If You Give a Mouse a Cookie to Initials

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff. (Harpercollins Juvenile Books, 1985)

Very popular books that tell the theme that everything comes back into itself. If you give a mouse a cookie he’ll want a glass of milk to go with it. Eventually, after a series of experiences, he has another glass of milk which reminds him that he’ll want a cookie to go with it. These books are wonderful stepping stones to discussing the cyclical nature of Torah readings and the Jewish calendar.

There’s also a sort of Mobius Strip quality to the theme which lends itself to a discussion of Passover and Sukkot acting as poles of the Jewish calendar which enable the year to recycle in never-ending twists. Jewish time, being non-linear and folding back into itself, constantly recreating, is in contrast to Christian time which has become linear and ending at a certain time. Also, the creation story, in Jewish eyes, becomes a Mobius Strip of folding and unfolding of partnerships:

Day 1 with Day 4

Day 2 with Day 5

Day 3 with Day 6

Day 7 with the giving of the Torah and Shabbat at Mt. Sinai.

(thanks to Rabbi Morris Allen of Beth Jacob Congregation, Mendota Heights, MN, for this insight).

Rabbi Ishmael, in the Talmud, says that time is non-linear and that there is no chronology in Torah.

I’m In Charge of Celebrations (Scribners and Sons, 1995) by Byrd Baylor.

Author of many children’s books, many with a desert theme (she lives in an adobe house in the Arizona desert). This book is written in the same style as a Yiddish poem, "How to Pray the Sunset Prayer" by Jacob Glatstein (1896-1971) of Poland and the United States, translated by Ruth Whitman as printed in the Siddur Sim Shalom prayerbook, page 801, edited by Rabbi Jules Harlow.

“How to Pray the Sunset Prayer”

I’ll let you in on a secret

about how one should pray the sunset prayer.

It’s a juicy bit of praying,

like strolling on grass,

nobody’s chasing you, nobody hurries you.

You walk toward your Creator

with gifts in pure, empty hands.

The words are golden,

their meaning is transparent,

it’s as though you’re saying them

for the first time.

If you don’t catch on

that you should feel a little elevated,

you’re not praying the sunset prayer.

The tune is sheer simplicity,

you’re just lending a helping hand

to the sinking day.

It’s a heavy responsibility.

You take a created day

and you slip it

into the archive of life,

where all our lived-out days are lying together.

The day is departing with a quiet kiss.

It lies open at your feet

while you stand saying the blessings.

You can’t create anything yourself, but you

can lead the day to its end and see

clearly the smile of its going down.

See how whole it all is,

not diminished for a second,

how you age with the days

that keep dawning,

how you bring your lived-out day

as a gift to eternity.

In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak. (Harpercollins Juvenile Books, 1995)

A Jewish author and bread is a very Jewish subject, but in this case it’s an opportunity to teach what is not supposed to be in bread.

Mickey is a young boy who spends the night helping the bakers bake cake. It starts out looking like bread, but once he puts milk in it we know it has to be cake unless it’s clearly marked as dairy.

The Shulchan Arukh says it is against Jewish law to put milk in bread unless it is clearly marked so that people will not mistakenly eat it with meat. Bread made with milk in Israel is usually in a distinctive shape. Rabbis should tell prospective converts this rule as soon as they first meet.

We make challa every week. It’s really very easy. The secret for me, after years of trying to make bread only to have it come out like a stone, is to use a special dough cutter I found at one of those outlet kitchen supply stores. It’s thin plastic and shaped like half of a yin/yang symbol (appropriate since some poeple have found that if you take the Magen David symbol and put curves on it and push a little it turns into the yin/yang symbol). I used to get exhausted trying to mix the dough with a spoon and then I’d be left with a doughy, sticky mess to clean up. The dough cutter, which cost all of 50 cents, lets me cut in all of the dough and leaves a clean bowl. If my wife doesn’t work Friday, then I mix up the dough before leaving for work and she finishes it during the day. If she does work, I do the mixing and baking Thursday night. Sometimes in the long summer days, I’ll put up the dough Friday morning, then bake it when I come home from work. It would be done just before lighting candles and saying the blessings. The boys would love to get the challa hot and fresh out of the oven. Sometimes, if I baked it Thursday night and if I had room in the oven on Friday, I would put the challa in a large brown paper bag, wet the bag and put the bag into a 350 degree oven to rewarm or cover it with a damp towel and then rewarm.

