One of the questions that has come up is how to maintain social connections while on SNAP. It isn’t easy. There is a lack of resources. Issues with organization. Time management. Really time crunches. And perhaps a sense of embarrassment or shame.
But we wondered, would it be possible to at least have a potluck dinner? At least for the people who were doing the SNAP Challenge with us, as a way of saying thank you and to continue the conversation?
So we did. We scheduled it for Friday night, before our usual Friday night service at the synagogue. It is traditional to have guests for Friday night and frankly this is something that I miss doing more routinely as a pulpit rabbi. Our service is at 7:30 and I aim to be there at 7. Many weeks I don’t even eat dinner on Friday night.
There are several stories about people scrimping and saving all week, just to make Shabbat the nicest possible. Based on a Talmudic tale, there are two children’s books. My daughter grew up loving “Joseph who loved the Sabbath”, by Marilyn Hirsh. Eric Kimmel has another version, “Joseph and the Sabbath Fish.”
Here is the story from Tractate Shabbat 119a:
“Joseph-who-honors-the Sabbath had in his vicinity a certain gentile who owned much property. Soothsayers told him: “Joseph-who-honors-the-Sabbath will consume all your property. So he went, sold all his property, and bought a precious stone with the proceeds, which he set in his turban. As he was crossing a bridge the wind blew it off and cast it into the water and a fish swallowed it. Subsequently the fish was hauled up and brought to market on the Sabbath towards sunset. ”Who will buy now?” they cried. “Go and take it to Joseph-who-honors-the Sabbath,” they were told, “as he is accustomed to buy.” So they took it to him. He bought it, opened it, found the jewel therein, and sold it for thirteen roomfuls of gold denarii. A certain old man met him and said, “He who lends to the Sabbath, the Sabbath repays him.””
Then there is the story of preparing for Shabbat. When we welcome the Shabbat angels by singing Shalom Aleichem, the story is told that Rabbi Jose the son of Judah said, two ministering angels — one good angel, and one “evil” (prosecuting) angel — accompany a person home on Friday night from the synagogue.
When they arrive home, if they find a candle lit, the table set, and beds arranged nicely the good angel says, “May it be G-d’s will that next Shabbat be the same,” and the evil angel is compelled to respond, “Amen!” If the home is not prepared in honor of Shabbat, the evil angel says, “May it be G-d’s will that next Shabbat be the same,” and the good angel is compelled to respond, “Amen!” (Shabbat 119b)
And finally, from the Jerusalem Talmud, we get this story, “The Emperor (probably Hadrian) asked Rabbi Joshua Ben Hananiah, “What gives your Sabbath meal such an aroma?” To this R. Joshua replied, “We have a certain spice (tavlin) called the Sabbath which we put into it [the Sabbath dish], and this gives it its aroma.”
So that’s what we did. We cleaned the house. We picked up all the paper. We saved our chicken to roast until Friday. It easily stretched to serve our guests. We made potatoes and cauliflower. A guest contributed a lovely tossed salad, another a medley of sugar snap peas and carrots and another a challah. I had forgotten about drinks but people were fine with water.
And yes, Shabbat has never tasted so good.
Earlier in the day, I trekked into Chicago again. This time it was to have lunch with rabbis and Ruth Messinger, the president of American Jewish World Service. She was in town to speak at two congregations ahead of her becoming AJWS’s “Global Ambassador” a new title created just for her. Her portfolio will include working with rabbis and traveling to visit grantees. The new president, Robert Bank, will be equally impressive.
The lunch was at Chicago Sinai and several of the rabbis already knew I was doing the challenge. They asked whether it was permissible to eat the food provided. Others have written about this topic. In a strict SNAP Challenge the rule seems to be no. If you accept food like this during the challenge you are “supposed” to count it against your total. However, many on SNAP benefits stretch their budget by searching out other meals and resources. So yes, I ate the bagel.
The real focus of lunch, however, was Ruth’s update. I like the direction AJWS is headed. I am proud to be associated with them. And glad I spent so much time bouncing on that bus in Guatemala talking about the SNAP Challenge. Perhaps the biggest victory will be if Representative Peter Roskam actually does sign onto the Global Food Security Act as he promised the representative from Bread for the World.
And if you missed it. Here is the link to the Windy City Live appearance: http://abc7chicago.com/food/snap-challenge-elgin-rabbi-eats-on-just-$4-a-day/1282510/