Second Chances
There are many references to food in both last week’s Torah portion, Naso, (which I skipped in order to offer ideas for Shavuot) and this week’s parasha, Beha’alotcha. But the thing that really stood out to me was actually the discussion of Pesach Sheni (Lev. 9:6-13). This ritual enables those who are traveling or not in a state of ritual purity to still participate in paschal sacrifice; it essentially gives them a “do over date”, a second opportunity to do all the ritual elements of Passover one month later.
On my virtual calendar, I keep track of many important dates, including all of the Jewish holidays. Every year, I see the date for Pesach Sheni listed, and I have to admit, I have never given it much thought. It always seemed like a relic from the past, not something I had ever seen anyone actually observe. But reading about the institution of this holiday in the Torah this week, I was struck by what a beautiful accommodation it is to the realities of life, for God to acknowledge that sometimes there may be real barriers that stop people from participating in Passover at the appointed time, and to offer them a second chance. The institution of Pesach Sheni also acknowledges that offering the paschal sacrifice, or celebrating the holiday today, is important for us, not only (or maybe even primarily) for God. We gain something deeply meaningful by participating in these yearly rituals alongside our communities, and to miss out on the celebration is a real loss. Pesach Sheni acknowledges both the importance of those yearly ritual patterns as well as the need to be flexible when life throws us curveballs. It suggests that even when things beyond our control cause us to miss out on something important, there is always another chance.
In honor of this theme, this week, I encourage you to try making a recipe that didn’t work the first time you tried it. Maybe you were halfway through cooking before you realized you were out of a key ingredient (which has happened to me more times than I would like to admit). Maybe it had a tricky step that you didn’t get quite right. Maybe you have no idea what went wrong, but it just didn’t come out the way you expected. Or maybe you had planned to make it, and life just got in the way, so you ate Cheerios or boxed macaroni and cheese while the ingredients for the recipe spoiled in the fridge. Let this parasha be your second chance to take a swing at it.
As for me, I’ll be making meringues. As you may recall, I had intended to make these a few months ago for Beshalach, to represent the manna, but I got COVID and wasn’t up for much cooking, so I served store bought chocolate pudding instead. This week is my second chance, and it’s a fitting one, as Beha’alotcha once again talks about the manna in some detail - albeit mostly in the context of the people whining about how they are sick of manna and want to eat meat and cucumbers instead. Whether you join me in making meringues, or taking a second stab at a recipe of your own, I hope this week at your Shabbat table you can take a moment to appreciate the fact that every week, our tradition gives us the chance to try once again to create a meaningful moment of rest with our families. I hope you get there this week. Shabbat Shalom.
Manna Meringues (take 2)
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen; makes 15-20 cookies
I was very tempted to make these delectable looking lemon cream meringues, also from Smitten Kitchen, because I adore lemon desserts and usually find meringues a bit too sweet. But I knew my kids would be much happier with these chocolate chip meringues (darn kids!), and in the end, I’d always rather bake for them than for myself. But if you, like me, are a fan of lemon curd, do not despair! You’ll have two extra egg yolks leftover from this recipe, perfect for whipping up a small batch of curd to enjoy all by yourself.
And while these meringues may not look like much, I overheard my husband sneak one while they were cooling and mutter to himself “my goodness, that’s good!” So trust me when I say, these are likely to be a hit.
Ingredients
2 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
slightly heaped 1/2 cup granulate sugar
6 ounces mini chocolate chips
optional: 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (I am allergic to nuts, and do not use these)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 F.
Beat egg whites until thickened and foamy.
Add salt, cream of tartar and vanilla, and beat again until the mixture holds soft peaks.
Slowly add the sugar while beating, until the batter is very stiff.
Gently fold in the chocolate chips (and nuts, if using).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and gently spoon batter onto it in approx. 2 tablespoon size rounds (I use a small cookie scoop for this).
Bake for 25 minutes. The cookies should have almost no color, but the underside should be golden. Let cool fully before serving.