Playing dress-up

Clothes, everyone says, make the man. I happen to ignore fashion as much as I can so I suppose I am un-made. Oh, well.

What do the High Priest's clothes make of the High Priest? Well, there's a lot of gold and precious stones and excellent fabrics. So we can assume that it makes him impressive and gets him respect from the people as befitting his high station. You know the dangers of assuming, right?

In Shemot, chapter 28, verses 9-12 there is a description of two stones that Aharon has to carry on his shoulders. The names of all the tribes are to be written on these stones. Stones! on his shoulders! And the guy is no youngster, you know, he is Moshe's older brother.

Then, later in the chapter there is a description of the choshen, a heavy gold tablet embedded with precious stones (!) that the poor guy has to carry upon his heart (Verses 29-30) at all times.

Are they trying to kill the man?

Aharon, and every Kohen Gadol after him, must remember at all times that, even if they are dressed in gold, rubies and silk, they are nothing more than emissaries before G-d. They are there to perform a duty. And they are there with a (heavy) responsibility. Which is why they have to carry it upon their shoulders and their heart. Caring for people is not an easy task. At times you really do feel as if they are sitting on your shoulders like an albatross. And certainly the Israelites are heavy on one's heart. Look what they did to Moshe. So a high priest must never think himself too high and mighty because he is well dressed and speaks to G-d in the holy of hollies. The stones on his shoulders and upon his heart are to remind him of the heavy load of responsibility. Of the people on whose behalf he is speaking to G-d.

We can only hope that our spiritual leaders today will remember this even without wearing rocks around their necks.

All the gold in this parasha reminds me of squash. I know, I know, who makes these associations? Well, I do. I don't care for actual gold, but I do care for golden food. Like squash (butternut or acorn or even pumpkin). My friend Lisa makes these squash muffins that my children love. What could I do? I asked for the recipe.


Squash Muffins


Mix together:

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg


In another bowl mix:

1 cup milk (can be soy or coconut, if you want it parve)
1 and 1/2 cups cooked, mashed squash
1/2 cup softened margarine (can use soy)
2 eggs.



Add wet mixture to dry. Mix only until everything is wet. Do not overmix.
Put in muffin tins (either sprayed or lined).
Bake at 350F for 22 minutes, then at 300F for an extra 10 minutes.

I do not know how many this makes as they seem to disappear the minute I take them out of the oven. Call it 18 muffins.