Food Tourah: Bamidbar

May 28, 2025 in Food Tourah

Because life so often happens around food, we’re spending the year exploring the weekly parshiot and finding connections to each week’s Shabbat menu. 34 parshiot down, 20 more to go!

Bamidbar (“In The Desert”) is the first parsha in the book of Numbers. In it, G-d instructs Moses and Aaron to take a census of all the tribes of Israel – counting everyone except for the Levites.  The Levites are assigned the role of transporting the Tabernacle.  The tribes are instructed to travel through the desert in a set formation with the Levites and the Tabernacle in the center of the camp. It is also in this parsha, that G-d declares that every first born male, except those from the tribe of Levi, belongs to Him.  These firstborns must be redeemed through a ritual known as pidyon haben, which requires 5 shekels per child. This practice ties the sparing of Israelite firstborn sons to the death of Egyptian firstborns. Moses and Aaron are also tasked with counting the Kohathites, a clan within the Levites.  The Kohathites are in charge of the most sacred objects in the Tabernacle, and the Levites are given specific details of how these should all be laid out before the Kohathites may approach and transport them.

With this parsha’s emphasis on counting, we’ve chosen a couple of recipes that highlight numbers. 40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken is always a crowd-pleaser. And this Perfect 10 Cod is new to us – but we thought we’d give it a try! To accompany these mains, we’re recommending sides that  play on the theme of the silver coins required for the pidyon haben.  Both Air Fryer Potato Coins and these coin-shaped Glazed Carrots are on theme! To finish it off, Vegan Pecan Sandies are a playful reference to the title of this week’s parsha, Bamidbar – “In the Desert.”  These deliciously “buttery” cookies are a sweet and sandy way to complete your Shabbat meal.

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