blossoms much faster than other fruits. Likewise, those that opposed the designation of God’s priests – the Kohanim – were punished quickly.

The demonstration was clearly miraculous – a dry stick of wood bearing fruit. And that would have been enough of a sign that the selection of Aaron as the High Priest was a Divine ordination. But God did not simply make almonds appear on Aarons staff. According to a Chabad source:

Rather, He stimulated in it the full natural process of budding, blossoming, and the emergence and the ripening of the fruit. Aaron’s staff defied natures laws and restrictions, yet it conformed to the phases of growth that the almond naturally undergoes. It transcended nature, but did so on nature’s own terms.

I’ve got two recipes to mark the miracle of Aaron’s rod with almonds and blossoms. Both of them are dairy. And VERY decadent. Now that it’s summer and it’s hot, hot, hot I’ve been making pareve Shabbat lunches. Goodbye Cholent; Hello Salmon. (And sushi, and breaded sole, etc, etc.) If you’re not into the non-meat lunches, Shabbos is very loooooooooooong these days, so both recipes would be fun Seudah Shlishit (Third Meal) desserts:

Bamidar 17:23 And on the following day Moshe came to the Tent of Testimony, and behold, Aaron’s staff for the house of Levi had blossomed. It gave forth blossoms, sprouted buds, and produced ripe almonds.

 

Almond Cranberry Fudge

• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 12 ounces white chocolate
• 1/2 cup craisins
• 1 cup almonds

Melt milk and chocolate in microwave. Add craisins and almonds and pat into an 8″ square pan that’s lined with parchment paper. Chill for two hours. May be frozen.

Here’s a similar idea but with slightly different ingredients and a look that’s a bit different:

Cranberry Almond Bark

• 8 oz white chocolate
• 2-3 oz. chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup whole almond
• 3/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)

Melt white chocolate in microwave in 30-second ‘blasts’. Stir in almonds and cranberries. Pour onto a large piece of wax paper. Pour melted chocolate on top, and with a knife create swirls.

Have a great Shabbos and B’Tayavon!

Parshat Shelach – June 16, 2012

So this was a week where I actually thought I could post the recipe on Wednesday night. (Sorry Marilyn, I was thinking of your Thursday morning Parsha class.) I knew what the D’var Torah would be and had the ingredients for the recipe ready to go. But you see dear reader, I made a terrible mistake. I had a horrendous allergy attack that lasted for an hour so I took a ‘daytime’ anti-histamine.

Friends: Learn from my mistake!

DO NOT BELIEVE THE BOX WHEN IT SAYS ‘DAYTIME.’ It was only after I took the pill that I noticed that it also said, ‘may cause drowsiness’ as well as ‘don’t drive.’

I fell asleep at 9:30 am. When I woke up I tried going to the gym but I could barely lift my legs. I fell asleep in the afternoon again. After dinner I lay down to ‘rest’ for two minutes… I woke up in the next morning with my clothes on. Ewww.

I essentially took a sleeping pill first thing in the morning.

Rant over.

Anyhow, back to the Parsha. This week’s Parsha gives the dramatic account of God allowing Moshe to send scouts to the land of Israel to survey it before the nation of Israel will enter. In Bamidbar 13:23

They came to the Valley of Eshkol and they cut a branch with a cluster of grapes. They carried it on a pole between two people

Rashi comments that two poles were used. Eight of the spies took the cluster of grapes, one had a fig, and one had a pomegranate. That totals ten out of the twelve scouts. The remaining two: Yehoshua and Calev didn’t take anything. This confirms that the intention of the ten spies was to bring back a terrifying and slanderous report about the land. The fruit was extraordinary, so imagine how gigantic the people are!

Midrash Rabbah adds that they prefaced their fear-mongering with the words, ‘the land does indeed flow with milk and honey…’ Such is the way with gossip – start off with something positive and then get to the evil.

In this week’s recipe we’ll celebrate the extraordinary bounty and gift of the produce of Eretz Yisrael. And let’s be honest – we all know that the fruit and veggies taste a thousand times better in Israel!

Orzo, Grape, and Almond Salad

• 2 cups orzo, cooked
• 1 cup red grapes, halved
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup basil
• 2 cloves garlic
• oil for sauteing
• lemon juice to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Saute almonds with garlic, basil, and oil until they have a nice golden colour. Add to the pasta. Season with lemon juice and salt and pepper. Add grapes.

B’tayavon and have a great Shabbos!

Parshat Bahalotcha – June 9, 2012

This Parsha begins with God telling Moshe how Aaron should light the seven lamps of the Menorah casting their light toward the face of the Menorah.

Bamidbar 8:4 This was the form of the menorah: hammered work of gold, from its base to its flower it was hammered work; according to the form that the Lord had shown Moses, so did he construct the menorah.

A short description follows of the Menorah. Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch gives a detailed description of the construction and symbolism of the Menorah. The general shape of the Menorah is a tree-like shape and is built from hammered gold. It includes elements of a flower: stems, buds, and flowers.

 Dr. Russell Jay Hendel, writing an explanation of Rav Hirsch sums up the significance of these three elements:

The (a) stem, (b) bud, and (c) flower have as their functions (a) the
gathering of nutrients (b) the embryonic outline of further plant parts (c) reproduction.
In the intellectual-spiritual-emotional sphere this would correspond to (a) raw knowledge
and exposure to an item, (b) intuitive feel and familiarity with an item, (c) an ingrained
reproducible habit.

