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׃
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!
Source #2
Longing for Qishuim in the Desert: A Torah Story Telling 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?
כְּשׁוּת שֶׁל קִשּׁוּת וְהַנֵּץ שֶׁלָּהּ, טְהוֹרָה.
The hairy fuzzy substance on a qishum and the flower-like substance on it are clean.
(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?]....
זֶה אַנְטוֹנִינוּס וְרַבִּי, שֶׁלֹּא פָּסְקוּ מֵעַל שׁוּלְחָנָם לֹא חֲזֶרֶת וְלֹא קִישּׁוּת וְלֹא צְנוֹן, לֹא בִּימוֹת הַחַמָּה וְלֹא בִּימוֹת הַגְּשָׁמִים,
דְּאָמַר מָר: צְנוֹן מְחַתֵּךְ אוֹכֶל, חֲזֶרֶת מְהַפֵּךְ מַאֲכָל, קִישּׁוּת מַרְחִיב מֵעַיִים.
וְהָא תָּנָא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמָן קִישּׁוּאִין? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁקָּשִׁין לְגוּפוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם כַּחֲרָבוֹת!
לָא קַשְׁיָא: הָא בְּרַבְרְבֵי, הָא בְּזוּטְרֵי טרי:
Antoninus and Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] whose tables [due to their wealth] never lacked for lettuce, nor cucumbers, nor radish, neither in the summer nor in the rainy season.
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 cucumbers [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 is referring to large qishuim, whereas that statement is referring to small ones.
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.
ירק שדרכו להשתמר יום א' תורמין עליו יום א' שני ימים תורמין עליו שני ימים ג' [ימים] תורמין עליו ג' ימים הקשואין והדלועין והטרכסמין ותרדין שדרכן להשתמר יום אחד תורמין עליהן יום אחד.... וכן היה רבי יוסי אומר אין לך מר בקישות אלא הפנימי שבה הרי זה מוסיף על חיצון שבה ותורם.
Vegetables that they are accustomed to watching over for one day [after they are harvested, before they begin to spoil], they they take terumah on their behalf for one day; two days, they take terumah on their behalf for two days; three days, they take terumah on their behalf for three days. The qishuim, the gourd, the "kitchen vegetables", and chard are what they are accustomed to watching over for one day [and] they take terumah on their behalf for one day.... And so too Rabbi Yosei would say, there is no bitterness in qishuim except for its innermost part -- behold, this one supplements the outer layer [of the cucumber with additional non-bitter produce, presumably equivalent to the bitter area inside the cucumber] and thereby takes terumah.
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.
Planting Qishuin* by Magic: A Talmud Tale
Telling 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 left , Like a sukkah 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.
Michael Zohary, Plants of the Bible, p86
“Mikshah is thus ‘a melon-field’. The “lodge in the cucumber field” was the booth of twigs or mats still used today in the gourd-field to guard against theft.”
Harold and Alma Moldenke, Plants of the Bible, 1952 (Page 88)
“The Scriptural expression of “a lodge in a garden of cucumbers” refers to the small house or lodge often built in Palestinian cucumber fields and vineyards…In it an attendant is placed, whose duty it is to tend and watch over the fields.”
יהודה פליקס,עולם הצומח המקראי, עמ 166:
׳׳…שדה קישואים קרוי מקשה. הקישואים בדומה לענבים מבשילים בפרק זמן קצר יחסית, ואז שומרים עליהם במלונה…’
Yehuda Feliks, The World of Biblical Flora, (page 166)
“... a field of qishuim is called a Miqsha. The qishuim, like grapes, ripen in a relatively short time period, and so you keep watch over them in a hut.”
(Translation by Noah Weinberg)
(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.
A Note on Qishuim in Modern Hebrew by Noah Weinberg:
Some growers may experience some confusion when talking about qishuim with modern Hebrew speakers. In modern Hebrew, the word qishuim has come to be associated with what is called in Arabic “kusa” squash, a middle eastern, lighter green, blocky and tapered variety of zucchini that is very popular in Israel/Palestine. Many modern Israeli scholars of ethno-botany have clarified that this association of a relatively modern zucchini variety with the ancient name qishuim, is understandable, yet incorrect. Zucchini originates from the Americas and arrived to the Middle East a few hundred years ago, which is plenty of time to develop local varieties like the kusa. However, it was not present in the region two thousand years ago, the time period of the biblical and rabbinic sources that name them. See Dr. Yehuda Feliks’ explanation below.
יהודה פליקס, מראות המשנה סדר זרעים:
בלויית צמחיית המשנה תיאורם וזיהויים של הצמחים שנזכרו במשנה
בימינו נתייחס השם קישוא לצמח הקרוי בערבית ׳׳קוסה׳׳. (צרויה ר׳ בתמונה קעב במדור ׳׳ספקות וזיהויים מוטעים’). ברם אין ספק שזיהוי זה מוטעה, שהרי המין האחרון מוצאו מאמריקה ולא היה ידוע בעולם העתיק. על פי הערבית ושפות אחרות זוהו הקישואים למלון הקתא, צמח מקשה רב צורתי, שהערבים הרבו לגדל ממנו את הזן הארוך הרב–צלעי (עד 80 ס׳׳מ אורך). פרי זה נאכל חי או מבושל (ע׳׳ע מלפפון).
Dr. Yehuda Feliks, Mraot HaMishna, Seder Zeraim: Identifications and Descriptions of Mishnaic Plants.
In our days, this name “Qishu” is used to refer to a plant which is called in Arabic “Kusa” (see picture in the latter section on “doubts and misidentifications”). However there is no doubt that this identification is mistaken, that behold this species originates in America and was not known in the ancient world. According to Arabic and other languages the Qishuim was identified as the Katta melon, a hardy plant of many forms, from which Arab communities propagated a long and multi-ribbed variety (up to 80 cm long). This fruit is eaten fresh or cooked.
(translation by Noah Weinberg)