Beshalach

when he let go

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Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels. And Miriam chanted for them: Sing to Adonai, for He has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver He has hurled into the sea.

Who is like You among the mighty, Adonai! Who is like You, resplendent in holiness, feared in praises, performer of wonders!

Have you ever had a "paranormal" experience, one that was ir-rational, unexplainable, a time when you were sure that the hand of God was on your shoulder, or when you were sure that an angel had intervened on your behalf? Have you ever seen something with your eyes that no one else perceived?

It felt so real! You knew it was real. In your excitement, perhaps you told others about it. Some people said "Wow! That's amazing!" Others looked at you skeptically. Some humored you, but they were sure that there had to be a non-mystical explanation for what happened. But you knew what you saw. Someone else's doubt didn't faze you.

And time goes by. Memory softens, fades around the edges. It may be only a few days, or maybe years later, when you wonder, "did I really see what I thought I saw? Did that really happen or did I imagine it?" You go from Wow to whatever.

That's happened to me. More than once. And that's what comes to my mind when Pharaoh decides to pursue the Israelites. One might wonder how he could have continued to harden his heart, plague after terrible plague that culminated in the slaughter of every first born in the land, and still not be humbled.

It was the shock of the tenth plague, and the fear of even more repercussions that convinced him to send the Israelites out. But only a few days later, he was second guessing himself. He thinks, "how could I have allowed all my slaves to leave? Who's going to do the hard labor now?'

I imagine him rationalizing all that he'd seen and experienced. He thinks, "this had nothing to do with their god. It just happened, just one of those things. Or maybe it was the Israelites themselves, Moshe the magician, who made these things happen. Anyway, I'd better go after them and drag them back."

What have you done for me lately?

It's not only Pharaoh who has memory issues. Even before smart phones and iPads, human attention spans were short. One has to wonder, how could a people who witnessed the plagues with their own eyes, who panicked at the edge of the sea only to see the waters part, be worried that God won't provide food and water?

God was trying to teach these people to trust by supplying them with only one day's worth of manna at a time. You have food today is the message, why are you worrying about food tomorrow?

That lesson is still being driven home today. Why am I lying in bed worrying about whether I'll be able to pay next month's bills and buy what I need? I paid my bills this month, and I have what I need for today. Surely, the God who has sustained me all this time is not going to forsake me tomorrow.

In the desert, there were those who were angry. They wanted to surrender and turn back. There were those who were terrified and froze in their tracks. There were those who were faithful and prayed for salvation. Moshe was a part of that group. And then there was Nachshon ben Aminadav, the one man who was truly faithful. He just kept walking, doing what he needed to do to move forward, and trusted that God would also do what was needed, whatever that might be. The water sloshed over his knees and he just kept walking. He was up to his pupik (yiddish for belly button) and he just kept walking. He felt his shoulders become submerged, and yep, he just kept walking. And when the water reached his nostrils, when if he went any deeper he would have drowned, the waters parted and dry land was revealed.

The waters parted and everyone—the angry, the frightened, the pious, and Nachshon—all walked through to safety.

If I do virtually nothing, if I stand still, I can trust that God will sustain me as God has done every day so far, making sure I have what I absolutely need. God is infinitely patient. But if I just keep walking, do my part by doing all that I can, God will do God's part and abundance will flow.

So what shall we eat?

I'm going vegetarian all the way this week, with a meal so satisfying and flavorful that no one will miss the meat.

It's written that manna was like coriander seed and tasted like pastries fried in honey. Hmmmmmm. I feel a dessert coming on...

Rosh Hashanah is a long way off. Do I really need to wait that long to have one of my most beloved desserts?

Why should something so yummy only be enjoyed once a year? Enough rationalization. I'm making taiglach!

But I'm ahead of myself. We’ll start with my Golden Shabbat Challah and some nibbles to enjoy with the bread. A bowl of labne with olive oil and garlic, plus some crudites and jammy quail eggs will be just right—and the eggs will remind us of the quail that God sent when the people whined about a lack of meat. Labne can be found in Middle Eastern or Jewish markets. If you can't find it, you can use Greek yogurt. The real stuff; not thickened regular yogurt. Fage 5% is a good brand that's readily available.

Next, there's the soup. Split sea.....split pea...red sea...red pea.. . This smooth and creamy red lentil soup is richly flavored and wonderful on a chilly winter evening.  

And now I'm craving greens. Greens filled with vitamins, minerals, and loads of flavor.  Saag Paneer is one of my favorite dishes. This version is made with a combination of mustard greens, dandelion greens, and spinach, and is seasoned with whole toasted coriander seeds and coconut milk. You can use any kind of greens you like/can find. I'll serve it alongside coconut basmati rice. I like to keep things interesting by combining different textures on the plate, so I'm going to serve some deep fried mushroom and onion kreplach with the saag. And by the way, if you can't find paneer and don't want to make your own, or if you prefer to avoid dairy, you can substitute tofu. It works wonderfully well. Enjoy your fabulous multi-cultural Shabbat dinner!                                                    

 menu for Beshalach

Golden Shabbat Challah

Fluffy, silky, whipped Labne dip

with crudités and jammy quail eggs

Red Lentil soup

Saag Paneer with a coconut twist

Coconut Rice

crispy shiitake and chestnut Kreplach

Taiglach

shabbat shalom