Parsha Inspired Menus - Bereshit

Many of us have the images of biblical events deep in our minds from having seen renditions of the scenes in art. Sometimes the details in the art are based in text, but often they are imaginative. A few of these imaginative ones take on a life of their own, such that it becomes almost canon. While the Torah is noticeably vague when it comes to the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (we'll get back to this), it is explicit about the kind of tree leaf Adam and Eve use to cover themselves when they discover they are naked:

וַתִּפָּקַ֙חְנָה֙ עֵינֵ֣י שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיֵּ֣דְע֔וּ כִּ֥י עֵֽירֻמִּ֖ם הֵ֑ם וַֽיִּתְפְּרוּ֙ עֲלֵ֣ה תְאֵנָ֔ה וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם חֲגֹרֹֽת׃

Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths.

Why do they grab fig leaves? According to Genesis Rabbah (15:7), the Sages discuss what the actual tree of knowledge was and a prominent view states it was a fig tree (other options include etrog, wheat, and grapes.) This would make fig leaves very convenient for grabbing.

The Radak adds "Some of our sages (Berachot 40) say that the tree they ate from was a fig tree. They wanted to rehabilitate themselves with the very material with which they had sinned."

This makes it not just convenience, but also a philosophical thought about correcting your mistake using some element of what took you down the wrong path in the first place.

The fig leaf gets it's moment to shine and play a big role in the story and in art and so I would highlight it at dinner this Shabbat with a Roasted Fig and Arugula Salad (see recipe below.)

But, speaking of playing a big role in art, while the Torah is vague about the specific kind of fruit that is fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, art is not. In most art, that fruit is clearly identified as an apple, which is not one of the many options the rabbis consider. So, how did we get to the apple? Azzan Yadin-Israel, a professor at Rutgers, researched this question and found

where and when artists begin to portray the forbidden fruit as an apple. The answer was France in the 12th century, and from there to other countries. But why?

The answer comes from an unexpected place – historical linguistics. Latin authors most commonly refer to the forbidden fruit as a pomum, a Latin word meaning "fruit" or "tree fruit." Not surprisingly, Old French, which descends from Latin, has the word "pom" (modern French "pomme"), which originally meant "fruit" as well, and was used in the earliest Old French translations of Genesis.

"Adam and Eve ate a pom," meant "Adam and Eve ate a fruit." Over time, however, the meaning of pom changed. Rather than a broad, general term for "fruit," it took on a narrower meaning: "apple." Once that change in meaning became widely accepted, readers of the Old French version of Genesis understood the statement "Adam and Eve ate a pom" to mean "Adam and Eve ate an apple." (https://www.rutgers.edu/news/how-forbidden-fruit-became-apple)

So, the apple gets a bum rap because of a translation error!

I want to tie all this back to a broader thought about leaving Gan Eden. This original "mistake" shows us that people have not been perfect from the very start. We are all going to make

mistakes. As someone who often takes her own mistakes quite hard, this was a good reminder that it wasn't even possible in the Garden of Eden, so I can and should give myself a bit of a break when I don't live up to my very high self-designed expectations. So, to pull these two ideas together, for dessert I suggest an apple galette. The galette isn't aiming to look perfect. It's messy, but it's delicious and in the end, that's what most of us care about more.

Shabbat Shalom & B'Tayavon!

Roasted Fig & Arugula Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing

Serves 4

• 8 fresh figs, stems twisted off and quartered

• 1/2 TBSP oil

• 1/2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

• 1⁄2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

• 1⁄2 cup green onion, green parts only, thinly sliced

• 4 cups arugula

• 2 sliced persian cucumbers

• 5-6 thinly sliced radishes

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup runny tahini

• 1 tsp maple syrup

• 1 TBSP lemon juice

• 1/4– 1/2 cup filtered water (+more to reach desired consistency)

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• pinch of black pepper

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Arrange the quartered figs on the baking sheet and drizzle them with a tiny bit of oil and balsamic vinegar.

• Transfer the pan to oven and bake the figs for 10-15 minutes, or until they’re soft, juicy, and glazed. In the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, scoot the figs over and add the pumpkin seeds to the sheet to lightly toast, if desired.

• Make your maple tahini by adding all dressing ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until it’s well-combined and creamy. Alternatively, you can whisk the dressing together by hand with a fork.

• To serve the salad, add the cooked quinoa and arugula to a bowl or plate and top with the roasted figs, green onions, toasted walnuts. Drizzle with maple tahini dressing.