comicgeekscomicgeek:

relatablemormonmoments:

urlocalllama:

if I could ask God anything and get the real, genuine answer, I’d ask him why He commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. He knew He was going to stop him. He knew that He’d never truly ask him to do it. He knew that if he went through with it then His promise would be frustrated.

The thing is… the story has led parents to think it’s okay to sacrifice their children, metaphorically and sometimes literally, for a false sense of moral superiority. How many LGBT+ children have been sacrificed in the supposed name of Christianity? How many autistic children? How many orphaned children? How many abused children?

Maybe it was the right lesson for Abraham, especially about how it paralleled Christ’s atonement. But it’s not a story that has translated well into modern times.

do you want the Jewish answer? It was to challenge him to think critically about commandments from g-d (and translating to religion as an institution, rulings from religious leaders and scripture), and it’s a challenge he failed. He was supposed to, theoretically, fight g-d and say “no, by no means am I going to do this. I don’t care that you created everything, that is my child and my world, and I’m not going to do it just because you said so.”

Instead, Abraham royally screws up, traumatises his son, and in doing so, loses his son, loses g-d’s will and favor, and in the Tanakh we never really hear from Abraham again after this point, because he failed.

It’s a story about someone blindly following in faith, and losing the most important things to them because they never stopped to think “Wait, did I hear this right? And if I did hear this right, am I so sure that this is something I want to follow?”

Isaac was Abraham’s only son at the time, and the child he had fought so hard to have. Him following an order blindly without thinking of the consequences is not supposed to be a good thing (It just kind of benefits the feudal society that eventually embraced Christianity, which is why the understanding was changed in Christian worldviews.)

I wish I could say I was surprised at the totally different meanings being derived here…

I am growing very, very tired of hearing that this is The Jewish Answer to this particular question. Because there is no The Jewish Answer to anything.

Jews have been discussing the Tanakh for as long as we have existed, and if you have ever encountered a difficulty within that vast and rambling text I guarantee you we have discussed it, interrogated it, weighed it, and absolutely not resolved it definitively. The idea that Abraham was supposed to refuse or question God’s order to sacrifice Isaac, and that he actually failed the test, is ONE (1) of VERY MANY Jewish takes on the story.

And it’s one that I personally can’t make ring true, because God tells Abraham he did right and will be rewarded for it. And what is the point of a test if you tell someone they passed when they failed? If Abraham has lost God’s favor, why does God tell him the exact opposite of that?

(Does that mean this interpretation is wrong? Of course not. Just that it doesn’t work for me. I’m sure I’m not the first to raise that particular difficulty, and I won’t be the last, and difficulties aren’t disqualifying.)

The fact that any parents anywhere think this story means they should sacrifice their children is, of course, a monstrous misreading – as is (in Jewish thought, generally, at least) the notion that the Binding of Isaac foreshadows the Crucifixion. The former assumes that God’s exceedingly specific commandment to Abraham is in any way intended as a general instruction to future parents; furthermore, both of these misreadings lose sight of the crucial climactic moment of the story, in which the child-sacrifice is prevented, because it is not something that God wants anyone, ever, under any circumstances, to actually do.

But I don’t think that necessarily means Abraham was supposed to argue, or refuse. I think Abraham was asked to do it specifically because he knew it wasn’t what God really wanted, and maybe the point of it was to see if his loyalty to this God of his was actually contingent on the fact that unlike most of the other religions around at the time, this one wouldn’t demand that he sacrifice a child. So is he really in this because he thinks it’s right, or because it’s easier for him? Maybe that’s what’s being tested here – and maybe (as has been suggested elsewhere) it’s not that God wants to find that out, it’s that God wants to give Abraham the chance to demonstrate it for his own self-awareness.

Or maybe it’s not that at all, because there isn’t just one Jewish answer.

Pesach Recipes: Random Mix 3

Once again it’s time to add to my tumblr collection of Pesach recipes! Let’s see what I can offer you this year.

