tzav
parasha Tzav, leviticus chapters 6—8
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Tzav
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\We Jews are not the only ones with a theology that’s been alive for thousands of years. In a galaxy far, far away, the Jedi are referred to as practitioners of an ancient religion.
And what is the foundation of their religion? It’s THE FORCE. How does it affect the way they approach the business of living? By sensing The Force, connecting with it, and using it.
Whether one embraces the light side of The Force—harnessing it for good, for selflessness and service, or the dark side—brandishing it for evil, for power and selfishness—using The Force is highly effective, as any fan of the Star Wars saga knows.
shemot Chapter 6:11, on holy objects: “Anything that touches them shall become holy.”
we are all connected
on the web
Obi-Wan Kenobi explained to Luke Skywalker, “The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together."
But yeah, it’s a movie.
Does The Force actually exist? I mean, in the real world?
It does. If we’re sensitive to it, we can feel that energy field and connect with it. And that energy can be harnessed and used—we sometimes call it magic—for good or for evil. The ancient Kabbalists were able to do this. Apparently, they even created golems. We’re forbidden to use it to so great an extent because we haven’t ascended to their plane of holiness. Humans are frail, and it’s all too easy to be seduced by the Dark Side.
But the Jedi, though noble they may have been, were missing the point. That the Force was the foundation of their religion was their failing. The force is created by life, by all living beings. To worship something in creation is idolatry.
It is the Creator of life, and only the Creator, Who is to be venerated and worshipped. And our Creator has given us many gifts and many tools. The ability to use the energy force of the universe is one of them. I’ll take it a step further than the Jedi did. Not only are living things absorbing and emitting this force—everything in creation, every rock, every molecule of water, has energy and is part of the great web that weaves all of existence together.
Tzav is the key. Tzav tells us that if something is holy, whatever touches that thing becomes holy.
Knowing this give us a great power to affect change in our world, to do our part in tikkun olam. I talk about this a lot in my Challah Kabbalah section. In Mystical Magical Challah I begin to explore how the energy of a space can transform the people who enter it. Then those people carry that energy forward and pass it to those they come into contact with. In Challah is Taken we look at how our collective hearts and minds can infuse a piece of dough with holiness, and then finally in A Challah Meditation we soar with angels and we are transformed, as we transform our world around us.
We often don’t realize the power than we have, even as we’re wielding it, tossing energy around helter-skelter, knowing not where it lands or what it creates. But when we become aware, we can begin to control our own negative emotions, even when we’re confronted by people who are unpleasant, who spew out opinions that are offensive to our own values. We can choose the sort of energy we impart to the world, choosing the light. We can never know the backstory of the strangers we encounter, never know what a simple kind word or deed can accomplish. Sometimes the slightest smile or show of compassion can alter the path of someone who was contemplating doing something awful, or help lift someone from the depths of despair.
So, let’s try to feel our connection with all that is, take a beat, and be grateful to The One Who Spoke and the world came into being, the One who created that cosmic web of energy. We are, as the cliché goes, all in it together.
God abjures us to be holy because God is holy. If we can rise to that, if we can choose to be holy, then everything we touch will become holy.
So what shall we eat?
I’ll set out a relish tray for nibbling on with the challah, which is really an excuse to serve these gorgeous sweet pickled radishes that are sitting in the fridge right now. I’ll serve them with some olives and other pickled and marinated vegetables from the supermarket.
My mom’s first yahrzeit is coming up, and not to get all gloomy, but I’m just in the mood for some nostalgic dishes that she loved. So that’s my plan.
A favorite of Mom’s .. ok, of everyone’s—was Grandma’s split pea soup. It can be made vegetarian or with meat, so you can take your pick.
An optional course of Jewish style sweet and sour fish will be a nice counterpoint to the flavors that come before and after.
I’m going for an easy main course—everything into the oven, one, two, three, with a minimum of washing up to do.
My lemon and garlic roasted chicken was something Mom and Grandma both loved.
(So nice to get that pat on the head from the matriarchs that proceeded me.)
I’ll also do a crunchy tofu in a creamy roasted garlic and lemon sauce for the vegetarians.
(Which neither Mom nor Grandma would have loved, but I think it’s great.)
Annnnnnnd … some roasted potatoes with herbs … I know, we’ll do Tater Tats—Tattooed Roasted Potatoes— and some charred broccolini.* That will round it all out perfectly.
Then, dessert.
This morning I stepped outside and was almost knocked over by the scent of orange blossoms wafting on the breeze. I instantly thought of the olive oil and cornmeal cake that I call my Shabbat cake, in its original incarnation with orange blossom water. I call it my Shabbat cake because I make it so often for Shabbat dinner. It’s just perfect for the occasion—satisfying but light, pareve, with a crunchy sugar topping, and it’s super-fast and easy to make. It needs no mixer, takes no more than 5-10 minutes prep time, and it spends only half an hour in the oven. Perfect as is, or served with fresh fruit and perhaps a spritz of coconut whipped cream. And by the way, I’ve developed so many variations on this recipe that I could bake it every Shabbat for months, and never serve the same cake twice.
I’ll dress the broccolini in olive oil, with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and herbs d’Provence, and add it to the pan for the last 15 minutes … but I’ll check it after 10. The idea is to char the heads slightly while the stems remain firm but tender, making sure it doesn’t dry out.
I’m really psyched to eat this simple, fabulous meal.