Lech-Lecha
Genesis 12:1-17:27
Torah Reading for Week of October 25-31, 2009
Cheshvan 7-13 5770
"Go for yourself, from your relatives, and from your father's
house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a
great nation; I will bless you, and make your name great, and you
shall be a blessing" (Genesis 12: 1-2).
This story, one of the most famous in our Torah, highlights a pattern
that many of us experience as we try to navigate our path in life. The
term “ lech lecha” means go forth or go for yourself. Rashi explains that
G-d is telling Abraham to go, not just because I am telling (commanding ) you to do this, but go because it is for your benefit.“Lech lecha" encourages us to move beyond our comfort zones, to push boundaries, to explore uncharted territory.
This charge applies not only to Avram, but to many of us as well. There are times when we feel that we need to make a change in our life, we may feel that we need to do something to change the direction we are headed, something to give us a deeper sense of meaning in our journey through life. Perhaps moving our homes to a more religious environment so our children can grow up surrounded with Judaism, or making a shabbos dinner to to bring together your family. The change not only affects us but also affects those people we surround.
Abraham is referred to in this week's Parsha as "Ha-Ivri" (literally, "The Hebrew"), our sages teach us that the word "Ivri" is a reference to a word which means "to cross over;" in other words Abraham is "The one who Crossed Over." Literally, Abraham did come from the other side of the Euphrates River, however, other interpretations look at this differently. Abraham was on one side of a moral and spiritual divide. The rest of the known world during this time was on the other side, they were idol worshipers as Abrams father was. As the first monotheist Abraham at 75-years old was asked to start his life over again, to leave the comfort of his homeland, together with his wife Sarah to devote their lives to spreading novel, monotheistic ideals. The revolutionary concept of belief in one G-d was a difficult one for many to accept, but the agreement G-d made with Abraham promised him that Abraham’s children would one day become a great nation that would inherit the land of Israel.
It is pleasant to be popular and win the approval of others, but many of us too often bend our own principles to avoid making waves. Being a Jew frequently demands that we accept the challenge of “being on the other side”. Keeping Shabbat, keeping the jewish holidays, keeping kosher, are all challenges which we are asked to accept. We need to remind ourselves that Abraham's legacy to us was one of independence of thought.As a child, Avraham came to the realization that there must be a single, all powerful God. He didn't accept what his society was offering. We all tend to be influenced by the society around us. Our attitudes, style of dress, and sense of values get molded and shaped by people with which we are associated. As Jews we have the responsibility to be persistent in our quest to what we believe to be G-ds truth. This is the special ability that Abraham was gifted. This ability comes from within. It's based on a burning desire for truth, and what is known as faith or “emunah”. Simply, Abraham
“trusted the Lord and deemed it as righteous merit on his part”(15:6)
As Abrahams descendents we have been given this legacy, and one of the reminders that we have of this covenant with G-d is mentioned for the first time in this weeks parsha. The mitzvah of brit milah . Lech Lecha tells us about the
Covenant (Brit) of Circumcision that G-d made with Abraham as an eternal reminder that we too are G-d's people.
Abraham and Sarah, were given the challenge to be Ivri, to be different and we must understand that being Jewish is the belief that we accept this covenant. As the promised Jewish nation, may we continue to face the challenges of our commitment and belief, maximizing our own potential as well as enriching others whom we come in contact with.
In the book "1984" George Orwell so wisely wrote,"there are truths and there are untruths just because you are a minority of one doesn't make you wrong."
Shabbat Shalom,
Miriam
Abraham specialized in the mitzvah of "hachnasas orchim," taking care of guests. What a great time of year to invite guests over for Shabbat dinner. Pomegranate’s medicinal history can be traced back to antiquity. Pomegranate and its many seeds is considered a symbol of fertility by many cultures and is widely grown throughout Israel and the middle east. Jewish tradition teaches that the Pomegranate is also a symbol for righteousness, and many Jews eat Pomegranates on Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot. Because of recent studies suggesting that Pomegranate juice contains large amounts of antioxidants I have been requested for recipes using pomagranates. Considering that the pomegranate was chosen by Middle Eastern civilizations for nutrition and sustenance during long-distance journeys, I thought it appropriate to include it in this weeks recipes.