Bamidbar 8;4 This was the form of the menorah hammered work of gold, from its base to its flower

Spinach Salad with Edible Flowers

Where does one find edible flowers? I happened to find these at the awesome supermarket Pomegranate (definitely the kosher answer to Whole Foods) while visiting New York last week. To be completely honest, the flowers have no taste. But they do look fantastic, so who cares??

• 1 package spinach
• mushrooms, sliced
• mung sprouts
• 6 strawberries, sliced

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian spices
• 1/4 teaspoon basil
• 3/4 cup oil

Parshat Naso – June 2, 2012

Bamidbar 6:5  he shall allow the growth of the hair of his head to grow wild.

In this Parsha, the Torah discusses the status of the ‘Nazir:’ the individual whose desire to separate from the physical world and cling to God takes a vow of abstinence from wine/grapes, cutting their hair, and becoming ritually impure. He’s referred to as a sinner but also as ‘Kodesh’ (holy). Rambam explains that a person should seek moderation in their ways and not choose extremes. According to Rabbi Yakov Haber striking a balance is the ideal.

Partaking of the physical pleasures of the world within moderation for the purpose of nurturing the body and providing the necessary physical happiness to serve as the backdrop for ‘avodas Hashem is the approach the Torah advocates for most. 

Here’s a recipe that gives homage to the Nazir (as ‘Kodesh’ of course) and his uncut hair – as symbolized by spaghettini.

Bamidbar 6;5 …and he shall allow the growth of the hair of his head to grow wild

Spaghettini with Grilled Chicken 

• 2 cups cooked spaghettini
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Marinaded and Bar-b-q’ed Chicken Breasts

• 4 pieces skinless/boneless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon honey

Mix cooked pasta with soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Top with chicken marinaded in soy sauce, ketchup, and honey and then grilled. Add sliced scallions and peppers and sesame seeds.

 

 

 

Parshat Bamidbar – May 26, 2012

This Parsha could be called Parshat Census. It gives a complete numerical accounting of all of the tribes with the exception of the Levites. Maybe that’s why the English word for Bamidbar (literally, ‘in the desert’) is… numbers!

The original plan was for the Bechor (first born male) to serve in the Mishkan/Beit Hamikdash as the designated priests. According to the Maharal of Prague, there is a special holiness in being the first, since God Himself is the first being.

However the sin of the Golden Calf changed everything. When Moshe descended from Har Sinai and smashed the Luchos (tablets) he gave an ultimatum; they had to choose between God and the idol. Only the tribe of Levi stepped forward to side with Hashem. (Shemot 32:26) As a result, the male first borns lost their priestly status and God decreed that only the Levites would be the ‘Kohanim’ – priests.

In Parshat Bamidbar we see the source of the mitzvah of Pidyon HaBen (redemption of the son).

Bamidbar/Numbers 3:47-48 you shall take five shekels per head, according to the holy shekel, by which the shekel is twenty gerahs. You shall give the money to Aaron and his sons, in redemption for the firstborns who are in excess of them.

It is a rare ritual where the first born male  is redeemed with five coins of silver from his previous obligation to serve G0d. Another purpose of this mitzvah is to remind us of the Yetziat Mitzrayim (Exodus from Egypt) and the final of the ten plagues when God killed the first born of the Egyptians but spared the first born sons of the Israelites. Another reason is to remind us that our love and appreciation for the first born is so great yet everything that is given to us comes from God.

Bamidbar 3:47 You shall take five shekels per head, according to the holy shekel, by which the shekel is twenty gerahs.

 Root Vegetable ‘Shekels’  (adapted from my mom’s recipe)

• 1 lb. small potatoes
• 2 lb. sweet potatoes
• 1 large carrot (I found super fat ones in Chinatown)
• 2 parsnips
• 1/2 lb rutanbaga
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon Italian spices
• fresh chives, chopped, (optional, but they look great)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cut all the vegetables into ‘coins’ that are approximately 1/2 inch thick. Toss all ingredients together and bake at 425 degrees for 45-55 minutes.

Parshat Behar-Bechukotai – May 19, 2012

With apologies for this late posting. Allan Robbins suggested that since so much of this Parsha deals with Shmittah (the Sabbatical year) and Yovel (Jubilee year every fifty years)…

That I should use this week as a Sabbatical!

However, I did have a recipe that I wanted to try that rather…distantly… (ahem) connects to the Shnat HaYovel – the Jubilee year.

Shmittah is the seventh year of the agricultural cycle where the land lies fallow; the produce of the land is not consumed. The 7th Shmittah in the 49th year is followed by Shnat HaYovel which is the 50th (Jubilee) year. In the Yovel year, property reverted to its original owner. Nothing is owned in perpetuity because everything belongs to God.

I love that we grew up with a slang expression that comes directly from the Torah.

“He was scheduled for gall bladder surgery but had to wait a ‘Yoivel’ to get an appointment!”

“We went to the zoo and waited a Yoivel to see a single orangutan!”

“I went to the fish store and waited a Yoivel to buy a piece of carp!”

Here’s a Jubilee recipe. Yes this is Queen Elizabeth’s jubilee year. (Okay, so it’s a diamond jubilee, but what’s a few decades between friends?)

I know I did scones a few weeks ago. But I couldn’t resist posting a really delicious recipe (not as healthy, but really, really good) in honour of the Jubilee Theme.

Yummy Scottish Scones (adapted from allrecipes)

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• dash of salt
• 1 egg
• 5 tablespoons margarine
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup Tofutti pareve sour cream
• icing sugar and water

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add baking powder to flour.
• Add remainder of ingredients (except icing sugar and water) and mix into a sticky batter.
• With wet hands roll into two inch balls. Press lightly.
• Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• When the scones are cooled drizzle on a glaze mixed from icing sugar and water.