Opening Song: Where You Go (I Will Go) - By Shoshana Jedwab, based on Book of Ruth
Where you go I will go, Ancestors. Where you go I will go,
Where you lie I will lie, Ancestors. Where you lie I will lie.
and Your people are my people, Your people are mine.
Your people are my people, your divine my divine
וְהָֽאסַפְסֻף֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ הִתְאַוּ֖וּ תַּאֲוָ֑ה וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ וַיִּבְכּ֗וּ גַּ֚ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מִ֥י יַאֲכִלֵ֖נוּ בָּשָֽׂר׃
זָכַ֙רְנוּ֙ אֶת־הַדָּגָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נֹאכַ֥ל בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם חִנָּ֑ם אֵ֣ת הַקִּשֻּׁאִ֗ים וְאֵת֙ הָֽאֲבַטִּחִ֔ים וְאֶת־הֶחָצִ֥יר וְאֶת־הַבְּצָלִ֖ים וְאֶת־הַשּׁוּמִֽים׃
וְעַתָּ֛ה נַפְשֵׁ֥נוּ יְבֵשָׁ֖ה אֵ֣ין כֹּ֑ל בִּלְתִּ֖י אֶל־הַמָּ֥ן עֵינֵֽינוּ׃ וְהַמָּ֕ן כִּזְרַע־גַּ֖ד ה֑וּא וְעֵינ֖וֹ כְּעֵ֥ין הַבְּדֹֽלַח׃ שָׁטוּ֩ הָעָ֨ם וְלָֽקְט֜וּ וְטָחֲנ֣וּ בָרֵחַ֗יִם א֤וֹ דָכוּ֙ בַּמְּדֹכָ֔ה וּבִשְּׁלוּ֙ בַּפָּר֔וּר וְעָשׂ֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ עֻג֑וֹת וְהָיָ֣ה טַעְמ֔וֹ כְּטַ֖עַם לְשַׁ֥ד הַשָּֽׁמֶן׃ וּבְרֶ֧דֶת הַטַּ֛ל עַל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה לָ֑יְלָה יֵרֵ֥ד הַמָּ֖ן עָלָֽיו׃
Now the gathered-riffraff that were among them had a craving, a hunger-craving,and moreover the Children of Israel wept again and said: Who will give us meat to eat?
We recall the fish that we used to eat in Egypt for free, the Qishuim, the watermelons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic!
But now, our throats are dry; there is nothing at all except for the mahn before our eyes! Now the mahn is like seed of coriander,its aspect like the aspect of bdellium. The people would roam around and collect it grind it in millstones or crush it in a crusher, boil it in a pot, and make it into cakes, so that its taste was like the taste of [something] rich [made with] oil. And when the dew came down on the camp at night, he mahn would come down on top of it.
Source #2
Longing for Qishuim in the Desert: A Torah StoryTelling by Sonia Brin
Numbers/Devarim 11
A very very long time ago, there were a people–perhaps our people–who endured generations and generations of suffering and oppression in a narrow place (Mitzrayim). And then they were freed. And they began their journey of liberation out of Mitzrayim, out of this narrow place. And then they were wandering for years and years–40 years to be precise–through the desert. And I don’t know if anyone has ever trekked through a desert or spent a lot of time in the desert but it is very hot and very dry and isn’t the most pleasant conditions if you’re not accustomed to it. And so these people were tired and really thirsty and pretty grumpy.
And for these people, the place that they used to be, this place of contracted suffering, was the only place they knew, the only place that they had ever lived. And the unknown of what was ahead of them was scary. The idea of getting free is scary. So they held onto the memory of the comforts that they used to have, and they yearned for these comforts.
“We remember the foods we used to eat in Mitzrayim. The fish, “cucumbers”, the melons, and the garlic and the leeks. And now our gullets are shriveled and we have nothing at all.”
And one of these things that they yearned for was this “cucumber”, this qishu or qishuim.
And today we are going to talk about our own journey as modern Jewish farmers, of reaching back, like so far back into our own history, to pull these seeds out of the ground and into the present.