Pomagranate Chicken
prepare the pomegranate vinaigrette. mix the pomegranate
juice, vinegar and honey, and let sit for 10 minutes. Whisk in
the oil and adjust the seasonings. Mix in pomegranate seeds and
chives, if using. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir
thoroughly before using.Remove 1/2 cup to another container
and refrigerate.
1/2 cup pomegranate juice 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar 2 tablespoons honey 1/2 cup olive oil (not extra-virgin) or sunflower oil Salt and pepper Pomegranate seeds, for garnish ( the only edible part of the pomegranate is the seeds. To dislodge the seeds cut the
pomaganate in half horizontally and hold the fruit cut side
down over a bowl and hit the back of it with a wooden spoon.)
1 tablespoon chopped chives, for garnish
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, lay them in a 13x9-inch pan and pour over remaining vinaigrette. Turn breasts to coat with vinaigrette. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at leat 20 minutes Meanwhile, heat grill. Place chicken on the hot grill, cover and cook for 1 minute. Give breasts a quarter turn to get crosshatch grill marks and continue to cook for 3-4 more minutes or until chicken is
done. Usually it takes 5 minutes per 1/2" of thickness. Discard vinaigrette used for marinating.
drizzle reserved vinaigrette over the fillets
Root Vegetable Pot Pie
sweet potatoes, turnips carrots) cut into cubes.
4 tbl.olive oil
1 tbl. thyme
1 1/2 teasp. kosher salt
black pepper to taste
7 tbl. margarine
2 leeks
2 pounds mushrooms ( I like to mix the varieties)
1/2 cup flour
4 cups stock(chicken, mushroom or vegetable )
preheat oven to 400 degrees toss the root vegetables with 2 tbl. olive oil,thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Roast for about 45minutes to 1 hour until vegetables are soft and crispy. Remove vegetables and lower heat to 375 degrees. While the root vegetables are cooking, saute over med-high heat 2 tbl. margarine with leeks and add mushrooms along with additional olive oil. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, reduce the heat
to medium and slowly add the remaining margarine, flour and stock, cook until flour is absorbed and gravy thickens.
FOR THE PASTRY
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 pound cold margarine, diced
1/4 - 1/3 cup ice water
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or heavy cream, for egg wash
For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the margarine and pulse 10 times, until the margarine is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough on a floured surface and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll the dough out to fit the baking dish with about 1/4-inch overlap. Use the egg wash to paint the outside rim of the dish. Place the dough on the filled baking dish and press it lightly to adhere to egg wash. Brush the dough with egg wash. Make 4 or 5 slashes in it to allow the steam to escape. Place the dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown
Mushroom and Potato Bourekas
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 tablespoon olive oil
6 baby portobello mushrooms, brushed clean and thinly sliced
1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic
3-4 medium potatoes boiled or microwave, then mashed
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes, optional
1 pound puff pastry sheets
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 400. In a skillet brown the onions in the oil. Remove the onion to a large bowl, and add mushrooms to the pan. Cook the mushrooms until just tender and then add the garlic. Cook, stirring constantly for about 2 more minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat. Add the mushroom mixture to the onions and add the mashed potatoes. Mix to just combine. add the paprika, pepper, salt and turmeric. Mix to combine and then taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning, if needed, adding the optional hot pepper flakes. Roll the dough slightly, and cut into 3" squares. Fill each square with about 1 tablespoon of the mushroom filling, shape into closed triangle or rectangle, which ever shape you prefer. Place the bourkes on the foil covered pans. Brush the tops with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Shabbat Shalom!.
Shabbat Shalom!.
