Ladder of Years
This week's parashah opens with the beautiful dream of a ladder covered by angels that Yaakov has on his departure from Be'er Sheva. that opening scene will be the basis of our shabbat dinner. Even the challot we use will allude to the story. When Yaakov goes to sleep, he arranges a series of rocks to use as a pillow, but when he awakes, the stones have melded into one large rock, because, according to the midrash, they were all vying for the privilege of supporting Yaakov's head. A simple pull apart challah is made by rolling a series of balls of challah dough and placing them in a pan together so they fuse as they bake, a perfect representation of the stones under Yaakov's head.
{For a different take on the stones, see the amazing looking recipe at this new parashah blog to which a friend directed me: Elisha's Double Portion.}
As for the meal, it will include artfully composed dishes that are reminiscent of ladders such as asparagus, string beans, strips of London broil, a salad built with large juliennes of jicama and avocado stacked to look like a ladder, and, if time permits, skewers of vegetables and chicken. To accompany our ladders, we will serve angel hair pasta and for dessert, angel food cake.
For shabbat lunch, dessert will be the parashah highlight. I am going to pull out my lamb shaped baking pan so we can make a chocolate chip cake in the form of a spotted and speckled sheep, just like the vast flock that Yaakov amasses through ingenious genetic planning--and a lot of help from Hashem. We will also serve jasmine tea and some figs, both foods identified by mefarshim (rabbinic commentaries) as possibilities for the mysterious (and aphrodisiac/fertility inducing) dudaim that Reuven collects and Rachel begs from Leah.
Have a shabbat shalom.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Parashat Toldot
Please Pass That Red Stuff
Side note:
I don't know why my Chayei Sarah post never posted. Hmmmm. To recap last week: We had a beautiful pumpkin well filled with veal and seitan stew for dinner last week. Poached pear wells filled with pareve ice cream were dessert.
For lunch we were invited out to friends' and amazingly, we found a basket filled with treasures that had fallen off of one of Eliezer's camels to bring as a gift for our host. The basket overflowed with chocolate coins, candy necklaces and bracelets, and gems (the sunkist type :-) ).
As for this week:
We are back to red foods, so the kids can practice gentrifying Esav's request, "Gimme that red slop." We are starting with red lentil soup (of course), followed by red chicken and red tofu (proteins cooked in a tomato based sauce that tinges the food red), braised red cabbage, and a tomato salad. Our 6-year-old requested red jel dessert and our 10-year-old wants red berry kissel (a yummy compote of red berries cooked in grape juice).
Tomorrow for lunch we are doing dairy (see the Kli Yakar commentary mentioned in last years parashat Toldot posting). Thinking about that commentary that explains how being habitual meat eaters cultivates cruelty in a person, I cannot help but to think about the cooking in the parashah this week. Yaakov, the gentle man and gentleman, is cooking lentils according to tradition while Esav is back from the hunt. Clearly this very contrast vividly supports the Kli Yakar's thoughts. (I've also been thinking about Lord of the Flies and the hunts for meat that bring out the savagery of the boys, but those thoughts emanate from my teaching life rather than my parashah life.) Our 10-year-old has been waiting with bated breath for the week where we get to be vegetarians (even though we eat plenty of dairy and pareve on shabbatot in general....)!
Have a delicious and wonderful shabbat!
Side note:
I don't know why my Chayei Sarah post never posted. Hmmmm. To recap last week: We had a beautiful pumpkin well filled with veal and seitan stew for dinner last week. Poached pear wells filled with pareve ice cream were dessert.
For lunch we were invited out to friends' and amazingly, we found a basket filled with treasures that had fallen off of one of Eliezer's camels to bring as a gift for our host. The basket overflowed with chocolate coins, candy necklaces and bracelets, and gems (the sunkist type :-) ).
As for this week:
We are back to red foods, so the kids can practice gentrifying Esav's request, "Gimme that red slop." We are starting with red lentil soup (of course), followed by red chicken and red tofu (proteins cooked in a tomato based sauce that tinges the food red), braised red cabbage, and a tomato salad. Our 6-year-old requested red jel dessert and our 10-year-old wants red berry kissel (a yummy compote of red berries cooked in grape juice).
Tomorrow for lunch we are doing dairy (see the Kli Yakar commentary mentioned in last years parashat Toldot posting). Thinking about that commentary that explains how being habitual meat eaters cultivates cruelty in a person, I cannot help but to think about the cooking in the parashah this week. Yaakov, the gentle man and gentleman, is cooking lentils according to tradition while Esav is back from the hunt. Clearly this very contrast vividly supports the Kli Yakar's thoughts. (I've also been thinking about Lord of the Flies and the hunts for meat that bring out the savagery of the boys, but those thoughts emanate from my teaching life rather than my parashah life.) Our 10-year-old has been waiting with bated breath for the week where we get to be vegetarians (even though we eat plenty of dairy and pareve on shabbatot in general....)!
Have a delicious and wonderful shabbat!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Parashat Vayera
Guest Blogger
My 10-year-old daughter composed this d'var Torah to share with her class at the annual 5th-grade school shabbaton. I thought you would like it. The regular Vayera post will follow.
Parashat Vayera: Dvar Torah
Shabbat Shalom! Welcome to the 5th grade shabbaton!!! This week’s parsha opens with the story of Avraham greeting the malachim. The torah gets all specific about how Avraham treats them, how he runs to prepare a meal, and hurries to make sure they’re comfortable, and goes out of his way to serve them nice food. Last week when we met Avraham we were introduced to someone who is considered the first person to believe in one G-d and to spread that there is only one G-d. How does the hachnassat orchim that Avraham shows in this week’s parsha connect? A rabbi from the 1800’s known as the Netziv, Rabbi Naphtali Tzvi Judah Berlin, has an explanation that I like. The explanation is that Avraham, who recognized Hashem in shamayim, is able to recognize people on earth. Because Avraham recognizes Hashem and believes in Hashem, he can see the spark of Hashem, the tzelem Elokim, in every person. Seeing the tzelem Elokim is what makes Avraham act with such chesed in welcoming anyone and everyone into his tent.
My 10-year-old daughter composed this d'var Torah to share with her class at the annual 5th-grade school shabbaton. I thought you would like it. The regular Vayera post will follow.
Parashat Vayera: Dvar Torah
Shabbat Shalom! Welcome to the 5th grade shabbaton!!! This week’s parsha opens with the story of Avraham greeting the malachim. The torah gets all specific about how Avraham treats them, how he runs to prepare a meal, and hurries to make sure they’re comfortable, and goes out of his way to serve them nice food. Last week when we met Avraham we were introduced to someone who is considered the first person to believe in one G-d and to spread that there is only one G-d. How does the hachnassat orchim that Avraham shows in this week’s parsha connect? A rabbi from the 1800’s known as the Netziv, Rabbi Naphtali Tzvi Judah Berlin, has an explanation that I like. The explanation is that Avraham, who recognized Hashem in shamayim, is able to recognize people on earth. Because Avraham recognizes Hashem and believes in Hashem, he can see the spark of Hashem, the tzelem Elokim, in every person. Seeing the tzelem Elokim is what makes Avraham act with such chesed in welcoming anyone and everyone into his tent.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)