Here’s our recipe and procedure, slightly adapted from the challa recipe in the First Jewish Catalog by Michael Strassman and others (all three Jewish Catalogs are indispensable).

Ingredients:

For 2 large challot:

1 Tbls yeast

1 Tbls sugar

1/3 cup hot water

2 cups hot water

1/2 cup oil

6-7 cups flour

1 Tbls salt

2 eggs (or more, depending on taste)

Get a cereal bowl and a glass bowl from the cupboard. Get a dinner fork. Run water until very hot. Pour one-third cup of the hot water into the cereal bowl. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon yeast into the water (ask someone who belongs to one of those wholesale warehouse food stores to get you the shrink-wrapped, double package of yeast; it costs so much less than indivdiual packets that it’s almost worth the membership in those places; if you get the yellow, individual metal foil packets of Fleischman’s yeast point out that it’s a Jewish name; call the 800 number on the packet to get some fascinating information about yeast). Don’t worry about the temperature of the water. Once it goes into the bowl it will cool down enough to not hurt the yeast. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon sugar over the yeast. Stir with the fork.

Add the salt and the oil into a large bowl (stainless steel or something non-plastic that will go into the oven when the oven is warm). Use the same cup from the oil to measure the hot water. Pour in the water. Mix with a large rubber spatula and add 2 cups of the flour. Pour in the yeast.

Crack one egg at a time into the glass bowl. Check for blood spots by picking up the bowl and looking underneath (that’s why the glass bowl is traditional). I’ve seen one blood spot in 12 years of shipboard cooking. Commercial eggs nowadays just don’t have the blood spots that farm eggs do. But, there are few times in a vegetarian household to teach the commandment about not eating blood. It’s a nice tradition with the glass bowl and our grandmothers did it, so that should be enough reason. Once, when we were helping to cook breakfast at a homeless shelter, I cracked an egg that had a blood spot. Unfortunately, I cracked it into a huge pot that was already full of cracked eggs ready for scrambling. There is a rabbinic ruling about the mixture being alright if it constitutes less than one 60th of the total as long as it was accidental. I let it go.

Pour each egg into the bowl you used for the yeast. Beat the eggs with fork you used for the yeast and pour into the flour mixture. Add flour cup by cup until it’s too stiff to use the rubber spatula, then switch to the special yin/yang dough cutter. Use the dough cutter to turn and cut the dough while adding flour now by the 1/2 cup. I like to get the dough so it’s still a little sticky but not too much flour. It should get the sides of the bowl clean while mixing. The less flour I leave on the sides of the bowl, the more I feel in touch with the ancient Hebrews who had to spend most of their day just to have bread on the table. The rabbis say that a loaf of bread on the table is a greater miracle than the parting of the Reed Sea.

Knead the dough a few minutes by following the directions in any cookbook. An alternative is to repeatedly throw the dough very hard onto the worktable. I saw this on a Julia Child cooking show once. It works and is easier for children. Remember to clean up the flour on the table first or there’ll be flour everywhere. I usually give the boys their own ball of dough to knead and to make their own challa. When we have a large group for Friday night dinner, they like to hold up their challa for the blessing at their end of the table. It’s a good way to let them use their challa covers they made in school while at the same time letting you use the challa cover your wife gave you.

Put the dough back in the bowl. Most cookbooks say to put a film of oil on the sides of the bowl. I’ve found that it’s unnecessary and doesn’t help the dough grab onto the sides while it’s rising. Turn the oven on at 200 degrees for one minute. Use a timer to remind you to turn off the oven. Nothing like slow-cooked bread dough when you’ve forgotten to turn off the oven. One time forgetting should be enough. Put the bowl with the dough covered with a cloth into the oven. Use a cloth so the burning smell will remind you that you forgot to turn off the oven.

