Pinchas 5771: Zealots, Women's Rights and Passing the Torch

Pinchas 5771: Zealots, Women's Rights and Passing the Torch

This link will take you to a wonderful page explaining the special writing that is characteristic of this parasha in the Torah Scroll. 

http://hatam-soferet.dreamwidth.org/443763.html

Vayikra 5771: Of offerings, sacrifices and community building

Vayikra 5771:  Of offerings, sacrifices and community building

For more background on the book of Leviticus you can read:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Leviticus

I also strongly suggest getting The Torah:  A Modern Commentary by Rabbi Gunther Plaut.  These sections of Leviticus are really well explained by Rabbi Plaut.

Yitro 5771: Conversion, Courts and Commandments

Please see the "extras" for the PDF of the 10 commandments in Hebrew and English as they appear in this week's parasha.

"Nedarim" is the Hebrew word for vows and is a tractate of the Talmud.  For more information on the importance of vows see: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/practices/Ethics/Talk_and_Gossip/Types_of_Speech/Vows_and_Oaths.shtml.

For more information about seeing the text through a feminist lens consider these books:

New Jewish Feminism
Probing the Past, Forging the Future

Edited by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein
Foreword by Anita Diamant, author of The Red Tent

ReVisions
Seeing Torah through a Feminist Lens

Rabbi Elyse Goldstein

The Women's Haftarah Commentary
New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Haftarah Portions, the 5 Megillot & Special Shabbatot

Edited by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein

The Women's Torah Commentary
New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions

Edited by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein

Standing Again at Sinai:  Judaism from a Feminist Perspective Judith Plaskow

Vayetzei 5771-Of Dreams and Mandrakes

In honor of Nofrat Frankel and in support of her as she and Anat Hoffman

deal with the aftermath of their arrests for daring to carry the Torah and wear a Tallit and pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem

Prayer for Women of the Wall

May it be your will, our God and God of our mothers and fathers, to bless this prayer group and all who pray within it: them, their families, and all that is theirs, together with all women’s prayer groups and all the women and girls of Your people Israel. Strengthen us and turn our hearts to serve You in truth, reverence, and love.
May our prayer be as desirable and acceptable before You as the prayers of our holy foremothers Sarah, Rivkah, Rahel, and Leah.
May our song ascend to Your Glorious Throne in holiness and purity, like the song of Miriam the Prophet and Devorah the Judge, and may it be as a pleasant savor and sweet incense before You.
And for our sisters, all the women and girls of Your people Israel: let us merit to see their joy and hear their voices raised before You in song and praise. May no woman or girl of Your people Israel or anywhere else in the world be silenced ever again. God of Justice, let us merit justice and salvation soon, for the sanctity of Your name and the restoration of Your world, as it is written: Zion will hear and be joyful, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, over Your judgments, O God. And as it is written: For Zion’s sake I will not be still and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be silent, until her righteousness comes forth like great light and her salvation like a torch aflame.
For Torah shall go forth from Zion and the word of God from Jerusalem. Amen, selah.
Prayer by Rahel Jaskow is from Women of the Wall: Claiming Sacred Ground at Judaism’s Holy Site, copyright 2003 by Phyllis Chesler and Rivka Haut. Permission granted by Jewish Lights Publishing, Woodstock VT, www.jewishlights.com.

Life after Death coverage by Katie Couric:  http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7008848n

 

Mandrakes in Harry Potter:

"The cry of the Mandrake is very fatal to anybody who hears it"

—Hermione Granger

A Mandrake, also known as Mandragora, is a plant which has a root that looks like a human (like a baby when the plant is young, but maturing as the plant grows).

The real story of Mandrakes:
Mandrake is the common name for members of the plant genus Mandragora belonging to the nightshades family (Solanaceae). Because mandrake contains deliriant hallucinogenic tropane alkaloids such as atropine, scopolamine, apoatropine, hyoscyamine and the roots sometimes contain bifurcations causing them to resemble human figures, their roots have long been used in magic rituals, today also in neopagan religions such as Wicca and Germanic revivalism religions such as Odinism.
The mandrake, Mandragora officinarum, is a plant called by the Arabs luffâh, or beid el-jinn ("djinn's eggs"). The parsnip-shaped root is often branched. This root gives off at the surface of the ground a rosette of ovate-oblong to ovate, wrinkled, crisp, sinuate-dentate to entire leaves, 5 to 40
 centimetres (2.0 to 16 in) long, somewhat resembling those of the tobacco-plant. A number of one-flowered nodding peduncles spring from the neck bearing whitish-green flowers, nearly 5 centimetres (2.0 in) broad, which produce globular, succulent, orange to red berries, resembling small tomatoes, which ripen in late spring. All parts of the mandrake plant are poisonous. The plant grows natively in southern and central Europe and in lands around the Mediterranean Sea, as well as on Corsica.

