Parsha Inspired Menus - Pinchas

Much of the early part of this parsha deals with the listing of the lineage and clans who will enter the Promised Land. After going through these details, Moshe gets a stark reminder:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה עֲלֵ֛ה אֶל־הַ֥ר הָעֲבָרִ֖ים הַזֶּ֑ה וּרְאֵה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

יהוה said to Moses, “Ascend these heights of Abarim and view the land that I have given to the Israelite people.

וְרָאִ֣יתָה אֹתָ֔הּ וְנֶאֱסַפְתָּ֥ אֶל־עַמֶּ֖יךָ גַּם־אָ֑תָּה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר נֶאֱסַ֖ף אַהֲרֹ֥ן אָחִֽיךָ׃

When you have seen it, you too shall be gathered to your kin, just as your brother Aaron was.

Why does this come right after the discussion of the division of land?

Rashi brings two similar explanations:

Because when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, (v. 7) “Thou shalt surely give them an inheritance in the land” he (Moses) said, “It is me that the Omnipresent has commanded to apportion the inheritance. Perhaps then the decree that I must die in the wilderness is annulled and I shall enter the Promised Land!” Whereupon God said to him, “My decree remains exactly as it was” (Midrash Tanchuma, Pinchas 9). — Another explanation: As soon as Moses entered into the territory of the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben (the eastern side of the Jordan, which, having been assigned to these tribes, might be regarded as part of the Promised Land), he rejoiced, saying, “It seems to me that the vow regarding me has been annulled in my favour”. God, therefore, said to him, My decree remains exactly as it was.

In both cases Moshe finds a small sliver of hope to hang onto that makes him think maybe God will allow him to enter Israel. Rather than let that build, God sets tbe reminder, which allows Moshe to

accept it as final and turn his attention to a leadership transition. Moshe will only go to Har HaAverim, the mountains ACROSS (root of averim) from Israel. In recognition of this moment that prepares for the crucial, smooth, legitimate, and orderly transition of leadership from Moshe to Joshua, I recommend playing on Har HaAverim and the idea of being across from Israel byy making these two tone cookies that have two colors of cookie types ACROSS from one another.

For the second item, I'm focusing on the fact that one of the defining characteristics of Parshat Pinchas is the collection of instructions for sacrifices that we recite in the musaf service. If you've read my blog before you might know how meaningful I think it is to find something we recite in tefillot directly from the Torah. So, using a play on words for MUSAF make MOUSSaka (or, just for this Shabbat, maybe pronounce it as Moussafa.

Shabbat Shalom & B'Tayavon!