Parsha Inspired Menus - Sh'lach

It's a disappointing week for Am Yisrael in this week's parsha. They choose to follow the guidance of the 10 spies who report that, although Eretz Yisrael is a land of bounty, the current inhabitants are too strong to conquer. They do not have faith that God will prevail and deliver on God's promise to inhabit this land. Two spies deviate from this message - Joshua and Caleb. They insist that with God's help, the Israelites will take the land, but to no avail.

When God is telling Moshe of the punishment for this offense, he says that all the men who saw the wonders of God's might and still didn't believe will die out in the desert. He will later say that both Caleb and Joshua will survive, but first there's this interesting passage:

But My servant Caleb, because he was imbued with a different spirit and remained loyal to Me—him will I bring into the land that he entered, and his offspring shall hold it as a possession. (Bamidbar 14:24)

On its face, it's interesting because it specifically assigns to Caleb the land he entered. On top of that, there's no other pasuk here about Joshua. Joshua is not specifically called out with a reward for his behavior. This non-mention feels worth mentioning. Ibn Ezra's take on this is that it particularly highlights Caleb because he spoke first. He stilled the people. He was brave to go against the report of the others. This highlights the importance of being willing to take a stand, even if you may be alone. Ramban has another idea, which is that Joshua’s reward — that he

would be the successor to Moses — was not fitting to be specified at this moment [since Moses was still to be the leader for many years]. Both of these are great fodder for a discussion about leadership around the Shabbat table. To honor Caleb, I was trying to think of foods that connected to Caleb and what kept popping into mind is someone I've been seeing on Instagram, Caleiv Jean, a Haitian Orthodox Jew. He's got a very interesting story and makes me think of another Haitian Jew (SD) whom I admire . SD is on his first visit to Israel right now, admist the rockets, and seems to be managing it all with such spirit and heart. We are praying for him and all of Eretz Yisrael. So, I had Haiti on the mind so I suggest this classic Haitian rice and beans dish for Shabbat dinner.

Just as the story of the spies and the punishement wraps up, the Torah switches to this section:

God spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you to settle in, and would present an offering by fire to יהוה from the herd or from the flock, be it burnt offering or sacrifice, in fulfillment of a vow explicitly uttered, or as a freewill offering, or at your fixed occasions, producing an odor pleasing to יהוה: The person who presents the offering to יהוה shall bring as a meal offering: a tenth of a measure of choice flour with a quarter of a hin of oil mixed in. You shall also offer, with the burnt offering or the sacrifice, a quarter of a hin of wine as a libation for each sheep. In the case of a ram, you shall present as a meal offering: two-tenths of a measure of choice flour with a third of a hin of oil mixed in; and a third of a hin of wine as a libation—as an offering of pleasing odor to יהוה.

It feels a bit abrupt, but Ramban points out this these instructions are to assure the generation of children, those not destined to die in the desert, that the promise still holds. By giving instructions

about what they do when the ENTER and SETTLE Eretz Yisrael, he is telling them to hold onto the dream and be patient and prepared for its eventuality. This must be a very meaningful assurance. I want to believe in assurances for Israel right now, so I want to highlight this message in the second item of #parshainspiredmenus for this week. I am suggesting a salad with a Red Wine Vinegar and Olive Oil Vinagrette. You can make up your own mix (basics are oil, vinegar, salt, something flavorful (herbs, mustard) and something sweet (sugar, honey)) Our you can try this simple recipe if you're not feeling creative.

Shabbat Shalom & B'Tayavon!

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