Let it rise at least 1-2 hours. It can go longer. I’ve let it go all day, but the top can dry out if you don’t oil it and cover with plastic wrap. Take it out and punch it down. Shape it back into a ball and put it back in the oven repeating the ritual designed to help you remember to turn off the oven. As an alternative, you can just leave the dough on the counter all day. I’ve even made the dough Thursday night, covered it with plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and left in the refrigerator all night. It will need to come to room temperature and rise before punching it down. Let the dough rise another 1-2 hours, at least. This second rising in one of the big differences between my recipe and most other challa recipes I’ve seen including the one in the First Jewish Catalog. We seem to get a much puffier loaf with the extra rise.

After the second rise, punch it down again (the boys’ favorite) and do the challa separating ritual if you’ve used enough flour. There are rules about when to separate challa. Generally, if you’ve used less than 6 and a half cups of flour, then you don’t separate, which is too bad since separating challa is one of the three mitzvot traditionally required of women which means it’s a chance to keep us aware of tradition. The other two are lighting the Shabbat candles and using the mikvah (all rabbinical mitzvot). Men may do the separating if they are the ones baking. You separate without a blessing if using between 8-12 cups of flour and separate with a blessing if using more than 12 cups. It is traditionally alright to say a blessing that is not required if you are teaching a child. If you’re uncomfortable not separating and not saying a blessing then use it to teach your children. The challa is separated (use a piece at least as big as an olive) and held high while saying, "This is the challa." Then say the blessing. The next step is burning the challa. Either throw it into the oven and stink up the house and get your wife upset or burn it outside in an aluminum pan (tricky in the winter). Trying to burn challa with a 4-year old helping is high on the Shabbat fire danger list. Have the Shabbat fire extinguisher nearby. Another idea for burning the challa is to save them for Pesach and burn them with the chametz.

Now braid the dough. The First Jewish Catalog has very clear directions for braiding 3 or 4 strand challa. The 3 strand is more traditional and symbolizes the 12 tribes since 2 challot is 3 + 3 = 6 and 6 x 2 = 12. The 4 strand is easier to cut equal pieces for braiding since you just have to cut each ball in half and then half again. The 4-braided loaf is very impressive and easy to do by following the directions in the Catalog. However, it doesn’t specifically symbolize anything. In the movie, "A Stranger Among Us," (not a children’s movie, but nonetheless, a good Jewish-themed movie) there’s a beautiful scene of a huge loaf of challa coming out of the oven. The 6-strand loaf described in the Catalog is beautiful and easy to do.

For an impressive pre-Yom Kippur feast try the bird challa described in the Catalog.

Let the loaves rise about an hour or less. This is tricky since they lose their shape if you let them rise too long. Then brush with a whole egg beaten with a little oil and water (the golden-brown color is worth the extra egg). Place in the pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Slightly over-done is better than under-done. Test by tapping the bottom of the loaf. It should sound hollow.

This recipe makes great weekday bread just by leaving out the eggs, adding some under-cooked oatmeal (to replace the liquid) and putting in a loaf pan.

Try making two large challot even if you won’t need them. It looks really nice on the Shabbat table and makes great French toast the next day. If you really only want small loaves, try making one big one and using a dinner roll or bagel in order to say the blessing over a double loaf.

Initials

Most are from Nehama Leibowitz’s New Studies in Bereshit, (Haomanim Press, Jerusalem). (a wonderful series of commentaries on the Torah)

