Parsha Inspired Menus - Vayera

Sing it with me...

Hashem is here,Hashem is there,Hashem is truly everywhere!(x2)

Up, up, down, down,Right, left, and all around!Here, there, and everywhere,That’s where he can be found!

Want to hear it? Check it out.

This Jewish children's music classic became an earworm for me as I did a close reading of the beginning of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. In two places, directions are used that feel off because God is everywhere. The first is when God is telling Abraham his plans for checking on Sodom and Gomorrah and God says

Then יהוה said, “The outrage of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave!

I will go down to see whether they have acted altogether according to the outcry that has reached Me; if not, I will take note.”

Why does God have to "go down?" God is everywhere, not just on high so why is there a directional indication? The Or HaChaim asks it this way "We need to understand why G'd had "to descend." Is not the whole world like a grain of mustard in size compared to G'd so that the term "descend" loses its meaning when applied to G'd?" Rashi uses the same explanation used for God checking out the Tower of Babel, namely "that the word teaches that a terrestrial court must not judge capital crimes except on the basis of eye-witnesses." So, God must see for God's self, though this still doesn't answer our main question, as shouldn't God be able to see from anywhere? Sforno's interpretation helps us by thinking about the depth or descent more spiritually than physically, saying that it is regarding getting into the "depths of their wickedness."

To get us thinking about "down" at Shabbat dinner, try this Middle Eastern upside DOWN specialty, Maqluba. It's a chicken (or meat), vegatable and rice dish that's cooked and then served turned upside down (if you don't have baharat spice, Google says you can substitute with ras el hanout or garam masala, or you can create a substitute with a mix of common spices like cumin, coriander, paprika, and cinnamon.

The second directional instance of directional language in this short episode is that when Avraham hears of the plan and wants to push back on God it says

Abraham came forward and said, “Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty?

Not to sound like a broken record, but why does Avraham have to come FORWARD? Isn't God everywhere? In our discussions about the parsha after Shabbat mincha, we also settled on an answer that was less about a physical move forward and more about the change in Avraham's willingness to question or challenge God. Up until now, and again after, Avraham is given a task by God and he does it. In this instance, Avraham takes a new step in his leadership and his courage and confidence. He moves into a different role. Interestingly, though God is willing to acquiese and save Sodom and Gomorrah if 10 righteous people can be found, none are found, the destruction is carried out and Avraham doesn't push back on God again, even when asked to do

some really upsetting things (send away Ishmael and sacrifice Isaac.) It may be that stepping forward, moving into a new role, was too much for him and he didn't do it again. My recommendation for this #parshainspiredmenus item is pretty flexible - anything you can stack into steps, so it could be a kugel in a tier pattern, cookies, or some sort of bar. Anything where you can present it on the Shabbat table as something that requires someone to "step up."

Shabbat Shalom & B'Tayavon!