(Click through for: Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Rolls), Roasted Artichoke-Leek Soup, Cherry Chicken with Rosemary, Chicken with Olives, Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Zucchini Butter, Tomato Tarts, Hummingbird Cake, and Granita/Sorbet.)

Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Rolls)
(fromhere)

Ingredients

• 2 cups tapioca starch
• 1 teaspoon salt (optional – I find with most brands of kosher Parmesan, extra salt is unnecessary)
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup water
• ⅓ cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet

Place tapioca starch and salt in a large bowl.

Bring vegetable oil, water, and milk to a boil over medium heat until a white foam appears. Pour milk mixture over tapioca starch and stir until well mixed; allow dough to rest for 15 minutes.

Mix eggs and Parmesan cheese into dough. Shape dough into 1½-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven until rolls are browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

—–

Roasted Artichoke-Leek Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 bag (14 oz.) frozen artichoke bottoms
• 1 large leek, white and pale green parts only
• olive oil for roasting
• fresh thyme, minced garlic, lemon juice, black pepper, salt to taste
• 1 medium-to-large onion, chopped finely
• mixture of olive oil and schmaltz (or butter or margarine) for sauteing
• 2 strips lemon zest
• 2 bay leaves
• chicken or vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 410°F.

Thaw artichoke bottoms and cut into quarters or sixths, adjusting as necessary as per the size of the artichokes; pieces should be of roughly uniform size. Wash leeks thoroughly and cut into rings or half-rings, keeping as intact as possible. Toss artichokes and leeks with seasonings in enough olive oil to coat, and spread in a single layer on baking sheet. Roast until leeks are translucent and starting to brown, and artichokes are tender enough to pierce through easily with a fork.

In the bottom of a deep skillet or soup pot, saute onion in your choice of fat over medium-low heat until translucent, golden, and close to caramelized. Add roasted artichokes and leeks, and enough stock to cover the vegetables. Add lemon zest and bay leaves, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down to a simmer and leave covered until artichokes are tender enough to cut with the side of a fork. Allow to cool.

Using an immersion blender, puree soup thoroughly. Pour through a mesh sieve, adding more stock or water if the mixture is too thick. Discard any remains that will not pass through sieve. At this point, the soup may be refrigerated for later use.

Serve cold or reheated, garnished with more fresh thyme and/or grated lemon zest.

—–

Cherry Chicken with Rosemary
(adapted from here)

Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs or the equivalent, bone-in (I usually make it with wingless breasts and drumsticks or leg quarters)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey (or a mixture of honey and sugar-free honey substitute)
• ½ cup olive oil, plus extra for sauteing
• 1 cup minced shallots, about 2 large or 4 medium
• 1-2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus 3-5 additional whole sprigs
• 1-2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 cups cherries any kind, pitted (I usually use frozen)
• white zinfandel for basting

Instructions

• Saute minced shallots in a little olive oil until golden and translucent. Let cool.
• Combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, sauteed shallots, chopped rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and make sure all the chicken is coated. Let sit at least an hour and up to overnight in the fridge.
• Meanwhile, pit the cherries (if using fresh, or thaw the cherries if using frozen) and set aside. If desired, add the cherries to the marinade 30 min before taking it out of the fridge. (I’ve also done this with adding the cherries to the initial marinade and it works well that way too.)
• To cook chicken: Take out of the fridge 30 minutes before placing in hot oven, so chicken can come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken pieces skin side up in a shallow roasting dish or cast iron skillet. Pour the marinade and cherries over the chicken, moving the cherries around so that as much chicken skin as possible is exposed, and tuck the reserved rosemary sprigs around the pieces. The marinade should generously cover the bottom of the pan.
• Slide the pan into the oven and cook for roughly an hour (depending on the amount of chicken), rotating the pan every 10-12 minutes. If the bottom of the pan begins to get dry, add a quarter-cup of white zinfandel.
• Serve hot, with the cherries on and alongside the chicken. The rosemary sprigs may be discarded or used to garnish the serving platter.