Amen	The Hebrew spelling is aleph-mem-nun. These three letters began the three words, Al Melakh Nehaman, which are found immediately before the Shema and are said when davening alone. One reason for this is that it brings the word count for the entire Shema to 248 which is the number of positively stated commandments in the Torah. The number of negatively stated commandments is 365 (for a total of 613). This has traditionally been thought to correspond to the number of days in the year while 248 corresponded to the earlier understanding of how many bones were in the human body. Of course, it also means, “so be it.” Most traditional Jews do not say “Amen” after saying a blessing. However, they do try to say it after someone else has said a blessing.
Ari	Adoni Rabbenu Yitzchok Zechorono LeVaracha our master Rabbi Yitzchok. Better known as Yitzchok Luria the great 16th century Kabbalist Gur Aryeh (1525-1609) (Ari) also known as the Maharal of Prague
Bach	Rabbi Joel Sirkes (1561-1640), he is known by the initials if his major work, Bayit Hadash. He is also an ancestor of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, of blessed memory, who was a well-known and well-loved rabbi from the 1960’s and 70’s.
Besht	Baal Shem Tov: Founder of the Chassidic movement
Chabad	The name is derived from the initials Chachma (wisdom), Binah (understanding) and Daat (knowledge). Founded by Shneur Zalman (1745-1813) His intention was to bridge the gap between the Mitnagdim and the Hasidim, combining intellectualism and mysticism. His Lekutei Amarim (Collected Sayings) became known as the Tanya and is one of the important study texts of the CHabad Hasidim.
Chazal	Hebrew initials for: Chochmenu Zichrona Levaracha (Our sages of Blessed memory) Used to refer to Rabbis of the Talmud.
Chida	Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai. In the 18th century he was sent to Europe by the elders of the Jerusalem community to raise money for the support of the institutions and inhabitants of Jewish Jerusalem.
MaHarsha	Moreinu HaRav Shmuel Eliezer (our teacher Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer) a famous Talmud commentator.
Mahrasha	Edels, Shemuel Eliezer ben Yehuda Halei (1555-1631), Rabbi of Chelm (the real one), Lublin, and Ostrog. Wrote foremost commentary to Talmud after Rashi.
Malbim	Meir, Yehuda Leibush ben Yehiel Michal (1809-1880), Russian rabbi.
Netziv	Berlin, Naphtali Zvi Yehuda (1817-1893), Russian rabbi. His son, Meir Berlin, moved to Israel and changed his name to Bar Ilan. The Bar Ilan Univesity is named after him.
RA’VAD	Abraham ben David, (1125-1198) French rabbi.
Radak	Kimhi, David (1160-1236), French rabbi.
RADAL	Rabbi David Luria (1798-1855), Lithuanian rabbi. Leading rabbi after death of Gaon of Vilna.
Rambam	Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon also called Maimonides (1135-1204)
Ramban	Rabbi Nachman ben Moshe, also called Nachmanides (1194-1270)
RaMHaL	Luzzatto Moshe Hayim (1707-1746), Italian Kabbalist.
Ran	Gerondi, Nissim ben Reuven (died 1380), Talmudic commentator.
RaNaK	Krochmal, Nachman (1785-1840), Polish philosopher known for The Guide to the Perplexed of Our Time.
Rashba	Rabbi Solomon ben Abraham Aderet (Barcelona, Spain, 1235-1310)
Rashbam	Rabbi Shemuel ben Meir (1080-1158) grandson of Rashi.
Rashi	Rabbi Solomon Yitzhaki (1040-1105), French commentator. Greatest of all Torah and Talmud commentators.
Rivya	Yehuda ben Eliezer (14th century), French rabbi.
Shadal	Luzzatto, Shemuel David (1800-1865), Italian scholar.
TaZ	Divrei David (1689), Polish Talmudist known as TaZ after initials of commentary to Shulchan Arukh: Torei Zahav.
YaSHaR	Reggio, Yitzhak Shemuel (1784-1855), Italian rabbi.
Yavatz	Yaakov ben Tzvi. Name of Rabbi Yaakov Emden.

When Moses spoke to us about going into the desert he said
"tachin lekha haderekh, prepare for yourself the way."
TaChIN has the initials of tefillin, kikar, yayin and ner.
(Tav, chaf, yud, nun.) To prepare yourself for the way
means that wherever you go,
 take your tefillin, a little bread, wine for kiddush and a candle.
 Always have a little bottle of wine for Shabbos, a little challah,
two candles and tefillin with you all the time, wherever you go.