To Be Holy
This week’s Torah portion, Kedoshim, articulates the central theme of the book of Leviticus: what does it mean to be holy? In Judaism, holiness or sacredness centers around the idea of making distinctions, of marking certain things as separate and thereby marking them as important. Kedoshim reminds us repeatedly that God is at the center of these distinctions; making them is a way of being in relationship with God, of being a holy people. And that process of becoming a holy people has two facets that cannot be disentangled from one another: the ethical and the ritual.
Kedoshim repeatedly intertwines moral teachings, like carrying for the stranger or being honest in business dealings (Lev. 19:33-36), with ritual teachings, such as the prohibition on idol worship (Lev. 19:4) or reminders to observe the Sabbath (Lev. 19:30). At its heart, this parasha reminds us that these teachings are two sides of the same coin:
You shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I the LORD am your God.
You shall faithfully observe My laws: I the LORD make you holy. (Lev. 20:7-8)
Following God’s laws - whether those laws discuss how to treat others well, how to care for your livestock and fields, how to do business, or how to worship and observe religious rites - collectively chart out a path that marks the people of Israel as distinct, a way of being in the world that is different from the nations that surround them. And building that pattern of drawing distinctions into the daily rhythms of one’s life is how God makes the people holy.
This idea of marking certain things as special or distinct is one that our kids understand intuitively. To help them connect to this parasha, think about if your family has any rituals that are separate from religion but that mark certain moments as special. For example, in our family, Sunday mornings are pancake mornings. My kids and I make pancakes together, usually mixing either sprinkles or mini-chocolate chips into the batter. The kids help me dump the ingredients into the bowl and mix the batter together, and then they usually crawl around on the floor looking for any stray sprinkles that might have dropped while I fry the pancakes. There’s nothing inherently sacred about it, and yet we all know that “pancake day” is special time because we have marked it out as special. Is there something you do together as a family like this? Ask your kids to help you think of what kinds of special time you have together, or think about making a new special routine together. It could be pancake day, or a morning walk, or a movie night. A Thank You Walk is a great book that calls attention to these routines and can help us notice them in our own lives.
Another way to connect with the themes of this parasha is to notice the ways our kids experience difference. For example, during Passsover, my children brought a special lunch to school, and they definitely noticed the experience of being different from the other children, most of whom were eating the hot lunch provided by the school. Sometimes, being different in these ways is hard for my kids, but at other times, it makes them feel special. In the case of Passover, my oldest noticed that a few others kids in her class were also bringing a special lunch, and this made her feel connected to them. Explore these moments with your own children. What does the experience of being different or set apart feel like to them? Does it make them feel lonely or special? Dos it make them notice the way other kids are different, or appreciate the things they have in common with some kids, but not others?
This week, I recommend making a recipe that feels special or distinctive to your family, like a family recipe, or something that connects with a routine or ritual that is important in your family, like my family’s pancake tradition. I’m sharing our sprinkle pancake recipe below. You can also use this moment to call attention to the specialness of Shabbat as a ritual moment. Maybe this is a great week to make some homemade challah!
Sprinkle Pancakes
Sprinkle pancakes are a super easy and fun way to make a special meal with your kids. I use Bisquick pancake mix to keep this super simple, so that my kids can help with every step. As a special treat, consider trying breakfast for dinner this Shabbat! My kids are always thrilled when we do this, and you can round out the meal with fruit, yogurt, or eggs. It’s a great option when things are hectic and you want to focus on family connection instead of cooking. These pancakes also freeze well; simply pop them in the microwave to defrost and you’ll have warm pancakes in seconds. Prefer to make your pancakes from scratch? This recipe from Yummy Toddler Food looks very similar to what we make.
Ingredients
Serves 2, you may want to double or triple for your family
1 cup Bisquick pancake mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 tbl vegetable oil
Sprinkles (not the nonpareil kind)
butter (for frying)
Instructions
Mix together the pancake mix, milk, egg and oil until fully blended. This is a great opportunity for your kids to help with dumping and stirring! I do two half cups of batter to avoid getting an extra measuring cup dirty, and to give more opportunities for the little ones to help. Note: since kids do not always measure accurately, you may need to add a little extra mix or a little extra milk to achieve the right consistency.
Once the better is fully mixed, add sprinkles. You can add as many or as few as you like. I probably use 1-2 teaspoons, but I never measure. Stir gently.
Heat your frying pan until quite hot. To test if it is ready, flick some water onto the pan. If the water “dances”, with little droplets skittering across the top of the pan, it’s ready. At this point, I usually have to turn down the heat or my pan gets too hot.
Add butter to the pan, and then begin to fry your pancakes.
Enjoy warm!
Hate frying pancakes? You can also bake them in a sheet pan in the oven. The results are a little different, but still yummy!