—–

Chicken with Olives

• 1 chicken, whole or in pieces
• 2-3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (or ground dried rosemary)
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic (I use the Polaner brand that comes in a jar, but fresh works fine too)
• ground black pepper
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning (ground dried sage and a little thyme if you haven’t got poultry seasoning)
• 2-3 tbsp pitted sliced green olives
• olive oil
• ½ cup white zinfandel wine
• ½ cup lemon juice

Arrange chicken in greased roasting pan. Combine herbs/spices, olives, and olive oil in a small bowl. Slather this mixture all over your chicken, inside and out – work some under the skin for best results. Let sit for at least ten minutes while preheating the oven to 375°, and then put in oven.

After about twenty minutes, baste chicken with the wine and lemon juice. Return to oven and cook for another forty minutes or until done.

—–

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Zucchini Butter
(method for potatoes from here; method for zucchini adapted from here)

For the zucchini butter:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds zucchini (about 3 large zucchini)
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed (optional)
• ¼ cup basil leaves, chopped, stems reserved
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

• Coarsely grate the zucchini, or slice into very thin ribbons or very small dice.
• In a large (at least 12-inch) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and oil. When it’s foaming, add the zucchini, garlic, basil stems and basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover and cook until pooling with liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and cook until the liquid evaporates and the zucchini starts to sizzle, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Continue to cook until the zucchini is very soft, dark green, and reduced to about 1 cup, another 20 to 25 minutes. When you see a buildup of browned bits on the skillet, add a couple tablespoons of water or stock and stir, scraping up the browned bits. Repeat anytime more browning occurs. If you see burning, deglaze with water and lower the heat.
• When fully caramelized, allow the caramelized zucchini to cool, and then puree with an immersion blender to make zucchini butter. (You can also skip the pureeing step and serve the caramelized zucchini as its own dish, or use it to dress pasta.)

For the mashed potatoes:

Make with about 4-6 yukon gold potatoes; peel if desired, but ideally leave the peel on. Cut potatoes into small dice.

Melt a little butter or margarine with a little olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Toss in enough of the diced potatoes to cover the bottom in a single layer, then fry and stir until potatoes are generously browned on all sides.

Add the rest of the potatoes, plus enough water or vegetable stock to just barely cover. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are thoroughly tender. Take off heat, allow to cool slightly, add the previously-made zucchini butter (or save it to add in dollops when serving), and whip with electric beaters until mostly smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, and then decide if you want to add anything else: more butter or margarine, cream cheese, whatever you like.

Serve hot.

—–

Tomato Tarts
(adapted from here)

Ingredients:

• 1 kosher-for-pesach pie crust (use premade, your favorite recipe, or the one in this previous post)
• several ripe-to-slightly-overripe tomatoes, sliced about ¼-inch thick
• kosher salt
• 1 small or ½ large red onion (or sweet onion of any kind), chopped, plus olive oil for frying
• 2-3 spoonfuls mayonnaise
• about ½ cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• a few sprigs of fresh parsley (optional)
• black pepper to taste
• lemon juice to taste

Instructions:

1. In advance, cook the chopped onion with a generous splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium to low heat until thoroughly caramelized, about 1 hour. Allow to cool completely.
2. Line a baking sheet or large platter with a double layer of paper towels. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on the paper towels, sprinkle with the salt, and set aside for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the pie crust as called for, depending on what kind you’re using.
3. Stir the mayonnaise, caramelized onion, fresh herbs, lemon juice, and pepper together in a small deep bowl or wide jar. Using an immersion blender, puree until the mixture forms a coarse paste.
4. Spread the mayonnaise mixture in an even layer over the pie crust. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on top of the mayonnaise.
5. Bake about twenty minutes or until tomatoes reach your desired degree of doneness. (If necessary, cover upper edge of crust with tinfoil to keep it from burning.) Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Serve hot. (May be reheated.)

