In many ways, this parsha is a review of the information in earlier parshiot. We read the details of the creation of the Mishkan, the materials, the utensils/instruments, etc. In the Torah there's always something new to keep things exciting so there will be with #parshainspiredmenus too. Before going into the details of the mishkan, God reminds the people "On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a sabbath of complete rest...." Several commentators (Rashi, Sforno, etc.) note that the order here is to make sure everyone understands that the prohibition against work applies to work on the mishkan too. Despite the fact that the construction is holy work, it does not supercede the requirement to stop work.
I think this is an important message about the importance of rest. Truth be told, in the rest of the week I am not so good at taking a break for myself; I have a near constant drive to be productive. Yet, on Shabbat I find no problem in spending time relaxing - reading, walking, doing puzzles, or playing games. I am able to put aside the demands, even those that are about important things, and pause. To honor the 7th day, I thought about a 7 layer dip and then found a fun alternative version that would work well for Shabbat dinner - the 7 Layer Mediterranean.
Hummus
Schwarma (or falafel)
Chopped cucumber
Tahini
Chopped Tomatoes
Cabbage Salad (Cruv, a la Israeli Schwarma stands)
Olives
Though many people contribute to the building of the mishkan with their donations and some unnamed skilled women also give of their time and expertise in weaving, there are two artisans who really stand out in this project - Betzalel and Oholiav. Betzalel is considered the main artisan of the mishkan and God points him out by name and with a grand description:
Exodus 31:3
I have endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft;
As Laura Shaw Frank pointed out in an article about the importance of a creative class in a 2018 article, "Those are impressive qualities even standing on their own, but they become even more striking when we realize where else we have seen that combination of qualities. In Mishlei Chapter 3, we read:
משלי ג׳:י״ט-כ׳
(יט) יקוק בְּחׇכְמָ֥ה יָסַד־אָ֑רֶץ כּוֹנֵ֥ן שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם בִּתְבוּנָֽה׃ (כ) בְּ֭דַעְתּוֹ תְּהוֹמ֣וֹת נִבְקָ֑עוּ וּ֝שְׁחָקִ֗ים יִרְעֲפוּ־טָֽל׃
Proverbs 3:19-20
(19) The LORD founded the earth by wisdom; He established the heavens by understanding; (20) By His knowledge the depths burst apart, And the skies distilled dew."
I love this parallel and it makes me think of the wonder of man-made art and the way it can make us think and consider big ideas, just like I feel about the wonder of God's creation of the world. I
read this article and REALLY wanted to find something to represent art in the menu and my son helped me come with up this idea - we are going to have french fries (goes well with the 7 layer
Mediterranean dip) and use an artist's palette (if you don't have one you can buy them pretty inexpensively) for a variety of dipping sauces - ketchup, honey mustard, garlic aioli, spicy mayo, bbq sauce, etc.
Finally, for the dessert course - one of the items described in detail in this parsha is the menorah, such as:
וּבַמְּנֹרָ֖ה אַרְבָּעָ֣ה גְבִעִ֑ים מְשֻׁ֨קָּדִ֔ים כַּפְתֹּרֶ֖יהָ וּפְרָחֶֽיהָ׃
On the lampstand itself there were four cups shaped like almond-blossoms, each with calyx and petals:
The language around the menorah makes it very easy to picture in my mind. To highlight the
almond blossom designs on this important piece, I would make this Citrus-Almond Tart Recipe. The almond flavor features prominently and the colorful citrus as the shades of red and orange so it invokes flame.
Shabbat Shalom & B'Tayavon!
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