Parsha Inspired Menus - Vayera

The practice of סוֹפְרוּת is amazing. In this world of new technology and techniques there are people who dedicate the time and effort to learn the scribal art of hand-copying sacred Hebrew texts. The Torah text has to be written so carefully, every letter correct and then there are the special parts - the areas where the Torah is written in a special layout, optional crowns on letters, and, one of my favorite, niqqudot (in Hebrew) or puncta extraordinaria (in Latin/scholarly terms). These are the extra dots that appear above words and it occurs 10 times in the Torah. The first one of these special niqqudot words is in this week's parsha.

According to traditional Jewish commentary (Talmud and Midrash), the dots are a signal that the dotted letters or words are there to emphasize the word for some reason - to add an additional meaning or a teaching. In this week's parsha the dots are on the word "eilav" to him.

The dots basically demand new interpretation and in such a straightforward sentence, one has to get creative. Rashi explains

The letters 'א' י' ו of the word אליו have dots over them...an explanation of the dotted letters — that of Sarah also, they asked, איו “where is he (Abraham)”? So we may learn that in his inn a man should enquire of the man (the host) as to his wife’s welfare and of the woman (the hostess) about her husband’s. In Treatise Bava Metzia (87a) it is stated: The ministering angels knew, indeed, where our mother Sarah was but they asked this question in order to call attention to her modesty (retiring disposition) and so to endear her all the more to her husband.)

These two different reasons - that of politeness to both people in the couple who are the hosts and to highlight Sarah's modesty are obviously not the plain meaning of the text, but these intrpretations allow new lessons to be taught. Personally, I prefer the lesson about asking after

Abraham too, it engages Sarah in the story earlier, as if it's important for both to-be parents to hear the news they are there to give (that Sarah will have a child.) To highlight these dots, I am making a poppy seed-forward salad dressing and a simple, light colored salad where the poppy seeds will be seed (romaine lettuce, avocado, apple, scallions, and toasted nuts.)

Our youngest son helped me with this next one for #parshainspiredmenus. We were discussing what happens in the parsha and he pointed out that there's two important moments in the parsha that are, effectively, haggling. The first is when Abraham negotiates with God over the number of good people required in Sodom and Gemorrah to deem them worthy of saving. Abraham goes back and forth with God, from 50 people all the way down to 10. That's some good haggling. Then there's Lot. Now, I don't love this counteroffer - I actually find it very troubling, but when the visitors (who are angels) are in Lot's home and the townspeople come demanding that Lot turn them over so they can "know them" (read - exploit them sexually), Lot tries to negotiate. In their place, Lot offers up his virgin daughters. I know. Problematic, to say the least.

In both of these stories, the negotiation doesn't have the desired effect (Avraham can't find even 10 good people and Lot's offer is rejected and he and his wife and 2 daughters flee), but they tried to get to a better outcome than the initial situation. My son and I were struggling to find a food that was about negotiating or a food that sounded like haggling (except haggis - not making that!) but then we came up with the idea of featuring foods that are often found in a shuk where you could haggle for the price of the food. I have some Harissa bought for me in a shuk that I am going to use in my recipe and found an option that also uses dates, another popular shuk purchase - check out this Harissa Date Roasted Cauliflower.

Shabbat Shalom & B'Tayavon!