I got to sit down and talk with a friend from one of my classes this morning.
Mark’s parents were both raised in Jewish homes. When they made their own family, in his words, they “rebelled from a strict orthodox upbringing.” So he himself was raised in a much less devout manner.
However, growing up his family would often visit his grandmother who followed the traditions. It is here he would most often partake of the Sabbath Meal.
Early Friday (the Day of Preparation) his Grandma would put a chicken on the stove and cook it slowly all day. She would stir and taste and add ingredients “accordingly.” He mentioned his mother would get frustrated when Grandma used that phrase, because she wanted measurements and all she got was accordingly.
Grandma would also make sure and follow Kosher standards: never mix meat and milk in with your dishes. Mark says this has to do with the older wooden bowls women would prepare food in; the bacteria would get in the cracks and spoil the food.
In addition, she would make sure to never use pork products since it is considered unclean. There is also a practical reason for this rule: Back in the day, without proper refrigeration, people would often suffer from trichinosis. (For the record, I had to look up several words he used in our conversation!)
Grandma would also make the traditional challah (pronounced hallah with an ‘h’ that sounds like you’re going to hawk a loogie.)
This sweet-tasting braided bread was usually made by hand on the Day of Preparation (although Mark’s daughters usually buy it at a bakery these days). The two parts of the braid represent the double portion of manna that God rained down from heaven for the Israelites in the wilderness. I love that the Sabbath is so intertwined with how God provides for His people. They wouldn’t have to gather manna on the day of rest, and the double portion gathered the day before was the only extra portion that would not spoil (Exodus 16:21-26).
Grandma would also make tzimes (pronounced ‘simmis’), a traditional dish that is a mixture of carrots and sweet potatoes.
The whole mood traditionally surrounding the Sabbath meal is one of anticipation. Often the family dresses up, good china is used, and members treat it as if they are preparing for the arrival of a beloved guest.
An important element in all this is the lighting of candles. He didn’t go into detail on the “why” behind this, so I looked it up. These candles represent the two commandments surrounding Shabbat: zakhor (to remember – Exodus 20:8) and shamor (to observe – Deuteronomy 5:12).
The woman of the house lights these candles before the partaking of the challah. Mark said Grandma would observe the tradition of placing her hands in front of her face as she said the prayer. (And he mentioned his oldest daughter sings the prayer.)
He repeated the prayer to me in Hebrew, but I looked up the transliteration online:
Blessed are you, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the Holy Shabbat.
After reciting the blessing and uttering her silent prayer, the woman uncovers her eyes and traditionally says … “Shabbat Shalom,” to all who are present. Source
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Shabbat Shalom.
Peace/Greetings/Welcome Sabbath!
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We discussed many more things than the traditional meal. I want to share some with you, but that’s for another post. However I can’t resist including something incredibly charming he mentioned about his grandmother and the Sabbath:
Grandma and several of her widow friends were excellent poker players. They played every night, except on the Sabbath. Mark said one time they invited a distant relative who wasn’t sure it was fair if he participated because of his Advanced Math degree. He said, here were all these ladies with no more than a 5th grade education and old world accents taking on the Mathematician. He said they may not have understood formal statistics, but they knew the odds of probability. Mr. Advanced Math came to the game with $45 and went home with none!
Don’t you love it?