Word Prompt – LEAVES – Lenny Solomon

We all love the fall. The leaves come down from the trees and you crunch them beneath your feet. It is a great feeling.

But there is another meaning for leaves and it is all about hachnasat orchim. Having guests for Shabbat.

The question to be asked is this: how many leaves do we need to add to the table to accommodate the guests coming for the Shabbat meal? Sometimes you only have five to seven people and you can eat with the table at regular size. But when you have more than eight people and as many as 20 you will have to extend the table by as many as three or four leaves. If you come from a house where your parents constantly had lots of guests for Shabbat then you know exactly what I am talking about. As a musician who has traveled the world, I am used to seeing the table being extended for the many guests that will be at Friday night or Shabbat lunch meals. It is a fun time for all!