Rained Out
“My discourse shall come down like the rain, my speech will drop like dew, like a shower on leaves of grass, like droplets on leafy herbs” (Deuteronomy 32:2).
For the most part, and especially in the land of Israel, rain is seen as a tremendous blessing. Moses compares rain to the Bible, according to one commentator, because both provide life to the world. Rain gives joy to the whole world, including birds and animals, he says. Yet this commentator admits that while rain makes most people rejoice, not everyone welcomes the rain. He explains that travelers, wine-filled cistern owners, and others might not rejoice in the coming of the rain. Therefore, he says that the second clause of Moshes’s sentence is important because dew pleases everyone.
A different commentator sees the rain as representing the written Bible and the dew as the oral law. One comes down from heaven (rain) and the other is visible and present only on the earth (dew). Similarly, the Bible was dictated to us by God through Moses, but the oral law is Moshes’s explanations on how to put God’s dictates into practice.
Honeydew and Rainforest Fruit Salad
Serves 6–8
1 honeydew melon, diced
1 mango, diced
1 cup pineapple, diced (fresh or canned)
3 kiwis, peeled and diced
1 cup macadamia or cashew nuts
1 cup dried bananas
¾ cup flaked coconut
2 tsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. orange juice
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. coconut milk
½ tsp. vanilla
Mix together honeydew melon, mango, pineapple, and kiwi in a large bowl. Top with macadamia or cashew nuts, dried bananas, and flaked coconut. Mix together lime juice, orange juice, honey, coconut milk, and vanilla. Before serving, pour dressing on top and serve immediately.
Excerpted with permission from “Eating the Bible: Over 50 Delicious Recipes to Feed Your Body and Nourish Your Soul” by Rena Rossner. Copyright 2013, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.