The story is told of a simple Jewish innkeeper who kept an inn on a distant crossroads many weeks’ journey from the nearest Jewish community, who one year decided to make the trip to the Jewish community for Rosh Hashanah.
When he entered the shul (synagogue) on Rosh Hashanah morning, it was already packed with worshippers, and the service was well underway. Scarcely knowing which way to hold the Machzor (holiday prayer book), he draped his tallis over his head and stood against the back wall where no one would notice him.
Hours passed. Hunger was beginning to gnaw at his insides, but the impassioned sounds of prayer around him showed no signs of lessening. Visions of the sumptuous holiday meal awaiting him at his lodgings made his eyes water in pain. What was taking so long? Haven’t we prayed enough? Still the service stretched on.
Suddenly, as the chazzan (cantor) reached a particularly stirring passage, the entire congregation burst into tears. Why is everyone weeping? Wondered the innkeeper. Then it dawned on him. Of course! They, too, are hungry. They, too, are thinking of the elusive meal and endless service. With a new surge of self-pity he gave vent to his anguish; a new wail joined the others as he, too, cried from the depths of his heart.
But after a while the crying let up, finally quieting to a sprinkling of exceptionally pious worshippers. The hungry innkeeper’s hopes soared, but the prayers went on and on. Why have they stopped crying? He wondered. Are they no longer hungry?
Then he remembered the cholent. What a cholent he had waiting for him! Everything else his wife had prepared for the holiday meal paled in comparison to that cholent. He fondly remembered the juicy chunk of meat she had put into the cholent when she set it on the fire the previous afternoon. The innkeeper knew one thing about cholent: the longer it cooks, the more enjoyable the cholent. He’d looked under the lid on his way to shul this morning, when the cholent had already been going for many hours. It smelled so good. Give it another few hours, and ahhhh. . . A few hours of aching feet and a hollow stomach are a small price to pay considering what was developing under that lid with each passing minute.
Obviously, that’s what his fellow worshippers are thinking, as well. They, too, have a cholent simmering on their stovetop. No wonder they’ve stopped crying. Let the service go on, he consoled himself, the longer the better.
And on the service went. His stomach felt like raw leather, his knees grew weak with hunger, his head throbbed in pain, his throat burned with suppressed tears. But whenever he felt that he simply could not hold out a moment longer, he thought of his cholent, imagining what was happening to that piece of meat at that very moment: the steady blending of flavors with the potatoes, barley, kishke and spices in the pot. Every minute longer, he kept telling himself, is another minute on the fire for my cholent.
An hour later, the cantor launched into another exceptionally moving piece. As his tremulous voice painted the awesome scene of divine judgment unfolding in the heavens, the entire shul broke down weeping once again. At this point, the dam burst in this simple Jewish innkeeper’s heart, for he well understood what was on his fellow worshippers’ minds. “Enough is enough!” he sobbed. “Never mind the cholent! Hashem forgive everyone for their weaknesses and untoward behavior. It’s been such a long time, shower the world with blessings and let us go home.
At last the service was over and the simple innkeeper joined his wife and enjoyed the Rosh Hashanah cholent.
Rosh Hashanahdike Zisseh Kartofl Cholent
Ingredients:
2 medium onions, chopped |
1 cup barley |
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2-4 cloves garlic, minced |
½ tbs coarse black pepper |
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olive oil (for sautéing) |
1.5 lb. boneless shank, flanken or the kosher meat of your choice cut into pieces |
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2 tbsp. salt |
4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped |
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2 sweet potato, peeled and chopped |
2 tbs . paprika |
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2 tbs honey |
1 lb kishka |
Directions:
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Sauté the onions in oil until golden. Add the meat and brown on all sides.
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Add the potatoes, barley and sweet potatoes.
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Transfer the meat and onions to a crockpot
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In 1 cup of water mix honey and spices. Cover with water.
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Wrap the kishka in foil and set on top of cholent
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Turn the crockpot onto before Rosh Hashanah begins, set the heat to low. Cook on low heat overnight.
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On Rosh Hashanah, remove the crockpot insert from the heating element before you open it and serve.
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)