Parsha Inspired Menus - Ahrei Mot-Kedoshim

The Torah goes through the list of Jewish holidays (Shabbat, Pesach, Shavuot, etc.) in two chapters (Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16), but this week in Ahrei Mot we also get a much more detailed description of the observance and rituals of the special once a year Day of Atonement, aka Yom Kippur. Because of the Jewish calendar and the cycle of parshiot, Ahrei Mot

tends to be about 6 months away from the past Yom Kippur and, not suprisingly, about 6 months away from the next Yom Kippur. What can we learn from this alignment? Sandwiched in between the past and future (which makes me think of Kol Nidre's line - מִיּוֹם כִּפּוּרִים זֶה from this Yom Kippur עַד יוֹם כִּפּוּרִים until next Yom Kippur), the timing of Ahrei Mot serves as a check-in. How are we doing on living up to the values and goals we set for ourselves last Yom Kippur? If now were the moment to evaluate ourselves, would we be pleased with the results? In my coaching work, we talk about checking-in on progress towards our goals on a regular basis. Ahrei Mot's placement in the year, provides an opportunity for all of us to do that.

In honor of this placement, I am going to make a layer cake with an emphasis on the delicious middle layer - chocolat e cake with a peanut butter icing. Any cake and icing recipe will work - or make it easy and buy a cake in a box and icing in a tub. Or make it even easier, and buy a layer cake - nothing wrong with that!

Kedoshim is loaded with to do's and to don'ts. While reading through the verses this week, this particular verse caught my attention

הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא...

...Rebuke your kin but incur no guilt on their account.

I first read this as saying that one should not feel guillty for the bad behavior of others, even if you are the one in the space to rebuke them. Perhaps it's the Jewish mother in me who does often feel guilt when I need to correct my children because it means that I didn't teach them something correctly in the first place. But then I read the commentaries and the guilt incurred is from a different angle.

Ramban sees each person has having a responsibility for one another and if you do not rebuke your fellow for his wrong behavior, you could get guilt for not taking action to stop him! (Great, more mom guilt)

Rashi looks at it from a different perspective and see it as a teaching about HOW to correct - "[in] rebuking him thou shalt not expose him to shame in public, in which case you will bear sin on account of him." Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv (a FANTASTIC name, which was pointed out to me sounds almost like a Dr. Seuss character) builds on this idea of correction, saying that the Talmud teaches that one must reprove over and over, but often is it unwise to tell someone bluntly how utterly wrong his actions have been. This will only embarass and antogonize him. It is wise to break of the

critism into small parts, going gradually, a step at a time, to draw him closer to the desired behavior in a palatable way. Because I really wanted to share this teaching in the #parshainpsiredmenus blog, I was trying hard to come up with something that worked - a food that makes me think of rebuke (I've got nothing!) or תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ or חֵֽטְא, I couldn't think of rhymes or similar sounds...then we came up with the idea of focusing on the step by step path to the goal (of the improved behavior) so we decided on a build your own type food. We're going to make veggie kabobs and grill them right before Shabbat starts to have with dinner. Each person will get to build their own kabobs. The simplest way to make these is just to cut the veggies (such as mushrooms, onions, zucchini and eggplant) into manageable sized pieces, toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper, and skewer and grill, but you can also follow this recipe.

Shabbat Shalom & B'Tayavon!

Parhsa Inspired Menus Achrei-Mot 2024