Toldot 5771--Lentil Stew and Dysfunctional Families

Show Notes

Toldot 5771

Suri’s essay, while a commentary on Hayei Sarah is still pertinent to us as we read Toldot.  This was reprinted with her permission.

127 Heirs

BY: SURI STERN

Just this week, while sitting in my Advanced Wealth Transfer class, my professor, a Catholic, was relating to the class a case of a Brooklyn family, very wealthy,  who, as a couple, are  permitted by law to give $26,000/per person/per year. The IRS audited this estate because they felt that the $3,302,000 in annual gifts was too great.  The professor then had the task of showing the IRS that this couple had 7 children, and each child had many children, etc. until at this point, this couple had 127 heirs, to whom they were allowed to give $26,000/year tax free.  127 heirs?  How haphazard a number is that, the professor asked the class.

It's a small class, so I responded, it isnt haphazard at all, it is the number of years that Abraham's wife Sarah lived, and the number of Persian provinces over which Queen Esther reigned.  "So, the Professor replied, do you think the couple had this number of heirs purposefully.?"  I replied, "even if it was not the couple's exact intent, it was obviously G-d's intent."  A moment of silence, and we moved on.

There are no coincidences.  That this case came up this week made me pause.  It is midterm week, and the midterm problem was to take the $24mm estate and plan so that it could pass to the heirs estate tax free.

Sarah lived 127 years and each day of each year brought merit to future generations.  After all, she lived most of her life childless, she had no thought of transmitting her merits to her own children, she did it for us, for future children, whom she would never know.  She placed her merits in a Dynasty Trust for us all...so that generations later, it could merit another woman, Esther, who would also sacrifice herself for us.  She reigned over 127 provinces, in the merit of each of Sarah's 127 years.  She gave up her husband Mordechai and her nation and had a child with Achashverosh, who would permit the Jews to return to Eretz Yisrael and rebuild the Temple.

This week's Parshah states that "Hashem Bayrach et Avraham Bakol," that G-d blessed Abraham with it all.  Was it wealth that the parshah was referring to?  No.  It was children.  Finally he had a son who would inherit and take over his Jewish heritage.

As I plugged away at my midterm this week, bothering Jeffrey Rosenberg of Yale Brokerage to provide me life insurance numbers,  I thought of this Orthodox man with $24mm and 127 heirs, and I understood that his wealth was not from the former number, but from the latter number.

Good Shabbos.

Suri

Lentil Stew Recipe

Jacob’s Lentil Stew—But you don’t have to sell your birthright to eat it!

(Based on the Mediterranean Lentil-Eggplant Stew from the Sunset International Vegetarian Cookbook)

1 large onion

Olive Oil

Garlic (3-5 cloves)

1 large celery stalk thinly sliced

(You could also use a celery root sliced very thinly)

2 large carrots thinly sliced.

Basil 1-2 tsps

Oregano 1-2 tsps

Cilantro 1-2 tsps.  (better to use a bunch of fresh cilantro)

12 oz red lentils or brown lentils

2 cups water

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1-1/2 lbs of eggplant cut into ½ inch cubes

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste (optional)

¼ cup red win vinegar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt (optional)

1/8 teaspoon pepper (optional)

1-2 tsp ground cumin (optional)

Chopped parsley

Slice onion and sauté in 4-5 quart pot.  Add in onions, garlic, celery, carrots, basil, oregano and cilantro.  Sauté until onions are translucent and the carrots and celery are partially cooked.  Add the lentils, water and vegetable or chicken stock to the pot and let boil.  When the pot begins to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover pot and let cook for 1 hour.

While the pot is cooking heat a frying pan and use oil/and/or chicken broth to sauté the eggplant.  You can add in ground cumin and cover the pot until the eggplant is browned and softened.  After 1 hour add eggplant mixture to the lentils and also add the tomato paste, vinegar and/or red wine, cinnamon, salt and pepper.  Continue simmering for about 1 more hour or until the vegetables are tender.  Add more water and/or vegetable stock if the stew starts to stick to the pot.

You can serve this with couscous, quinoa or brown rice for a really hearty meal.

To learn more about Droit de seigneur and/or Primae noctis you can read this quick article at wikipedia.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droit_de_seigneur

Hayei Sarah 5771

I WON!  I won 5^th place in the novice spinning competition at the New York Sheep and Wool festival!

The Cave by Composer Steve Reich and Beryl Korot is a wonderful performance piece delving into the meaning and imagery of the Cave of Machepelah and its importance to our world today. http://www.stevereich.com.

