The holy rabbi was once the honored Shabbos guest of one of the prominent citizens of the village. The custom in those parts was that the householder would pass the whole pot of cholent to his distinguished guest, who would be asked—by way of compliment, as if he were the host—to apportion the steaming Shabbos stew into the plates of the members of the family.
As the cholent was passed to him, the holy rabbi caught a whiff of it, tasted it, then tasted it again, and again—until bit by bit he finished it all, leaving nothing for the others at the table. Then he asked: “Is there perhaps a little more cholent?” And this, too, he finished, down to the last spoonful.
The host and his family were dumbfounded—but it was known that tzaddikim (holy people) see a spiritual mission in eating, revealing the sparks of sanctity that are hidden in the things of This World. Who would be so bold as to pretend to guess at the hidden things that tzaddikim relish…?
But some of his students were present, and in all the time they had known him they had never observed him serving his Maker in this manner. So they gathered up courage and after some time asked him to explain to them about the hidden things that he had delighted in in that cholent.
“I am sure I can trust you with the explanation,” he said. “By mistake, the maid in that household flavored the cholent with kerosene instead of vinegar. I could smell it and taste it. I gathered that if our host and hostess would find out, the defenseless girl would never hear the end of it, and possibly lose her job as well—and she’s a penniless orphan, poor thing. So I ate up the cholent, and let them think of me whatever they please. Why should an orphaned girl have to suffer shame and abuse?”
Shabbos Cholent
| 1/4 -1/2 cup navy beans | 2 – 3 Tablespoons oil for sautéing |
| 1/4 – 1/3 cup northern beans | 1/3 – 1/2 cup barley |
| 1/4-1/3 cup pinto beans | 2-6 potatoes, cut into eighths |
| 1/4 – 1/2 cup red kidney beans or | 3 – 4 carrots sliced |
| 1 cup cholent beans | water for soaking |
| 1 – 2 large onion, diced | 2 lbs. breast flanken, chuck steak, or skirt steak |
| 1 – 3 cloves garlic sliced | 1 bay leaf |
| 1 teaspoon oregano | marrow bones (optional) |
| 1 teaspoon rosemary | 2-4 Tablespoons kosher salt |
| 2 Tablespoons paprika | boiling water to cover by 2″ |
1. Soak beans overnight in water to cover or place into a microwave dish, cover with boiling water by 2”, and microwave on high for 15 minutes. Drain.
2. In a 6-quart pot or crock-pot, sauté the onion and garlic in oil until golden.
3. Add all the ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil
4. If using a pot, lower heat and simmer until nearly Shabbos; then place on the blech to simmer through the night. If using a crock-pot, cook on low until ready to serve.
5. Before Shabbos, taste and adjust seasonings. If the water has been absorbed, add more water.
6. Cover and simmer until the daytime seudah.
NOTE: Cholent kugel, potato kugel or kishke can be placed into the pot.
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)
