Parsha Inspired Menus - V'zot HaBracha

Moadim v'Simcha! I hope it's been a nice Sukkot so far. After a few weeks off from #parshainspiredmenus, I'm back this week with something for V'zot HaBracha. The last few weeks we've spent several Shabbat mornings reading holiday readings vs. our regular parsha schedule (though on the one Shabbat we had of normalcy in the midst of chagim, I also didn't do #parshainspriredmenus because I was so "cooked out," we ate leftovers. Delicious leftovers from chag, but leftovers all the same. Of course, the weeks of Saturday morning also being a holiday is also true this week with Shemini Atzeret. Yet, on Sunday we'll read V'zot HaBracha as part of Simchat Torah and since it never really gets its own Shabbat, I'm going to do #parshainspriredmenus for V'zot HaBracha this week.

This is Moshe's final final goodbye (the whole book of Devarim is a goodbye, but this is really the end.) It's a blessing and it's poetic, which leads to some really interesting situations with the translations. You may have heard the comment that all translations are commentaries and that's only more true when the language itself is not straightforward. Even when reading a language we know, flowery, poetic language leaves room for interpretation; how much more so when it's a translation as well. So, there are two sections that caught my attention because of the differences in translation between the Eitz Hayim and the Stone chumashim (and how interesting it was to see the differences.)

Pasuk 1:

וַיֹּאמַ֗ר יְהֹוָ֞ה מִסִּינַ֥י בָּא֙ וְזָרַ֤ח מִשֵּׂעִיר֙ לָ֔מוֹ הוֹפִ֙יעַ֙ מֵהַ֣ר פָּארָ֔ן וְאָתָ֖ה מֵרִבְבֹ֣ת קֹ֑דֶשׁ מִימִינ֕וֹ (אשדת) [אֵ֥שׁ דָּ֖ת] לָֽמוֹ׃

Here's the Eitz Hayim:

He said:

GOD came from Sinai,

And shone upon them from Seir—

Appearing from Mount Paran,

And approaching from Ribeboth-kodesh,

Lightning flashing at them from [God’s] right.

And the Stone:

He said: Hashem came from Sinai - having shone forth to them from Seir, having appeard from Moutn Paran, and then approached with some of the holy myriads - from His right hand He presented the fiery Torah to them.

Two big differences - 1) In the Eitz Hayim, there's the understanding of Ribeboth Kodesh as a place, whereas the Stone says its about God's entourage, the holy myriads who come with God. This is a pretty significant and interesting difference. I find the holy myriad more evocative in portraying God's glory. 2) The writing in the Torah is (אשדת), but it's read like this: [אֵ֥שׁ דָּ֖ת] and the translations both understand the "fire" part of it, but Eitz Hayim calls it lighting and Stone translates at fiery Torah!

Whichever way you like these translations, it makes for a great discussion over the Shabbat table. So, how to get the conversation flowing, make something "fiery;" I'm thinking of Harisa Roasted Cauliflower.

The second translation difference that I found interesting is in blessing for Judah.

Hebrew:

וְזֹ֣את לִיהוּדָה֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ שְׁמַ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ ק֣וֹל יְהוּדָ֔ה וְאֶל־עַמּ֖וֹ תְּבִיאֶ֑נּוּ יָדָיו֙ רָ֣ב ל֔וֹ וְעֵ֥זֶר מִצָּרָ֖יו תִּהְיֶֽה׃

Eitz Hayim:

And this he said of Judah:

Hear, O ETERNAL One, the voice of Judah

And restore him to his people.

Though his own hands strive for him,

Help him against his foes.

Stone:

And this to Judah, and he said: Hearken, O hashem, to Judah's voice, return him to his people; may his hand fight his grievance and may You be a helper against his enemies.

"Though his own hands strive for him" vs. "may his hand fight his grievance!"

I wasn't quite sure what "Though his own hands strive for him" so I checked the commentary in the chumash and I actually chuckled out loud when I read the commentary on the verse in Eitz Hayim because the explanation was basically saying the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain, but that's what happens with poetry? My initial thought was that this was about ambition, but if the second him is a Him, it could be striving towards or for God. Either way, the Stone take is pretty different from mine with the addition of the concept of fighting. Another good discussion topic for Shabbat and the dish for this part plays off of the hands by doing Crunchy Nutty Fingers Cookies.

Shabbat Shalom & B'Tayavon!