With pleasure

A few years ago, on Rosh Hashana, we entered my mother-in-law's house, dressed to the nines, glowing with holiday good will and ready for an evening of food, family and festivities. I wished my brother in law "Joyful holiday" (in Hebrew, but I don't like how it's spelled when written in "Hebrish"), to which he responded "If you truly understood the meaning of Rosh Hashana, you wouldn't call it 'joyful'." I had spoken here before about the plague of younger siblings, haven't I?

This week's parasha is down right scary. The list of bad things that will happen to those who will not follow G-d's rules is enough to make you lose sleep, worrying if you missed something so important that it will bring these awful things upon your head. Plagues of body and soul, hunger, disease, exile, death, loss, terror and more (and they don't even count younger siblings; clearly an oversight.) You feel like cowering down and shouting "OK, OK, I'll do whatever you want, just tell me what it is." Which, of course, we've already been told, in detail, for the last three and a half books of the Torah. My friend Debbie would probably say that one should just do what G-d wants us to do and then none of those awful things will come to pass. And she's right, too, except who is so perfect that they manage to follow ALL the rules, ALL the time?

This is an excellent parasha to read before the high holidays. It reminds us to take stock of the many ways we might have missed the point this year and to make a list of things we need to ask forgiveness for. One thing I regret not doing enough of this year is reading the bible. I mean, I do read it. Just not as much as I need to. Luckily, I have managed to escape some of the punishments listed in the parasha (I have certainly not suffered any hunger. Au contraire.)  The reason for more reading is that when one reads the Torah repeatedly, one may happen upon the little tidbits that are easily overlooked during casual readings. Like D'varim 28, verse 47: "because you have not served G-d amid gladness and goodness of heart, when everything was abundant."

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but doesn't this mean that G-d's commandments should be followed with joy? And doesn't the Talmud say that Yom Kippur (of all days) was one of the best days for Jews? Isn't it obvious that when one is growing closer to G-d (through fulfilling His mitzvot) one will also grow happier? Even joyfuller? And on the eve of Rosh Hashana, with the abundance of food on the laden table, the beautifully dressed, healthy and happy children and the two days ahead with nothing to do but get closer and closer to G-d, shouldn't one be joyful? 

Sure the mitzvot are important, says Moshe, but don't forget (he tucks in the middle of the list) that your joy in following them  is an expression of your gratitude to G-d for giving you all that you have, including mitzvot.

My oldest daughter, for example, is rejoicing in her return to the land of always-available-reasonably-priced-avocados. Apparently we were in Israel during the wrong season (you're telling me??) for avocados and she suffered severe withdrawal symptoms. Now that she again has access to a decent supply of the "food of the gods", she can make the following dish, which is way better than it sounds. I was skeptical too, until I tasted it. 

Pasta with avocado sauce


1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
Juice from  1/4-1/2 a lemon
5 leaves of fresh basil
1/2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 Tbs granulated garlic
1/4 Tbs salt
1/2 Tbs black pepper
2 cups cooked pasta


(The amounts of spices and lemon juice are suggestions. Add according to taste)



In a food processor, process avocado, lemon juice, basil and olive oil until creamy.
Mix in spices (salt, garlic, pepper and the rest of the lemon juice) according to you liking.
Add the sauce to the cooked (hot) pasta, little by little, mixing well between additions. You may end up not using the whole amount of sauce or needing more sauce (in which case, just start the food processor again with more avocado etc.). The pasta should be nicely coated in light green sauce.
This can be eaten hot or cold and will serve 2.






 
And remember: Do mitzvot joyfully. Even on Rosh Hashana.....