Variation: Add other thin-sliced vegetables, such as zucchini or large mushrooms. Sautee first if desired.

—–

Hummingbird Cake
(adapted from here)

Ingredients

• 2 medium bananas, overripe and smashed
• ¼ cup oil (I used coconut oil)
• ½ cup agave nectar
• 4 eggs
• ¾ cup crushed pineapple, lightly drained.
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups almond flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• optional: ¾ cup chopped candied pecans
• 4 cups coconut whipped cream (or regular whipped cream) for frosting

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 8-inch cake pans; set aside.
• Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix until combined. You don’t need to separate the dry and wet ingredients for this recipe.
• Divide batter between the two prepared cake pans. Smooth the top of the batter.
• Bake for 32 - 35 minutes or until the top starts to darken and the center is set. The cakes will be a darker, but golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cool, frost the tops of the cakes and stack them.

Instead of making this a layer cake, you can freeze one cake for later use and frost the cake with only half the amount of whipped cream.

—–

Fruit Granita/Sorbet (Any Kind)

Ingredients

• 1½ cups sugar (or granulated xylitol)
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup frozen fruit, any kind
• ¼ cup lemon juice

Instructions

• In a saucepan, heat sugar and water and cook until sugar is dissolved.
• Add fruit, bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
• Carefully transfer mixture to blender and puree until smooth (this takes 2-3 minutes).
• Pour mixture into square pan and freeze for 4 hours.
• Remove from freezer and use fork to scrape entire mixture to loosen ice crystals, return to freezer.
• Freeze 2-4 hours and scrape with fork again, return to freezer for 2 hours.
• Granita is ready to serve any time, scrape with fork before serving.

captainlordauditor:

rose-in-a-fisted-glove:

nerdyqueerandjewish:

Ashkenazi baby naming superstitions - how far does not naming a baby after a living person go? Would you be comfortable naming a baby after someone’s middle name or if the baby and the other person’s name mean similar things but in different languages (like naming a baby Simcha after someone named Joy)? What about using a name that just so happens to be the same name as someone else you know?

For me personally?

I would not name after someone else I knew. But, if a name was coincidentally similar in meaning to another name that is not the same name, and who I was not deliberately naming them after, that would be a-okay. But again, that’s just my own personal thoughts on it

My older sister has a middle name that’s directly after my (Catholic) grandmother, who went by a nickname. My middle name before I transitioned was another language’s form of my aunt’s name. Naming a kid Simcha after Joy sounds fine to me, if Joy’s Hebrew name isn’t Simcha.

I wouldn’t be comfortable naming a child in honor of a living person even in a transformed version, not because of superstition (in the sense of fearing that it will cause something bad to happen) but because We Don’t Do That, and to knowingly do something for a living person that is traditionally done for the dead strikes me as a profound insult verging on a curse. (Yes, even if they wouldn’t see it that way at all, even if they don’t know about the tradition, Ido.)

Using a name that just happens to be the same as that of someone else I know, well, the more people one knows, the less avoidable that is. I wouldn’t have a problem with that.

homoqueerjewhobbit:

Imagine how fucking balls to the wall amazing a Hobbit Seder would be. It’s all the things Hobbits love. You sit around a table for an excessively long meal, you make your seat extra comfortable, you tell lots of stories and sing songs telling those stories, and you eat and drink so, so much.

And you just know 18% of the time, Gandalf is standing there when you open the door for Elijah.

Someone just linked me to this fic on AO3:

All Who Are Hungry (996 words) by CenozoicSynapsid
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom:The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien,הגדה של פסח | Passover Haggada
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee, Gollum | Sméagol
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Jewish, Song Parody, The Two Towers, Crack Crossover, Collection: Purimgifts Day 1
Summary:
“Do you remember, Sam, how Bilbo used to start the holiday at Bag End?”
Inexplicably Jewish hobbits talk about celebrating Pesach, and of course someone has to sing Chad Gadya.