Food Tourah – Lech Lecha

November 4, 2024 in Food Tourah

Parshat Lech Lecha – 3 parshiot down, only 51 more to go!

In this parsha, God tells Abram (later to become Abraham) to leave his native land and venture into unknown territory with his wife Sarai (later to become Sarah). God promises Abram that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars and that he will be a blessing to the world.  In an extreme act of faith, Abram follows this command. Abram faces many challenges on his journey, among them famine, which drives him to Egypt. It is necessary for him to split with his nephew, Lot. Abram must return to rescue Lot when Lot is taken captive in a conflict. After rescuing Lot, Abram has wine with Melchizedek, the king of Salem. Melchizedek brings out bread and wine and blesses Abram, acknowledging God’s protection and support. (Genesis 14:18)  It is in Genesis 17 where God tells Abram that his name will be Abraham, and God says that Sarai’s name will be Sarah.  Also in this verse God introduces the ritual of circumcision as a symbol of the covenant between Abraham and God.  God tells Abraham that his wife Sarah will bear him a son Isaac, and that he will maintain this covenant with Isaac as an “everlasting covenant with his offspring to come.” (Genesis 17:19)

Drawing from the first reference to wine in the Torah, we think this Vineyard Chicken sounds delicious. Or for the pescatarians out there, here is a recipe for Drunk Tuscan Tuna Steaks.  The Torah’s first mention of a bris made us think of…kugel!  A bit of a stretch or not, we thought you’d enjoy this round up of Kugel Recipes that work well for Shabbat dinner. And inspired by God’s promise that Abram’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars, we couldn’t resist these Milky Way Brownies!

Fun Fact: Debbie Friedman’s famous song L’chi Lach is based on the opening verse of this parsha. For your listening pleasure, here is Debbie Friedman singing L’chi Lach:

B’tayavon and Shabbat Shalom,
Alison (Baraf) & Sarah (Roark)