So botanists and linguists have been able to identify the qishuim as this one group of “melons.” We found seeds from all over and this summer 10 summer camps and 10 professional farms are growing them all out to see–which ones grow best? Which resemble the ancient descriptions of qishuim?
(ד) וּבַיָּרָק, הַקִּשּׁוּאִין וְהַדְּלוּעִים וְהָאֲבַטִּיחִים וְהַמְּלָפְפוֹנוֹת, הַתַּפּוּחִים וְהָאֶתְרוֹגִין, חַיָּבִים גְּדוֹלִים וּקְטַנִּים....
(ה) אֵיזֶהוּ גָּרְנָן לַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת. הַקִּשּׁוּאִים וְהַדְּלוּעִים, מִשֶּׁיְּפַקְסוּ. וְאִם אֵינוֹ מְפַקֵּס, מִשֶּׁיַּעֲמִיד עֲרֵמָה. אֲבַטִּיחַ, מִשֶּׁיְּשַׁלֵּק. וְאִם אֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּק, עַד שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה מֻקְצֶה...
(4) With regard to when vegetables [are liable to tithes]: Qishuim, gourds, water-melons, cucumbers, apples and etrogs are liable [for tithes], whether gathered in the earlier or later stages of ripening.....
(5) What is considered a “threshing floor” for tithes [i.e. when does produce become liable for tithes]? Qishuim and gourds [are liable for tithes] once he removes their fuzz. And if he doesn’t remove it, once he makes a pile. Melons once he removes the fuzz with hot water. And if they he does not remove the fuzz, once he stores them in the muktzeh [storage?]....
מַתְנִי׳ הַחוֹבֵל בַּחֲבֵירוֹ, חַיָּיב עָלָיו מִשּׁוּם חֲמִשָּׁה דְּבָרִים: בְּנֶזֶק, בְּצַעַר, בְּרִיפּוּי, בְּשֶׁבֶת וּבוֹשֶׁת....
....שֶׁבֶת – רוֹאִין אוֹתוֹ כְּאִילּוּ הוּא שׁוֹמֵר קִישּׁוּאִין, שֶׁכְּבָר נָתַן לוֹ דְּמֵי יָדוֹ וּדְמֵי רַגְלוֹ.
MISHNA: One who injures another is liable to pay compensation for that injury due to five types of indemnity: He must pay for damage, for pain, for medical costs, for loss of livelihood, and for humiliation....
.....How is payment for loss of livelihood assessed? The court views the injured party as though he were a Shomer Qishuim Watchman of Qishuim, and the one who caused him injury must compensate him based on that pay scale for the income that he lost during his convalescence. This indemnity does not take into account the value of the standard wages of the injured party because the one who caused him injury already gave him compensation for his hand or compensation for his leg, and that compensation took into account his professional skills.
יֵשׁ מִינִין בַּזְּרָעִין שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַמִּין הָאֶחָד נִפְרָד לְצוּרוֹת הַרְבֵּה מִפְּנֵי שִׁנּוּי מְקוֹמוֹת וְהָעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁעוֹבְדִין הָאָרֶץ עַד שֶׁיֵּרָאֶה כִּשְׁנֵי מִינִין וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין דּוֹמִין זֶה לָזֶה הוֹאִיל וְהֵן מִין אֶחָד אֵינָן כִּלְאַיִם זֶה בָּזֶה:
וְיֵשׁ בַּזְּרָעִים שְׁנֵי מִינִין שֶׁהֵן דּוֹמִין זֶה לָזֶה וְצוּרַת שְׁנֵיהֶן קְרוֹבָה לִהְיוֹת צוּרָה אַחַת וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן הוֹאִיל וְהֵן שְׁנֵי מִינִין הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ אֲסוּרִים זֶה עִם זֶה:
כֵּיצַד. הַחֲזֶרֶת עִם חֲזֶרֶת גַּלִּים. וְהָעֵלְשִׁין עִם עֵלְשֵׁי שָׂדֶה. וְהַכְּרֵשִׁין עִם כְּרֵשֵׁי שָׂדֶה. הַכֻּסְבַּר עִם כֻּסְבַּר הָרִים. וְחַרְדָּל עִם חַרְדָּל מִצְרִי. וּדְלַעַת הַמִּצְרִית עִם דְּלַעַת הָרְמוּצָה אֵינָן כִּלְאַיִם זֶה בָּזֶה.
