The Foods of Yom Kippur By Rabbi Moses A. Birnbaum, D.D. At first glance, the title of this piece might seem oxymoronic. Say Yom Kippur to a Jew and he/she will immediately think of 25+ hours without any food or drink. That notwithstanding, like all major holidays, there are significant culinary customs associated with this solemn day of physical and spiritual exertion. The Talmud (B. Brakhot 8b) teaches that anyone who eats on the ninth of Tishrei, i.e. on Erev Yom Kippur, it is as if he/she fasted on both the ninth and the tenth. This is based on an attempt to explain the language of the Torah in Leviticus 23:32 that reads: “It shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall practice self-denial; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall observe this your Sabbath.” Had this been written from the rabbinic period on, the mitzvah to fast would have been described as starting on the night of the tenth. That the Torah refers to what we now call Kol Nidrei night, as the night of the ninth represents an alternative linguistic convention that existed then. Our Sages of blessed memory, however, saw special significance in the Torah’s mention of the ninth of the month. Later authorities saw a variety of reasons behind this custom: Eating and drinking on Erev Yom Kippur prepare us for the fast. This necessary preparation is part of the mitzvah of fasting. Moreover, eating more lavishly the day before Yom Kippur, which is considered a yom tov – festival - compensates for the lack of a festive meal on the day itself. Feasting prior to Yom Kippur has also been attributed to demonstrating faith that our sins will be pardoned. Pre-fast eating and drinking provide the energy and strength to fast more easily. Alternatively, eating and drinking heartily prior to the fast, according to some opinions, make it more difficult to fast. In this view, the dramatic contrast between a day of feasting followed by one of fasting intensifies the self-denial. Finally there are mystical speculations of how eating and drinking prior to the fast, in the spirit of sanctity the onset of Yom Kippur engenders, provide spiritual balance for body and soul in fulfilling the goal of repentance. All Jews refrain from consuming foods and beverages that induce thirst or possible bodily distress, e.g. salted, spiced and fried foods, beans and nuts. Traditionally there are two meals on the day preceding the fast. Snacking is also encouraged. Near noon a light meal is taken, large enough to nourish but not so ample as to diminish appetite for the seudat hamafseket, the meal of cessation. This meal is traditionally served after minkhah – the weekday afternoon service - and concluded before sunset in enough time to brush teeth, drink more water and arrive at services well before sunset. There is a tradition to serve fish at the first meal and/or the second for its lightness. As in all Jewish cuisine, the fish and other ingredients used and the method of preparation vary depending on location. Another reason for eating fish on Erev Yom Kippur is based on a midrash that recounts an incident in which a Jew of Rome of limited means exorbitantly outbid a Roman official’s servant for the last fish in the marketplace. When subsequently summoned to appear before the highly ranked official, the Jew explained that it was incumbent upon him to do his utmost to celebrate God’s imminent pardoning of the sins of the Jewish people (Breishit Rabba 11). I think the association with Yom Kippur is also based on established traditions about fish. There is a biblical basis to the ideas that fish are without sin and symbolize fertility. The fish is also a sign of good luck. The Yiddish name Fishl is often paired as a kinui (corresponding name or nickname) with the Hebrew Khayim – life. This etymology of Fishl derives from an old French name Vivs – also meaning life (equivalent to English Vivian). Fishl is also a kinui for Ephraim, who was blessed by his grandfather Jacob, along with his brother Manasseh, to have progeny as numerous on the earth as fish in the waters. Chicken dishes are also prevalent throughout the Jewish world. A millennium ago Bukharian Jews developed the kapparot ritual of “transferring” sins to a live chicken early Erev Yom Kippur morning by waving it around one’s head, slaughtering it and then either consuming it at the seudat hamafseket or donating it to the poor. Wealthier families were happy, I suppose, to have the poor eat the chicken loaded down with transgressions. The poor, of course, were delighted to be able to eat chicken, considered an expensive delicacy before mid-twentieth century mass production. Kapparot spread to Eastern Europe and is particularly observed by Khasidim. Sephardic authorities vigorously opposed this custom as have many Ashkenazic rabbinic authorities. Non-Khasidim, if they perform the ritual, usually substitute cash wrapped in a cloth. In addition to its association with kapparot, chicken, as noted above, was a delicacy and therefore enhanced the festive nature of the meal. It is leaner and more digestible than red meat. Its whiteness is in keeping with the High Holy