Miriyummy Cooks Up KCC
Miriyummy did a lovely Kosher Cooking Carnival. Thank you for including kid-friendly spicy potatoes and no-cook pea salad.
Chanukah – Why Oil?
Our rabbi, Rabbi Bassous, gave 5 reasons why the rabbis chose to celebrate the miracle of the oil on Chanukah. An alternative question might be: Why emphasize the oil instead of the military victory?
(My apologies if I restate any of his talk incorrectly).
- Humility: in crushing the olive to make the oil, we learn humility. We should learn to be humble in our lives.
- Permeation: Oil permeates the skin if we rub it like an ointment. Just as Joseph was involved in Egypt in a good way, so we Jews should be involved in the world around us.
- Water and oil separate: water does not mix with oil. We should not mix in and dissolve in greater society. Joseph was involved in Egypt, but he retained his Judaism.
- Oil floats to the top: if we are good, hardworking people, we can rise above in society.
- Light unto others: the lighted oil is symbolic of being a light unto others.
If you need further explanation or elaboration, feel free to ask the comments (especially if you don’t celebrate Chanukah or if you just don’t understand one part of what he said – I’m open to questions).
Weekly Review, Chanukah Style
On My Blog
Elsewhere in the Blogosphere, all Chanukah links:
- Moscow Daily Photo: Hanukkah in Moscow in so frosty – 20C (-4F) evening.
- Ilana-Davita posts a pretty and large chanukia on her weekly review.
- Elinka’s lovely Chanukah pics
- Hannah suggests some family games for a party.
- G6: Shabbos Chanukah Candles
- Thank you to WestBankMama for Haveil Havalim – Lots of Latkes Edition.
- Post by Batya about the tragic fire in Israel: Sometimes the Giver Has to Receive
Nature Notes: Cardinals and Rain
Yesterday it rained and then it poured and then it drizzled. During one of the drizzles, I spotted a cardinal pecking away at my compost. I ran to get my camera, and when I came back, it was in this small tree.
Almost as soon as I saw it, the cardinal flapped away.
In contrast to all the rain we got on the East Coast, Israel has been having a very dry, dry spell. Here’s a photo from our 2008 trip to the Dead Sea:
For more Nature Notes, visit:
Update: Jameel on the tragic fire raging in the Haifa region of Israel
Chanukah Musings and JPiX
Tomorrow night, December 1, is the first night of Chanukah. Are you ready? Set up those chanukiot, bought those potatoes and oil, found last year’s dreidels? If you celebrate Chanukah and own a camera: take a photo, post it on your blog and submit it to JPiX.
An unknown number of 8 year old girls will be descending (ascending? proceeding to? invading? gracing?) our home on Sunday morning. A treasure hunt has been prepared by middle son, and I will be short order cook in charge of latke and sufganiyot (doughnuts) creation.
We are looking forward to Shabbat guests that we haven’t seen since we visited them in their home in Hashmonaim in 2008.