וְכֵן הַחִטִּין עִם הַזּוּנִין. וְהַשְּׂעוֹרִים עִם שִׁבּלֶת שׁוּעָל. וְהַכֻּסְּמִין עִם הַשִּׁיפוֹן. וְהַפּוֹל עִם הַסַּפִּיר. וְהַפֻּרְקְדָּן עִם הַטֹּפַח. וּפוֹל לָבָן עִם הַשְּׁעוּעִים. וְהַקְּשׁוּת עִם הַמְּלָפְפוֹן. וְהַכְּרוּב עִם הַתְּרוֹבְתּוֹר. וְהַתְּרָדִין עִם הַלְּעוּנִין אֵינָן כִּלְאַיִם זֶה עִם זֶה.
אֲבָל הַצְּנוֹן עִם הַנְּפוּסִין. וְהַחַרְדָּל עִם הַלַּפְסָן. וּדְלַעַת יְוָנִית עִם דְּלַעַת מִצְרִית אוֹ עִם דְּלַעַת הָרְמוּצָה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁדּוֹמִים זֶה לָזֶה הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ כִּלְאַיִם זֶה בָּזֶה:
There are certain species of plants which will divide into separate forms because of the difference in the place [where they grow] and the differences in the manner in which the earth is cultivated until they appear as two species. Nevertheless, since they are one species, they are not considered as kilayim with each other.
And there are species of plants that resemble each other and whose form is close to being the same. Nevertheless, because they are two species, it is forbidden [to grow] them together.
What is implied? Lettuce with wavy lettuce, endives and wild endives, leek and wild leek, coriander and mountain coriander, mustard and Egyptian mustard, Egyptian squash and Bitter squash (edible after being cooked in ashes), are not considered as kilayim with each other.
Similarly, wheat and undomesticated wheat, barley and oats, rye and spelt, beans and white peas, red grasspea and blue grasspea, white beans with azuki beans, qishut and cucumbers, cabbage and cauliflower, spinach and sorrel are not kilayim with each other.
But radishes and rapeseed, mustard and wild mustard, Greek squash and Egyptian squash, or and squash of ashes, although they resemble each other are kilayim with each other.
מֻתָּר לִזְרֹעַ שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת זוֹ בְּצַד זוֹ שֶׁל קִשּׁוּאִין וּשְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת בְּצִדָּן שֶׁל דְּלוּעִין. וּשְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת שֶׁל פּוֹל הַמִּצְרִי. וְתֶלֶם בֵּין כָּל מִין וָמִין. אֲבָל לֹא יִזְרַע שׁוּרָה אַחַת שֶׁל קִשּׁוּאִין וְשׁוּרָה אַחַת שֶׁל דְּלוּעִין וְשׁוּרָה אַחַת שֶׁל פּוֹל הַמִּצְרִי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַתֶּלֶם מַבְדִּיל בֵּין כָּל מִין וָמִין מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמִּינִין אֵלּוּ עָלִים שֶׁלָּהֶן אֲרֻכִּין וְנִמְשָׁכִין וּמִסְתַּבְּכִין. וְאִם זְרָעָן שׁוּרָה בְּצַד שׁוּרָה יִתְעָרֵב הַכּל וְנִרְאוּ כְּנִזְרָעִין בְּעִרְבּוּבְיָא:
It is permitted to sow two rows of qishuim next to each other, next to them two rows of squash, next to them two rows of Egyptian beans, [provided] there is a trench between each species.
One should not, however, sow one row of qishuim, one row of squash, and one row of Egyptian beans, even though there is a trench separating between each species, because the leaves of these species grow long and become extended and tangled. If they are sown one row next to another, everything will become intermingled and it will appear that he sowed [the crops] as a mixture.
