By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant Last week’s parsha, Mikietz, ended with a somewhat disturbing enigma. Jacob’s ten sons had returned to Egypt to procure additional food as the famine continued. Based on the demand of the ‘Viceroy of Egypt’ (now, their brother Joseph, whom they did not recognize), they were also to bring […]
Author: AHWebMaint
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: A ‘BISSEL’ OF TORAH: MIKEITZ (GENESIS 41:1-44:7)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant Twelve years pass, with Joseph still languishing in an Egyptian jail. Suddenly, he finds himself not only free, but also the ‘Viceroy’ of Egypt. The swiftness with which this change occurred was nothing short of a miracle. One night, the Pharaoh of Egypt had two highly disquieting and […]
Jane’s Kitchen: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Molasses
Servings: 8 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, cleaned and cut in half 1/4 cup olive oil 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup chopped walnuts 1/3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (or a mixture of lemon juice and honey) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large mixing […]
Jane’s Kitchen: Chickpea and Baby Beet Salad with Pickled Red Onions
Servings: 8 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard 1 (5-ounce) package mixed baby greens 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 (8-ounce) package refrigerated cooked whole baby beets, halved or quartered 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh chives or other fresh herbs Cracked black […]
Jane’s Kitchen: Mushroom Barley Soup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped 2 large celery ribs, diced small 3/4 cup pearl barley 1/2 ounce imported dried mushrooms (Porcini or other variety), rinsed and coarsely chopped 4 cups packed escarole, coarsely chopped 1 can (16 oz.) Italian peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped, juice reserved 2 large carrots, sliced 1/4″ […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: VAYISHLACH (GENESIS 32:4-36:9)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant In last week’s parsha, Vayetzei, we read the convoluted and multifarious twenty years which Jacob experienced while living with his Uncle Laban. In parsha Vayishlach, with immense trepidation, Jacob follows God’s orders to return to his birthplace in Canaan. He is terrified of the inevitable encounter with his […]
A ‘ Bissel’ of Torah: VAYEITZEI (GENESIS 28:10-32:3)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant This week’s parsha, Vayetzei, begins with Jacob on the run from his family and home. Although he leaves with his father, Isaac’s birthright and blessing, these were obtained under false pretenses. His mother, Rebecca, heard his brother, Esau, mutter that he intended to kill Jacob for this deception. […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: TOLDOT (GENESIS 25:17-28:9)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant This week’s parsha presents an ancestral tale, which haunts us with its theme of cunning and deception. As the narrative proceeds, we realize that each of the characters presented in Toldot is caught in a web of relationships, a web of words, true and false, from which they […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: CHAYEI SARAH (GENESIS 23:1-24:67)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant The translation of this week’s Torah parsha, Chayei Sarah, is ‘The Life of Sarah’. Ironically, only the first two lines of the parsha pertain to the death of Sarah and no other aspect of her life is even mentioned again. Rashi wrote that the death of Sarah is […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: VAYEIRA (GENESIS 18:1-22:4)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant Towards the end of last week’s parsha, Lech Lecha, we read of the supernatural birth of Isaac to Sarah and Abraham. At the time, Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was in her nineties, well beyond child-bearing age. God made a covenant with Isaac, circumcising him eight […]