Emor/Lag Baomer

Parshat Emor and Lag Ba'Omer: Walk in Fields of Gold

This coming Sunday is the joyous holiday of Lag Baomer, when we reach the 33rd day of the counting of the omer. That means that we are more than half-way towards the whole receiving of the Torah thing, however you choose to think about it. People usually celebrate on this day by having a picnic outside in open fields. Many Jewish schools take students for a field trip that day to a field! Some others choose to get a haircut that day, usually by a respectable hairdresser, not on a certain hill in Tzfat, Israel (Josh-DON'T DO IT!).

Rituals, such as counting the omer, help us to communicate with ourselves and with God. Back in the day, it used to be through sacrifices, which I am not such a fan of, as many of you know. But in this week's parshah, there was one type of sacrifice which intrigued me. It combined the fruits of the vineyard with the "fruits" of the field, such as barley or wheat. So, I felt inspired to make a special Lag Ba'omer/Emor shot recipe (don't worry: it's not 33 shots!! I would never recommend that kind of behaviour. But, if you happened to have about 10 people over and everyone had 3 shots each, and then 3 people had 3 additional ones, that would be above and beyond!)

Lag Ba'Omer: 33 shot recipe:

-shot of tequila
-3 grapes
-sprinkle of beer

procedure:

-put a sprinkle of beer on one of your wrists
-drink the shot of tequila
-eat the 3 grapes

Have a meaningful Lag Ba'Omer!

Ahrei Mot-Kedoshim

First Fruits

When I was reading through this week's parsha, I came across these verses:

Lev 19:9-10 "when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger"

So, not only is it important to make the land grow, but it is also important to share the fruits with those who need it. I love that lesson!

I remember when I was in Israel visiting the Goldstein family's new place and their beautiful garden. They had a number of trees, some of which were already growing fruit! I got especially excited when I saw the pomegranate tree because I love pomegranates....we started asking them about the fruits and when they could start eating them. And, Warren Goldstein reminded us of this rule: "wait until the third year, for I am the Lord your God" from this week's parsha!

I'm not a farmer, I barely see trees! I am a city girl all the way and love it! But, I do try to appreciate the world of nature and everything, especially considering that today is Earth Day. I also think that there is something noble about settling the land, because it's about something greater than you.

So, here is a drink to help to remind us all of the land and how to make it grow stronger and stronger:

White Wine Sangria

-bottle of white wine

-slices of strawberries, blackberries, kiwi, melon, apples, and/or other fruit that is available

-1 cup of orange juice

-pitcher

-put the wine, fruit, and juice in the pitcher and let it sit for a few hours before drinking

-pour and enjoy!

Tazria-Metzora

Green counteracts red

There's a lot of red in this week's double parsha: the leprosy, the scars, the sacrifices to cure the leprosy, and...lots of other red things. Many people have commented recently that a Bloody Mary drink would be very fitting this week! And, while I appreciate the enthusiasm for my blog, that is not the direction that I wanted to go this week.

This past week, there was another dark day of Yom Hashoah when we took time to remember those who perished in the Holocaust. This coming Monday is Yom Hazikaron, when we remember the Israeli soldiers who sacrificed so much for the State of Israel. And, right after Yom Hazikaron, there is Yom Ha'atzmaut, the day that we celebrate Israel becoming a country!! I remember during my third year of university, when I studied at Hebrew University, asking my Israeli cousins about this. I said that I thought it was strange that these two days were side by side and I didn't get how you could go from a state of seriousness, mourning and sadness to happiness and joy. How do you counteract the red? They answered my question with another question: how can we celebrate our achievements without first acknowledging the sacrifices and obstacles that we had to overcome to get there? It is so true. Before celebrating the great achievements of present times, we must remember the past and how we got there.

This Yom Ha'atzmaut, some of us will get a chance to read the special haftarah for the day. Isaiah beautifully contrasts images of the fire that devours the sinners of Zion (33:14) to the purity of the rivers and streams of the golden Jerusalem (33:20-21).

I wish for all of us to find a way to remember the past and then transition to celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut smoothly and in song. If you need a little help with the transition, perhaps a refreshing cocktail drink will help!

A Refreshing Drink in Celebration of Yom Ha'atzmaut:

If you are fortunate enough to be in Israel, you can use this recipe:

1 part arak

1 1/2 part Eshkoliot juice drink

mix those together and add 3 sprigs of nana leaves to the pitcher. Leave the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Then serve with a lime wedge and enjoy!

If you live outside of Israel, you can use this adapted mojito recipe:

2 part rum

5 slices of lime

1 part lemonade

mix those together and add 3 sprigs of mint leaves to the pitcher. Leave the mixture in the fridge for at least hours. Then, serve with a lime wedge and enjoy!

This blog is also about green things in honoUr of my brother David who just received his Green Card! Mazal Tov, David!