Planting Qishuin* by Magic: A Talmud TaleTelling by Jack Kellner
Rabbi Eliezer was a great Rabbi who lived in Judea (the Land of Israel) thousands of years ago. He was such a great Rabbi that he is the 6th most frequently mentioned sage in the Mishnah (oral Torah). Rabbi Eliezer had many students and was known for being very wise on many topics.
At the end of his life, Rabbi Eliezer is on his deathbed talking to a student. He thinks back to all of the things he knows and all of the things people asked him about and one thing really starts to bother him.
“You know what,” he said. “I know 300 [and some say he actually said 3,000] halachot/laws about planting qishuin and nobody asked me about it except for that one time when Rabbi Akiva asked…”
“Once upon a time, me and him were walking along a path and he said to me, ‘Rabbi teach me how to plant qishuin.’ I said one [magic] word and the whole field became filled with qishuin!
After seeing the field get full of qishuin, Rabbi Akiva asked me ‘Rabbi, teach me how to plant them but also can you teach me how to pull the plants out when they’re done?’
At that moment I said another single [magic] word and all of the plants became gathered in one place!”
*Note: In Aramaic, plurals end in “in” instead of “im”
וְנוֹתְרָ֥ה בַת־צִיּ֖וֹן כְּסֻכָּ֣ה בְכָ֑רֶם כִּמְלוּנָ֥ה בְמִקְשָׁ֖ה כְּעִ֥יר נְצוּרָֽה׃
Fair Zion is leftLike a booth in a vineyard,Like a hut in a qishuim field,Like a city beleaguered.
כְּתֹ֨מֶר מִקְשָׁ֥ה הֵ֙מָּה֙ וְלֹ֣א יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ נָשׂ֥וֹא יִנָּשׂ֖וּא כִּ֣י לֹ֣א יִצְעָ֑דוּ אַל־תִּֽירְא֤וּ מֵהֶם֙ כִּי־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֔עוּ וְגַם־הֵיטֵ֖יב אֵ֥ין אוֹתָֽם׃ {פ}
They are like a scarecrow in a qishu patch,They cannot speak.They have to be carried,For they cannot walk.Be not afraid of them, for they can do no harm;Nor is it in them to do any good.
(ו) על פרי האדמה מברך:בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹקינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה:
Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu melech haaolam borei pri haadamah
Blessed are You, Yah our G!d, Cosmic Majesty, who creates fruits of the earth.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, ה׳ אֱלֹוקינוּ, מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, v'kiy'manu, v'higiyanu laz'man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Yah our G?d, Cosmic Majesty, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and allowed us to arrive to this moment.
(בראשית כה, כג) ויאמר ה׳ לה שני גוים בבטנך אמר רב יהודה אמר רב אל תקרי גוים אלא גיים זה אנטונינוס ורבי שלא פסקו מעל שולחנם לא חזרת ולא קישות ולא צנון לא בימות החמה ולא בימות הגשמים דאמר מר צנון מחתך אוכל חזרת מהפך מאכל קישות מרחיב מעיים והא תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל למה נקרא שמן קישואין מפני שקשין לגופו של אדם כחרבות לא קשיא הא ברברבי הא בזוטרי:
§ The Gemara returns to its discussion of Antoninus: When the matriarch Rebecca was pregnant with Jacob and Esau, “the Lord said to her: Two nations [goyim] are in your womb” (Genesis 25:23). Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Do not read it as goyim, meaning nations; rather read it as geyim, meaning proud ones. This verse was fulfilled in two prominent individuals who descended from Rebecca, Antoninus and Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, whose tables, due to their wealth, never lacked for lettuce, nor qishuim, nor radish, neither in the summer nor in the rainy season, despite the fact that these foods do not grow year round. The reason they ensured that these items were always present at their tables is that the Master said: A radish breaks up food, lettuce stirs up food, and qishuim expand the intestines. The Gemara asks: But isn’t it taught in the school of Rabbi Yishmael: Why are they called kishuin? It is because they are as harmful [kashim] to a person’s body as swords. The Gemara answers: This is not difficult. This statement, that they are harmful to the body, is referring to large cucumbers, whereas that statement, explaining why they were always present on the tables of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and Antoninus, is referring to small ones.