Persian Pesach Jewish Traditions and a little bit more

One of the things that regret the most during this Pesach spent in lockdown - for one additional reason than the Corona situation, but more about this maybe one day - is that I cannot explore the various food traditions of other communities around the world - with some elegant limits as I am not so keen to give up to kitnyot, but still...Or the Mimouna together with my Moroccan and Yemeni friends the evening after - although will try the next week to prepare some mufleta for the sake of the good old times...

However, as long as I have the power of my words, I will use it. This time, is for sharing some interesting aspects about how the Persian Jews, one of the oldest diaspora communities with over 2,500 years of traditions behind, are preparing their Pesach Seder.

Persian Jews belong to the same category with the Sephardic/Mizrahim, that is using kitniyot, that for us, the European Jews are completely forbidden. Therefore, their table is rich in rice, choresht (stew), tahdig (crispy rice), grape leaves stuffed with rice and ground beef, fesenjan (sweet and sour pomegranate chicken stew, sweetened with dates), saffron rice with barberries and almonds, almond cake with cardamom and pistachios...The impressive amounts of rice used for the holiday are carefully checked before for any flour that once soaked in water may turn into chometz.

Usually, the seder service, including the Maggid (the central story of the Pesach, of the Jews in Egypt) is read in both Hebrew and Persian. For the communities in a third country, the local language - English, German, French etc. - can be also used. 

In some Persian families, during the Maggid, every person takes the seder plate and carries on while singing ha-lachma anya. In normal times, the average Persian seder may count at least 25 persons, so you can imagine how long does it takes until you reach the end of the table.

A very funny custom that apparently is unique among the Persian Jews has to do with hiting - gently, of course - your neighbour with leeks during dayenu. It imitates the lashing the Egyptians to the Jews.

The Persian charoset - the symbol of the mortar used by Israelites for preparing the bricks -  is also one of a kind. It is called haleq - also by the Syrian, Iraqi, and Indian Jews - and the recipe includes nuts, dried fruits, pomegranate juice, bananas and cardamom. I have to try it after the holidays. Talking about charoset, I am always in awe about the diversity of recipes all over the world. Some of them are really strange, as for instance in the case of the Jews from Gibraltar and from the Greek island of Zakyntos that are using besides raisins, vinegar, pepper also finely ground brick. Yes, you´ve read it right, brick. The Yemenite charoset is also special, mixing chopped dates, figs, chilli pepper and spicy coriander. My favorite discovery so far is the one used by the Venetian Jews: chestnut paste and apricots. Delish.

Back to the customs of the Persian Jews though. At the first seder, after the table is set, it is usually covered with a cloth in order to protect the food from the negative influence of the ten plagues that Gd inflicted upon the Egyptians. 

The end of the Pesach is an occasion to...party. The Moroccan celebrate Mimouna, the Persians call it Shab-e Sal, when yogurt and herb dishes are served. When the Pesach coincides with the festivities on the occasion of the Nowruz, the Persian New Year, the celebrations can be mixed. Therefore, there is also the day after the end of Pesach, Ruz-e Sal when people go outside to celebrate with picnics and getting together outdoors (or it used to be before the Corona). In Turkey, the men of the house are celebrating the end of the matza festival by throwing grass, coins or candies for the children, as a symbol of wealth and wellbeing. 

So many different traditions, one people we should be proud to be part of it.

Understanding the upsherin tradition

My story starts with a very common line used I suppose by many Jewish mothers of boys, when more than a person stops me on the street to tell me how beautiful my 'daughter' is. Followed by the person's disappointment or surprise when I say that in fact he is my son. And ending up with me hurrying up to move on, not keen to share the secret of the long hair.

Although I took the tradition for granted, I recently realized myself that I rarely went too much into the deep reasons of it. And, as in the case of any tradition, it may have some aspects that are not necessarily 100% clearly traced in texts and commentaries. 

Called upsherin - from the Yiddish upsher, to sher off - or chalakah for the Oriental Jews - the Arabic word for haircut - the tradition spread from the 16th century on. It was officially mentioned in Sha'ar Hakavanot, by Rabbi Chaim Vital, a student of Rabbi Isaac Luria, ARIZaL the mystic from Safed. According to Vital and ARIZaL disciples, the holy rabbi went to Meron for the first haircut of his son, the burial site of the Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai, the author of the mystical book of the Zohar. 

There are several reasons why the hair of a young boy should not be cut until the third year of life. The tradition is compared with the idea of orlah, according to which one is not allowed to eat the fruit from a tree during the first three years of life. Similarly, a child is considered as a young fruit, growing up and absorbing as a sponge all the influences of the environment. After this age, he is able to give back and start doing mitzvot. The main changes he is going through is that, from now on, he may wear kippah and tzitzit. Learning Shma is also part of the new learning schedule. A local tradition is to give to small boys plastic Hebrew alphabet frames and put some honey on the letters. Licking the honey, the little boy will think about learning as an exercise as sweet as honey. (Well, you lost me a bit on this, thus better let's go to the next paragraph...)

The sources of the comparisons with the tree are traceable in three places: 'A person is like the tree of a field' (Deut.), 'He will be like a tree planted in the water' (Jer.), and 'For as the days of the tree should be the days of my people' (Isaiah). I particularly love the comparison between a person and a tree, as it involves the idea of developing and growing up, while having the roots well fixed into the ground. Between earth and heaven, the child needs the help and support of the parents for settling in the right soil. 

In addition to the Biblical sources, there is also a superstition associated with the tradition. It is said that demons are particularly interested to steal little boys, thus, when the hair is long, they may be confused. As for now, I didn't trace the origin of this superstition..

In Israel and also abroad, there are many haircuts done on the Lag Ba'omer a relatively minor celebration that received in the last centuries deep Kabbalistic meanings, celebrating among others also the death of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai. People hurry to go to its tomb in Meron, where huge celebrations, with barbecue and drinking and dancing are done. As there are many days when haircutting is forbidden, it is important to ask the opinion of your local Rabbi regarding the recommended time. 

The ceremony in itself - embraced equally by religious and non-religious Jews, on traditional reasons - can be either hold at a synagogue, or if in Israel, maybe at Meron or a holy place, at the tomb of a tzaddik, or just at home, with a modest celebration being organised, with thematic food motives. A wise person - usually a rabbi - is supposed to cut the first  lock, the work being continued by a barber. The religious Jews leave the side locks - peyot - intact. Another tradition is to weight the hair off and to give the same amount of money as tzedaka - charity.

As for us, it is quite early to set up a plan for our upsherin party. I am fully enjoying every moment with my son preparing the ground for a strong tree.