Food Tourah – Acharei Mot – Kedoshim

May 7, 2025 in Food Tourah

With another double parsha this week – Acharei Mot-Kedoshim – we mark the 29th and 30th parshiot down, only 24 more to go!

Acharei Mot opens after the death of Aaron’s two sons who died when they came too close to the presence of G-d. The parsha details the Yom Kippur ritual service, including the two goats: one sacrificed and one sent out into the wilderness, symbolically carrying away the community’s sins (the original “scapegoat”). It also prohibits offering sacrifices outside the Tabernacle and ends with a list of forbidden sexual relations.

Kedoshim begins with the powerful directive: “You shall be holy.” It details a long list of laws that shape a just and ethical society, including leaving the edges of one’s fields for the poor and the stranger. It is in this portion that the concept of loving one’s neighbor as oneself derives.

With Acharei Mot’s focus on dual themes of sin and purification, we were drawn to recipes that cleanse (or at least claim to!). Enter Master Cleanse Chicken – lemon, cayenne, and maple syrup working their magic from the inside out. And how could we not include goat cheese?  Vegetarians will love these Roasted Portobello Pepper Caps with Goat Cheese – sinfully delicious.

Speaking of sins…we couldn’t resist a batch of Sin Bars. And because there is no such thing as too much dessert, we’ll throw in New Neighbor Cake as a sweet nod to the message in Kedoshim.  What better way is there to love your neighbor than by sharing this charming concoction? For many of us, food is our love language. You might also show yours with Sivan’s Persian Love Cake🌹💗

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.