Shabbat Shalom!.
Shabbat Shalom!.
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Emor
Leviticus 21:1-24:23
Torah Reading for Week of
May 3-9, 2009
Iyar 9-15 5769
They shall be holy to their God, and they shall not desecrate His Name, for they perform sacrificial service to God and must be holy." (21:6).
This week we read parsha Emor. Emor begins with the laws which apply only to Kohanim. It is interesting that Hashem when speaking with Moshe uses the ‘soft’ term of ‘emor’ twice when introducing these laws to the Kohanim. The Kohanim have to realize that in order to effectively teach and serve as an example to the nation, these laws can’t be a burden to them. They must be ‘soft’, light, a pleasure to carry. They must accept it with happiness and pride. They are given these special laws to sanctify themselves above the rest of the Jewish nation as leaders because they directly serve Hashem in the Bas Hamikdash.(Holy Temple) The Kohanim were to symbolize the highest level of devotion to G-d and to their fellow Israelites.These difficult responsibilities and added obligations and prohibitions are strictly outlined. Certain marital restrictions are placed on thekohanim. The nation is required to honor the kohanim. The physical irregularities that invalidate a kohen from serving in the Temple are listed. as well as which funerals they may attend: the funeral of a close relative (father, mother, brother, unmarried sister, son, daughter, wife), how they must dress and the avoidance of coming in contact with corpses, all are commanded in order that a Kohan maintain a high standard of ritual purity.
Parshat Emor is also famous for its lengthy presentation of the "chagim" (the Jewish holidays) however, before discussing the festivals, the Torah mentions that we must observe the Shabbas as a day of rest after six work days (23:3) Rashi comments that the Torah speaks of the Sabbath when listing the festivals to teach us that whoever desecrates a festival is as if he desecrates the Shabbos, but whoever observes the festivals, is credited as if he observed the Shabbos.The lessons of Shabbat and those of the holidays being complimentary, all essential to the lives of Jews.
“Speak to the Israelite People, and say to them: These are My fixed times… which you shall proclaim as sacred occasions.”
The observance of Shabbat goes back to the creation of the world by Hashem, which occurs weekly on the
7th day of each week,, while the holidays are decided by a Jewish rabbinical court (Beis Din) who with the help of 2 witnesses declare that it is Rosh Kodesh the new moon. Thus the starting point of all holidays is
Shabbat, the reminder of creation and God's control of nature and history.
"Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it."
One of the rituals we do on Shabbat is called Kiddush(sanctification) , which consists of three parts:
1) Three verses from Genesis that recount how G d rested on the seventh day and sanctified it.
2) The blessing for wine
3) A blessing thanking G d for giving us the Shabbat.
Before dinner, the man of the house recites Kiddush, a prayer over wine sanctifying Shabbat. A kiddish cup is filled with kosher wine or grape juice, and the blessing over the wine is recited. Judaism teaches that all blessings should be followed immediately by partaking pleasure in the gift that was blessed, and each person present takes a sip of wine from the kiddish cup as it is passed.
Wine is mentioned more than 141 times in the Old Testament, and it is a constant presence in many Jewish homes. One of the first times wine is cited in the Talmud, is in the passage where Noah and his family come out of the ark to a new world. All evil had been destroyed, and what remained was pure. Noah quickly began life anew by planting a vineyard.(Genesis 9:2 ), on the 8th day in the life of a baby boy wine is given at the bris, Shabbat, holidays, weddings, and engagements, which are typically called L'chaims, we all toast with wine. At a Bar or BatMitzvah the 13 year old does kiddish with a cup of wine. On holidays as Purim the Talmud teaches us to drink until we cannot tell the difference between cursed Haman and blessed Mordecai. And on Passover we are commanded to drink four cups of wine apiece. We even leave wine for Elijah.
The wines which many of us associate with Sabbath dinners or Passover seders has been Manischewitz. The sweet concord grape wines was a staple in many Jewish homes,of our grandparents and great grandparents. And just as the gourmet mentality has infused itself into American culture, kosher wine making has been greatly influenced as well. Many delicious kosher wines are available today just pick up a copy of Food and Wine or the Wine Enthusiast Magazines and you will be enlightened as to the many new and trophy winning kosher wines that are available.
A grape may be used either for wine or vinegar, for sweetness or bitterness. It is up to us to sanctify our lives with goodness and blessings!. L’Chaim!
Shabbat Shalom,
Miriam
Kosher Wine
There are many specifics which go into making sure that the wine we drink is Kosher.
Grapes to make kosher wine cannot be grown on vines that are less than four years old. If a vine is less than four years old, the wine will not be considered kosher. Therefore, the creators of the wine have to take special care in knowing how old their vines are.
Also, fruits and vegetables cannot be grown between the vines if the wine’s going to be kosher. In addition, every seven years the fields must not grow anything. Then, after that year, they can be used once again.
There are also strict guidelines about who may harvest the wine. The only people who may harvest and make the wine are male Jews that observe the Sabbath. If there are workers in the winery that are not Sabbath observing male Jews, they will not be able to help in the process at all. All equipment they use must be kosher.
Poached Salmon with wine for your wine tasting party!
So you've decided to have a wine tasting party and what better appetizer that's easy, healthy and pretty to look at!
Liquid to poach
3 c. water
3 c. white wine
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
fresh dill
salt and pepper
lemon wedges
SAUCE:
1 tsp. shallot, minced
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh or dry dill weed
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 c. heavy cream
POACHING SALMON: Place poaching liquid in saucepan. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Place salmon in liquid and poach for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness (8 minutes per inch thick). You can also poach the salmon in the oven which is what i prefer for larger pieces or a whole salmon. Preheat oven to 350 F. Take a large piece of aluminum foil and lay it over a baking tray with edges or a roasting pan big enough for a whole salmon. If you spread butter over the fish it will make the sauce go over the salmon easier.Seal the aluminum foil loosely around the Salmon making sure that all the edges are sealed .
Oven poach for about 10 minutes per 1lb
MAKING SAUCE: Saute shallot and garlic in butter until tender. Add heavy cream, Dijon mustard and dill. Bring to boil and reduce liquid to sauce consistency. Place salmon on a plate, cover with sauce, garnish with a cucumbers, lemons, and red pepper.
Sangria
1 Bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja,
Zinfandel, Shiraz)
1 Lemon cut into wedges 1 Orange cut into wedges 1 Lime cut into wedges 2 Tbsp sugar Splash of orange juice or lemonade 2 Shots of gin or triple sec (optional) 1 Cup of raspberries or strawberries (may use thawed or frozen)
1 Small can of diced pineapples (with juice) 4 Cups ginger alePreparation:
Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon, orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and pineapple then add sugar, orange juice and gin. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale, berries and ice just before serving. If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice. However, remember that the best Sangrias are chilled around 24 hours in the frig. - allowing the flavors to really marinate into each other.
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Shabbat Shalom!.
Shabbat Shalom!.
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