This week's parsha has Moshe tell the kohanim a lot of rules about them and their status. They shouldn't be around dead bodies, even family members, with a few noted exceptions. It tells the kohanim who they can and can't marry, what kinds of physical imperfections disqualify them for serving in the role as priest, that they can't cut a bald spot on their head, and more.
One that always catches my attention is the list of statuses of women who are not allowed to marry a kohen. Among them is a divorced woman. Some of the commentaries on why not a divorced woman are a bit convoluted (there's one that assumes a lost kohen husband assumed dead, then the wife gets remarried to someone else and the first husband returns). Since the complete list is 1) a woman defiled by harlotry and 2) a divorced woman there are those who ascribe a negative "looseness" to a divorcee. That is a trope I remember in movies and TV shows from when I was a kid too and it was even problematic to me then. I could understand this prohibition from one angle, which is the question of paternity. With a divorced woman who remarries quickly, if a child was born there could be some question of paternity, which would be an issue for the status of the child - kohen or no? In a tradition where that status really means something, the question could be an issue. Ultimately, some still follow this custom, but others have removed this restriction. With all this talk of who the kohen could marry, I thought a ring would be a good menu item. So, #parshainspiredmenu item 1 is a carrot ring. It's almost a gold like color, just like the wedding band and is a ring! Carrort rings, depending on the recipe, can range from almost like carrot cake (I love a dessert masquerading as a side dish) to more of a kugel. This recipe for Carrot Ring looked good to me.
Another list for the kohanim in this parsha is the list of physical differences that negate the priest's eligibility to serve (interestingly, we also hear about physical differences that negate an animal's eligibility to serve as the sacrifice.) It would not be a big leap to see discriminatory practices here and an undervaluing of those with physical differences. However, I found an interesting note in the Etz Hayim about the animals with blemishes. As the comment on Chap 22,
verse 19 notes we are trying to offer God the best we have and God is looking for wholeness. If we look at it as striving for our best selves, we can all aim to, aspire to, to serve God in wholeness. All of this thought about being "whole" makes me want to cook a WHOLE something. I've decided to try doing a whole roasted cauliflower.
Shabbat Shalom & B'Tayavon!
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