A Tree of Life – Genesis Chapter 3

“And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat and that it was a desire for the eyes, and that the tree could pleasantly make one wise, and she took of its fruit, and she ate, and she gave to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6)

Questions: What type of fruit tree was this? Why wouldn’t God have wanted to reveal the name of the tree? Why do you think Eve gave to her husband Adam as well? Why wasn’t she just content to eat the fruit herself?

Ideas: Candied citron slices or citron jam, dried figs or fig bars, fresh grapes, raisins, wine or grape juice, and anything made from wheat – bread, cookies, cake or pasta.

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Great Grapes – Numbers Chapter 13

‘They came to the valley of Eshkol and they cut a branch with a cluster of grapes. They carried it on a pole between two people and they also took some pomegranates and figs.’ (Numbers 13:23)

Questions: Why do you think the spies chose these fruits specifically? Why did they choose gigantic fruits rather than bring back more normal sized examples? What could their motive have been? Is it ever good to speak badly of something or someone? Does it matter if we speak negatively about inanimate objects? What power do words have?

Ideas: Put out a bowl of grapes, dried figs and pomegranates (or pomegranate juice if you can’t find fresh pomegranates) to represent the fruit the spies returned with from the Land of Israel. Or put out fruit that is native to your land. Make sure to praise the fruit!

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The Corner Store – Leviticus Chapter 19

‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not completely reap the corner of your field, and you shall not gather the fallen stalks of your harvest. You shall not pick the small, incompletely formed bunches of grapes of your vineyard or the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the Lord your God.’ (Leviticus 19:10)

Questions: Why is giving “leftovers” to the poor a charitable deed? Why are we not commanded to give the best of our crops and food to the poor? And isn’t it obvious that we must be charitable to those less fortunate than us? Why must God tell us this? And why isn’t it enough to just tell us to be charitable and not to tell us exactly how to do it?

Ideas: Serve an abundance of grapes – take all the grapes off of their stems except for one cluster. Serve raisins or grapes on a square plate and leave one corner empty. You can really do this for effect with everything you serve – leave one corner of the brownie tray “unharvested,” don’t eat the last slice of meatloaf, etc.

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Harvesting God’s Kindness – Exodus Chapter 23

“You shall observe the festival of unleavened bread. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread as I have commanded you, at the appointed time of the month of springtime, for then you left Egypt…. And the festival of the harvest of the first fruits of your labors that you sow in the field, and the festival of the ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your work from the field.” (Exodus 23:15–16)

Questions: Why are so many of our holidays connected to food? Why are they always connected to a specific time of year? What is the significance of the harvest? What is so special about the number seven? Is it central to our lives? Why?

Ideas: Any bountiful spread of produce will do. Serve everything at your table in multiples of seven. Invite seven guests! Incorporate some or all of the seven species into your meal, make a seven layer salad, purchase or make a seven-layer cake, or make your favorite holiday dish!

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