A Short Jewish History of Cinnamon

July 25 2024

Cinnamon’s most common place in Jewish ritual is in the havdalah ceremony, which marks the conclusion of the Sabbath. Its fragrance is sniffed to lift the spirits of those who might be disappointed that the day of rest has come to an end. While other spices can be used, cinnamon is by far the most common. In almost all traditions, it is also an ingredient in haroset, the fruit-and-nut mixture eaten during the Passover seder. But its most important ritual use is remembered only in the liturgy: as a main component in the incense offering in the Temple, considered the most holy and sublime of all sacrifices.

Paola Gavin looks at this spice’s culinary, medicinal, and biblical history:

Cinnamon is mentioned in several places in the Bible. It was one of the spices that God instructed Moses to use to anoint the Ark of the Covenant and other sacred objects, to signify the holiness of God’s presence (Exodus 30:22–33). It is also mentioned as one of the gifts that Queen Sheba gave to King Solomon (Kings 10:10). Although it does not grow in the area today, cinnamon was found in ancient Israel over 3,000 years ago, and in biblical times it was highly prized for its healing properties and was often used for medicinal purposes—especially for digestive ailments and respiratory problems.

Cinnamon appears in numerous Jewish dishes, from Ashkenazi honey cakes, sweet fritters, auflaufs (souffles), and kugels, to Sephardi vegetable stews—usually with eggplant or pumpkin—and honey-soaked cakes and pastries like tishpisti, travados, and baklava.

Read more at Tablet

More about: Jewish food, Jewish ritual

The Mass Expulsion of Palestinians Is No Solution. Neither Are Any of the Usual Plans for Gaza

Examining the Trump administration’s proposals for the people of Gaza, Danielle Pletka writes:

I do not believe that the forced cleansing of Gaza—a repetition of what every Arab country did to the hundreds of thousands of Arab Jews in 1948— is a “solution.” I don’t think Donald Trump views that as a permanent solution either (read his statement), though I could be wrong. My take is that he believes Gaza must be rebuilt under new management, with only those who wish to live there resettling the land.

The time has long since come for us to recognize that the establishment doesn’t have the faintest clue what to do about Gaza. Egypt doesn’t want it. Jordan doesn’t want it. Iran wants it, but only as cannon fodder. The UN wants it, but only to further its anti-Semitic agenda and continue milking cash from the West. Jordanians, Lebanese, and Syrians blame Palestinians for destroying their countries.

Negotiations with Hamas have not worked. Efforts to subsume Gaza under the Palestinian Authority have not worked. Rebuilding has not worked. Destruction will not work. A “two-state solution” has not arrived, and will not work.

So what’s to be done? If you live in Washington, New York, London, Paris, or Berlin, your view is that the same answers should definitely be tried again, but this time we mean it. This time will be different. . . . What could possibly make you believe this other than ideological laziness?

Read more at What the Hell Is Going On?

More about: Donald Trump, Gaza Strip, Palestinians