As profound as the Talmud is, it doesn't speak to me as clearly as food does (did I mention I'm Jewish?). When I read this quote, my first instinct was to go long -- what profound meaning could we find in being a light unto the masses, how could we lift the darkness for one or one hundred, what unique gifts do you have that you can be sharing with more people...
And then, lunchtime came. Which meant that the Talmud was clearly talking about lasagna. Not just any lasagna. My husband Michael's lasagna.
Michael makes a MEAN lasagna. It's got all the standard stuff in it -- cheeses, spinach, sauce, eggs. It's got an added twist (a dozen cloves of roasted garlic, which makes for good eating and infrequent kissing on lasagna night). And it probably has some other stuff that I don't know about, and likely don't need to know about. In fact, when I suggested the addition of some more spinach the other night, Michael said as respectfully as possible, "could you just let me do it myself???" Hmmm...sort of sounded like one of our 6 year old twins...no, it sounded like someone who knows what he is doing and is saddled with living with a professional coach.
But I digress...
If Michael had just made his lasagna for our family's eating enjoyment, dayenu. It would have been enough. A light (meal) for one (family). But here's the thing. We invite people over a lot. And Michael makes his lasagna. So for my sister-in-law Rachel, who doesn't cook, lasagna night at our house is a huge treat. Really. A light for another family. Dayenu. And then we (he) started making an extra pan each time, to give to Rachel. But wait -- then Rachel asked if she could come over on Sunday and have Michael teach her how to make the lasagna so she could have it any time she wanted, and cook it for others. Give a girl a lasagna and she eats for a day. But teach her...you get it. A light for many more. Nice. Dayenu.
But here was where the light shone even brighter: Our good friend Amy's son is having his Bar Mitzvah next Shabbat, and Amy (having experienced Michael's culinary magnum opus) commissioned Michael to make several pans of his lasagna for her extended family's post-simcha celebration! Would we send her the list of ingredients and she would go to the story for us? she suggested. Could she write us a check to cover labor and materials? she offered.
No way. Michael's pleasure and honor to be a part of the simcha. From a humble tomato and noodle comes my husband's light unto a hundred (well, 25+ aunts, uncles and cousins, but you get the gist.)
Yes, I will resist the urge to go long, except to ask you: what are you currently enjoying that others might enjoy as well? Post here!
And of course, Es gezunterheyt! (Yiddish for Bon Apetit)
Deb
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www.myjewishcoach.blogspot.com
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