Lentil Soup - A Jewish tradition that goes back to the Bible by Tamar Fox
In Parashat Toldot we read the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for some delicious lentil stew. One day, Jacob prepares a stew while Esau is out hunting in the fields. Esau returns from his long day of hunting and demands some of what he calls ha-adom ha-adom hazeh or “that red stuff,” but Jacob won’t give it to his brother unless Esau agrees to give up his birthright. Esau forfeits his birthright, and the text tells us, “Jacob then gave Esau bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank and he rose and went away. Thus did Esau spurn the birthright.” (25:34)This is an important point in the Torah because it shows Jacob beginning to take some agency over his future, and the future of the Jewish people. The episode also teaches about the importance of food and hunger. When people are as famished as Esau was after his day of work, they will do anything, give up anything, in order to eat.
To commemorate this story and its lessons, it is my family’s custom to make a big pot of lentil soup on the Shabbat of Parashat Toldot. This recipe is excellent, but don’t go selling your birthright to get it–you can make it yourself very easily.
Ideally, the soup should be made in a slow cooker that is turned on the morning before you plan to serve the soup. If you’re planning to serve the soup for Shabbat lunch, you can turn on the crock pot on Friday before Shabbat starts, and the soup will be delicious (but maybe more like a stew) by lunchtime on Saturday. This recipe can also be prepared in a large soup pot. And don’t reserve it only for Shabbat Toldot–this hearty soup is great for any chilly night.
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon salt
Bouillon to taste
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon oregano
1 32 oz container low-sodium tomato juice
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 16 oz bag brown lentils
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch leeks, green parts discarded, white parts cleaned and chopped
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large pieces
Directions
If using a slow cooker, put all the ingredients in the slow cooker together. Fill the slow cooker with water, leaving an inch from the edge of the bowl, and add a liberal dash of bouillon. Set the cooker to its low setting for 6-8 hours. It only needs to be stirred before serving.
If using a soup pot on the stove, put all ingredients in the pot together. Fill the pot with water, leaving at least an inch of space at the top. Add a liberal dash of bouillon and simmer covered for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.
'You, who dare insult lentil soup, sweetest of delicacies!"
-Aristophanes in Amphiaraus, 5-4th C. BCE
Lentils in the Bible and the Bowl, By Jo Ann Gardner, Forward 2016
The fateful stew was made from simmering lentils (adashim), the small, round greenish-brown or reddish seeds of the plant Lens culinaris, in water until they reached the consistency of porridge, hence the expression “a mess of pottage” (a thickened soup). The plant itself is a dainty branched annual, which grows to a height of eighteen inches, its seeds (lentils) growing in pods that hang down from wispy tendrils along the plant’s weak stems. Lentils, along with other nutrient-rich crops such as chickpeas and broad beans have been cultivated for millennia as relatively easily grown legumes, a term based on French and Latin that means literally anything that can be gathered.
High in protein and with a savory, satisfying flavor, lentils have been known as “the poor man’s meat” throughout history, and were the second most important component of the biblical diet after grain. Prepared either from fresh or dried seed, lentils were valued in the biblical kitchen and on the road for their versatility. In addition to using them in nutritious stews, lentils could be mashed into a paste to produce cakes. Lentils were included in the list of foods, such as wheat, barley, parched grain, beans, honey, curds (clabbered milk) and cheese that Barzillai and others brought David and his followers, for they knew that “the troops must have grown hungry … in the wilderness” (II Samuel 17:29).
Composition and Quality of Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik): A Review by R.S.Bhatty
Lentil is sometimes called “poor man's meat”. Such a description originated in ancient Europe. In India and many other countries, lentil is equally relished by all levels of society. Nevertheless, there may exist a relationship between poverty and lentil consumption as in earlier times, which led the ancient Greeks to describe the “nouveau rich”: “Now he does not like lentils anymore” (Aykroyd et al., 1982).
Another way of looking at our verse: The doubling of the word "Adom" hints to what is known through astrology. For the star of 'Ma'adim" (Mars) has power over blood, swords and war. Red-coloured fruit also derive some of their power from that planet. The same applies to precious red-coloured gemstones such as garnets and rubies, and such things as these under Mars' influence. Therefore he said "Give me from the red stuff", to say from the 'red' dish, which draws its strength from the red. That is to say Mars, whose name Edom Esau was born under. Mars was Esau's sign, his constellation, and therefore he was a shedder of blood and his father gave him the blessing of the sword.
Parashat Toldot – Red Lentils by Cindy Warren 2017
In Esau’s request to Jacob he uses the Hebrew word “na.” This is usually translated with the sense of immediacy – as in “now” – and it can also mean “please.” But in Exodus 12:9 when the Israelites are given instructions for preparing the paschal lamb, the word “na” is used to mean raw or undone. Gil Marks, an American food writer and historian, who published cookbooks on Jewish food, commented that when cooked, red lentils are no longer red.
By specifying that Esau asked for the very red stuff, we learn that he wanted to eat immediately – even though it was still not cooked. This contributes to our image of Esau as impulsive. He gave up his birthright for immediate gratification, not even willing to wait for the meal to be cooked properly. Such an individual would have no appreciation for the responsibilities of the first born.
Alternatively, what is the blessing of bakkol? That Esau did not rebel in Abraham’s lifetime, that is to say, as long as Abraham lived Esau did not sin. Alternatively, the blessing of bakkol is that Ishmael repented in Abraham’s lifetime. The Gemara explains: From where do we derive that Esau did not rebel in Abraham’s lifetime? As it is written: “And Jacob was cooking a stew and Esau came in from the field and he was faint” (Genesis 25:29), and a baraita taught: On that day Abraham our forefather passed away, and Jacob our forefather prepared a lentil stew to comfort Isaac, his father, as it was customary to serve mourners lentil stew. The Gemara explains: And what is different about lentils that they in particular are the fare customarily offered to mourners? They say in the West, Eretz Yisrael, in the name of Rabba bar Mari: Just as this lentil has no mouth, i.e., it does not have a crack like other legumes, so too a mourner has no mouth. Alternatively, just as this lentil is completely round, so too mourning comes around to the inhabitants of the world. The Gemara asks: What is the practical difference between the two explanations? There is between them whether to console a mourner with eggs.
The Sages taught: A mourner, during the first three days, is prohibited from extending greetings to others. From the third day to the seventh day, they may respond to others, but may not extend greetings to them. From this point forward, they may extend greetings and respond in their usual manner.