Day color scheme, a characteristic shared by other foods Jews serve worldwide, such as white rice among Sephardim and Eastern communities and khallah among Ashkenazim. The signature Ashkenazic dish is chicken soup, goldene yoikh in Yiddish, with kreplakh. Similar to Chinese won ton, Russian pelmeni and Italian ravioli, a krepl is a triangular pasta usually filled with chopped meat. While the origin of the name is the same as the modern French “crepe,” it has been associated by assonance with the Hebrew kaper lakh – atone. A “commandment” to eat kreplakh on three special occasions, Yom Kippur, Hoshana Rabba and Purim, is humorously “derived” from the Hebrew hakei takei, meaning - you shall surely beat. According to this imaginative explanation, the letters of hakei, hei, kaf, hei, are an acronym, a, for Haman, Kippur and Hoshanah. Takei stands for tokhal kreplakh harbei – eat a lot of kreplakh [on those days.] Each of these holidays has an element of beating. On Yom Kippur we beat our breasts. On Hoshana Rabba we beat the five willow branches at the end of musaf, the additional festival service. On Purim, before the advent of groggers, the name of Haman was written in chalk on the soles of shoes and stamped out. Thus Haman’s name was not only drowned out but indeed erased through a beating. (We traditionally curse our enemies by hoping that their names will be erased from memory). What is the connection to kreplakh? The chopping of the meat is a form of beating. Mystics ascribe significance to the concealment of the meat within the dough. Each holiday has a hidden aspect. The sins we atone for on Yom Kippur are hidden from everyone else except God. We hope He will permanently hide them as if they no longer exist, by accepting our sincere teshuvah, repentance. Hoshana Rabba is part of Khol Hamoed. It does not share the same restrictions as a major festival. Yet it is considered to be almost a second Yom Kippur in that the judgment that was inscribed on Rosh Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur is delivered on that day. Its considerable holiness therefore is somewhat hidden. The Name of God does not appear in the Book of Esther but traditionally His Presence in the events of Purim is considered to be hidden behind the scenes. Dessert is usually confined to fresh or cooked fruit or omitted entirely. Sweets are avoided, as they induce thirst. Nutritionists recommend limited amounts of lean protein and copious quantities of complex carbohydrates. Sephardic and eastern communities have always served a variety of cooked vegetables and salads. Weaning oneself off caffeinated beverages and chocolate can prevent caffeine withdrawal-induced headaches. Some find it useful to cut down on carbs a few days before the fast and then “load up” on Erev Yom Kippur the way runners do before marathons. Needless to say, it is important to be super-hydrated by drinking water and consuming vegetables and fruits that will provide additional water as they are digested. Once the ordeal of fasting concludes and water or another cool or hot beverage is imbibed, there are additional culinary customs to enjoy. It is probably wise to gradually acclimate the body to food again. Greek Jews, for example, eat some light dairy dishes first. After that the table is prepared for avgolemono, a chicken soup flavored with lemon. Chicken appears in many communities for breaking the fast for reasons similar to those given above in relation to the pre-fast repast, as does fish. Most Ashkenazim break the fast with dairy. Again the lightness and whiteness of milk-based food come into play. Fish is also served again for the reasons given above. Fried fish is the choice of Sephardim (some of whom brought this dish to England where it was paired with Belgian frites to create fish and chips); Ashkenazim favor smoked, pickled an salted varieties . My breaking of the fast would not be complete without herring in cream sauce, a dish I otherwise no longer eat regularly. Whatever you choose to serve and eat before Yom Kippur, it is my prayer that it will sustain you and yours over an easy and meaningful fast and that the food after the fast be restorative. May all that comes to our tables be without blemish. For our Sages of blessed memory taught that the tables have become the altars of our people replacing those destroyed in the Temple 1943 years ago. May the money that purchases the food be earned honorably. May they who produce, transport and process it be treated fairly and not, God forbid, be exploited. May the food be prepared and served in an environment of love and harmony. And most of all, may it be consumed in the sacred fires of our metabolisms and may the energy we derive from it be used for acts of kindness and righteousness. Then will our fast have been one that the Lord desires and our offerings be of sweet savor to Him. Leshanah tovah tikateivu v’teikhateimu – May you and yours be inscribed and sealed for a happy, healthy and good New Year! Copyright 2013 Moses A. Birnbaum
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 02:20:06 +0000
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