Last year I had a #parshainspiredmenus item that was based on Joseph's special coat and the different translations of the words כְּתֹ֥נֶת פַּסִּֽים - is this special coat striped, a fine wool, or multi-colored? This year, another aspect of this special coat caught my attention and I found it in an "oldie, but a goodie," the Hertz "Pentateuch and Haftorahs" published by the London Soncino
Press in 1971. If you grew up in a Conservative shul, you probably would recognize this edition of the chumash. Here's what Rabbi Dr. Hertz wrote "People have often wondered why a trifle like this gaudy garment should have provoked the murderous hatred of all the brethren. We now know from teh painted Tombs of the Bene Hassein in Egypt that, in the Patriarchal age, Semitic chiefs wore coats of many colours as insignia of rulership....Jacob, in giving [Joseph] a coat of many colours, marked him for the chieftainship of the tribes at his father's death." So a coat was much more than a coat. This could explain some of the jealousy, though fratricide should never have been the considered option. This explanation makes a lot of sense in the context of the stories of the patriarchs and ends up true in its own way. So, just like last year I am going to suggest a multicolor dessert, but to bring up a different aspect of the multicolor coat. I'm taking it easy this week, so I'm going to make simple brownies and add multicolor sprinkles on top!
As the story progresses, Joseph gets attacked by his brothers, thrown in a pit and then the brothers saw "...a Yishmaelite caravan was coming from Gilod. Their camels were carrying spices, balsam and lotus, bringing them down to Egypt." Rather than just kill Joseph they sell him to the Yishmaelites and so begins his journey to Egypt. As pointed out in Genesis Rabbah "Why does Scripture specially announce what they were laden with? It is to tell you how great is the reward of the righteous: it is not usual for Arabs to carry anything but naphta and itran (tar) which are evil-smelling, but for this one (Joseph, the righteous) it was specially arranged that they should be carrying fragrant spices so that he should not suffer from a bad odour (Genesis Rabbah 84:17)." I
connect to the idea that even in this most terrible of circumstances, there is something that could be done to make it a little less painful. We are often faced with difficult things, for ourselves or for others, and it can feel like there's nothing that can make it better, but this is a reminder that we can't make it all better, but we can do one small gesture and that can make a difference. To call this to mind, I suggest making something with delicious middle eastern spices. I'm thinking of trying Ottolenghi's Za’atar & Sumac Roasted Chicken. Whatever you try, I hope it makes the whole house smell delicious!
Shabbat Shalom & B'Tayavon!
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