Food Tourah – Tzav

April 8, 2025 in Food Tourah

Tzav expands on the five sacrifices introduced in last week’s portion, Vayikra, detailing what each offering contains and who may partake.   The burnt offering (Olah in Hebrew) remains on the altar all night, its fire continuously burning. The parsha also describes the ordination of Aaron and his sons through ceremonial washing, special garments, anointing with oil, and the marking of the ear, thumb, and big toe with sacrificial blood.  The Hebrew root for anointing – mem-shin-chet – is the origin of the English word Messiah, literally “the anointed one”.  Though Tzav is undeniably meat-heavy, describing the fats and organ meats of the sacrifice, it also places limitations: meat may be eaten only by those who are ritually pure.  Meat from an animal that has been killed by a predator cannot be consumed.  And blood can never be consumed, hence the careful washing and salting of kosher meat.

Before you begin cooking your Shabbat meal – and before Pesach changes what’s in our kitchens – take inspiration from Tzav’s description of the Olah, which rests on the altar overnight, and prep a batch of Easy Blueberry Overnight Oats.  Then lean into the heart of this parsha with a Classic Pot Roast  – or choose a vegan alternative, Portobello Pot Roast – both of which roast low and slow, just like the offerings described. And for dessert this Shabbat, as you start eyeing those cabinets in anticipation of Pesach, bake a batch of Spring-Cleaning Cookies — a delicious way to clear out the chametz while there’s still time.

The Shabbat after this one, we will read a special Torah portion for Pesach, and Food Tourah will take a break for that week and return with Shemini the week after.

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

To read past installments of Food Tourah – Click Here.

For a more in-depth look at this week’s parsha, visit Sefaria.com.