Don’t forget to check out Forgotten Classics at:  hcforgottenclassics.blogspot.com to hear more from Robert Alter on the difficulties of biblical translation. 

You can now find Torah Threads at Itunes!

My Winning Skein of Yarn with its Ribbon!

Lech Lecha

Happy Birthday to me!  It was my birthday when I recorded this podcast….of course, when you listen to it…it will be over and I will simply be old.

Here is the link to the article about Jboomers.  http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new_york/boomers_needs_being_neglected_communitys_peril

You can find Jboomers on Facebook.  If you are interested in attending the Jboomers Klezmer Brunch at City Winery on Nov 21, send a note to Jboomers through facebook.

New York Sheep and Wool, Oct 16-17 in Rhinebeck, NY.  You can look for my skein entries in the novice category.  (1 skein is purple and pink, the other two are grey, pink and blue and very sparkly).  Maybe I’ll even win a ribbon or something!  The last time I entered an artistic type contest was when I was 10  or 11 years old!  (I won!)

http://www.sheepandwool.com/

Thank you Linda Hirschhorn for giving me permission to play her song “Sarah and Hagar” as performed by Vocolot on their Album Heart Beat.   Heart Beat is available at Itunes.  You can find more information about Linda and Vocolot by clicking on the links below.

http://www.lindahirschhorn.com/

http://www.vocolot.com/

Two Contests

Donation Drawing:

If you donate to Torah Threads during the month of October you can win either a personalized yad or a skein of handspun wool.

You can send a donation by clicking on the paypal link at torahthreads.blogspot.com

Essay

If you submit a short essay about the relationship between the children Ishmael and Isaac, your feelings about the pre-ordained strife mentioned in this week’s portion and/or the implications of the strife arising from the relationship of Sarah and Hagar, you are eligible to win a personalized yad or a skein of handspun wool.  I will read the winning essay on a show in early November.  Please submit your essays to me at:  torahthreads@gmail.com

                                 

Our Sponsor, Frisky Lamb Farm is now taking orders for fresh, 100% grass fed, humanely raised lamb on our 75 acre pesticide free farm.  If you live in the Binghamton area you can pick up the meat directly from the farm.  If you live in NY, we can make arrangements for delivery in early December.

The chart below shows relationship of Torah to other forms of Jewish Literature.  More on this in the coming weeks

Show notes for Parshat Bereshit

For the audio feed click on this Torah Threads Link torahthreads.libsyn.com/rss


Thank you for joining me for our first week!  I am sorry there are some imperfections in the audio balance.  I will try to do better for the next one. 

The Torah portion for this week is Bereshit:  Genesis 1:1-6:8.

You can purchase the Plaut Torah Commentary, from URJ books and music.  There is a new revised edition and a travel edition.   http://www.urjbooksandmusic.com/product.php?productid=2086&cat=0&page=5

You should also own the JPS Tanakh.  It is the best available complete English translation of the full Hebrew bible.  There are many different formats available at:  http://jewishpub.org/product.php?terms=tanakh&search.x=0&search.y=0

(I am still trying to get permission to add the text for each week here).  Tell JPS I recommended you purchase the book from them.  Maybe I’ll finally get permission to use their text. 

I have added the widget for JPS’ audio Torah to this webpage.  However you should know, they control the feed.  It is set to only have the audio text available for each parasha for one week before it changes to the next portion. 

Books to consider reading:

Milton’s Paradise Lost with Isaac Asimov’s commentary or the audio edition available for free at librivox.org.

John Steinbeck’s East of Eden and Ernest Hemingway’s Garden of Eden might also interest you. 

Puff Pancake Recipe (with thanks to Ujjala Schwartz)

1 stick of butter

1 cup of milk

1 cup of flour

4 eggs

Vanilla and cinnamon to taste (I forgot to mention that in the podcast).

Cast Iron Skillet

Fruit and or Powdered Sugar for topping.

Heat oven to 425°.

Place stick of butter in cast iron skillet and place in oven to melt butter.

Beat Eggs, add in milk and flour and blend.

When butter is melted, pour the batter into the pan and replace in oven. 
Bake for 18 minutes.

While the pancake is baking, prepare fruit.  You can use fresh  or frozen berries, apples, bananas, lemon,  and/or nuts.

I like to sauté apples and walnuts in a pan with a little orange juice or butter.  I also zap some apples in the microwave for 3 or 4 minutes.  Defrosted frozen berries also work well. 

You can sprinkle the pancake with some powdered sugar.

Serve hot!

Enjoy!

Have a good week. Next week's  Parasha, Noah,  will be released on Sunday, October 3. 

Who am I and What to expect at Torah Threads.

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Please listen to this audio feed about me and what I plan for Torah Threads before you listen to a parasha podcast.


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Chag Sameach,

P