[ad_1]
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time to take stock of who we are as Jews. At this time of year, we keep in mind that “Gd created man in his own image, in the image of Gd he created him; male and female he created them â€- Genesis 1:27. This verse reminds us that we are endowed with divine qualities. Each of us has inner strengths and attributes that we often take for granted.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe once said, “Imagine that you could open your eyes to see only the good in every person, the positive in every circumstance, and the desirability of every challenge. “
In addition to ordinary distractions, and as we continue to deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, too often we are oblivious to our special qualities and attributes and lose the ability to see similar qualities in others. This decrease in our vision costs us the gift of the fullness and greatness of our world.
On Rosh Hashanah, “the world’s birthday,†we celebrate with wine. Why?
Food, like our world, like our aging body, is bodily. The wine, however, is unique. In Judaism, we use wine to transform the secular into something holy, merging the spiritual and the physical, body and soul. With this transformation, wine, more than anything else on the Rosh Hashanah table, is emblematic of Judaism and the Jewish spirit.
This coming year, we should recognize the “divine†nature in ourselves and in others, and appreciate every aspect of our lives. Despite our trials and tribulations, despite the challenges our enemies pose and the threats we face with COVID, both here and in the Land of Israel, on the world’s birthday, we remember that we will overcome all.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Shana Tova.
The Rosh Hashanah menu usually consists of several dishes, many of which are sweet. Ironically, while people often say they like “dry winesâ€, they often mean they prefer “semi-dry wines†or “semi-sweet wines†instead of traditional sweet wines.
As long as the wines you serve aren’t too sweet, have the right acidity, and the flavors are harmoniously balanced, it’s hard to make a bad choice. There will almost always be something on the table that will accompany and complement the wine.
Available locally, there are now many great choices for the high vacation. Here are some wonderful wine suggestions:
White wines
- “Yasmin”, white blend, Recanati, Galilee, Israel
- Emerald Riesling, Tishbi, Israel
- Moscato, Mt. Hermon (low alcohol), Israel
- Prosecco, Bartenura, Italy
Red wines
- Canaan, red mix, Dalton, Galilee, Israel
- Cabernet Syrah, Tishbi, Israel
- Yasmin, red mix, Recanati, Galilee, Israel
- Grenache (aka “Grenache”), Cordova, Rioja, Spain
- Mt. Hermon Red (red mix), Golan Heights, Israel
Andrew Zashin is a wine collector and writes a monthly legal column for the Cleveland Jewish News.
[ad_2]
