On the Go! Pomegranates and a Chanukah Challah Story

 Always start a Chanukah Challah with pure olive oil!

Shaping a Star of David Challah (I struggled with the dough this time, but finally was victorious as you can see the shape came out well)

I just noticed, the pomegranate is like a star shape when open.  If you get one that still has the `crown` on top, you can see the top is actually a 6-pointed star,like the star of David. 

This basket of pomegranates caught my eye!  Seemingly just casually there but I knew the One who  intentionally put it there!

... oh how the pomegranate is a fruitful blessing for all who will enjoy it!

From one vial of olive oil, and look what happens next!

‘Josef’ and names of the 12 tribes embroidered in Hebrew on the challah cover 

A little bit is oil goes a long way in a Chanukah Challah

Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates with the choicest of fruits, with henna and nard,

Song of Songs 4:13

 
Around this time of the year just around Chanukah,
I start to see pomegranates showing up in the supermarket here in Japan.  Once I noticed that,  I became excited because pomegranates are one of the 7 species of the land of Israel.  I started to watch for them in a particular spot each year at this time, and I saw that God  was indeed sending me pomegranates for Chanukah!

So now here we are this year, a week before Chanukah! 

There it was, the pomegranate delivery ~ one little basket of them in the fruit section!
It was an intimate moment in this big supermarket.   I knew God put them there for me, in a basket that hardly anyone would notice but He knew I would.  And He said, Here, take one, take a couple.  It’s almost Chanukah! Yes, these pomegranates are for you! 

I decided I would make a Chanukah Challah to bring to my daughter in Tokyo on the way to the US, so we can have a time of celebration and make a blessing for Chanukah! That is the `on the go` part of the story! I will be going back to the US for Chanukah!

I wanted to make a Star of David Challah with pomegranate in it, but I had a bit of a struggle with the dough (it was in the parsha of Vayigash where Jacob struggles with the angel, somehow it made sense that I was struggling with this Dough!).  After all I was able to do one in the shape of a Star of David, and then separately made a small Pomegranate Challah.

As it was for Chanukah, I focused on the olive oil which in my recipe is the first ingredient to go in. As you know, at Chanukah we celebrate the miracle of the oil lasting 8 nights and the miracle of the victory of the small group of the Maccabees who stood up to the Greek and Syrian army of Antiochus who had taken over and desecrated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.   At that time the Jewish people were being forced to assimilate and prohibited from observing the Torah.  Only a small group stood up and would not bow down to the ways of the Greek~~and God gave them the Victory!

A pomegranate can be seen as representing Torah as it contains 613 seeds said by the Jewish sages to represent the 613 commandments.  I also see connections with Joseph, as we always read the parashot about Joseph during Chanukah,  who was righteous and who was given the blessing of a fruitful son and who in many ways is a picture of Messiah Yeshua.

A fruitful son is Joseph,
    a fruitful son beside a spring—
    daughters walk along a wall.

Genesis 49:22

When I poured in the oil, I thought of that one flask of oil that remained, and the way it lasted long enough to make pure oil again to keep the light burning and re-dedicate the Temple. The very Temple where Yeshua stood in Solomon`s colonnade at Chanukah, Himself the Light of the World, and still yet to be fully revealed!   May it be this Chanukah!

Then came Hanukkah; it was winter in Jerusalem. Yeshua was walking in the Temple around Solomon’s Colonnade. Then the Judean leaders surrounded Him, saying, “How long will You hold us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us outright!”     John 10:22~25

🕎💛🕎💛

As I am writing this post I heard something from the Holy Spirit. He reminded me of that the very first time I found a pomegranate in Japan, even before I started the Pomegranate challah, and even before I associated it with Chanukah, and with Joseph.
It was on the Shabbat of the week of my birthday that I first found one!!

I am amazed at that full circle, as this trip will be for Chanukah, my Dad’s birthday, and my birthday!! And here just at the Shabbat before that, He placed that basket of pomegranates in the supermarket 

May it be a fruitful time and season for us all as we share our deep love for the beloved Yeshua and shine His light.  May we `re-dedicate` ourselves and our families to Him! Note: Chanukah means `Dedication`.

 Now, I need to go and prepare! Blessings and Shalom.  

Receive an overflowing of pure anointing oil from the Ruach HaChodesh and let your light shine!

Shabbat Shalom!  Chanukah Sameach!

Much Love,❤️

Shayndel

 A few PS Notes:

I have never been to America for Chanukah in all the 20 plus years since I lived in Japan. And now G-d is bringing me back to where these pomegranates in Japan came from!  (Did I mention, the pomegranates in the supermarket here in Japan are from America!)

You can find more posts of the pomegranate challah and even how it came about, the relation with Joseph, and more  HERE,  as I have been making a Pomegranate challah at Chanukah for several years now!  And Star of David Challah posts HERE and Uploads HERE and HERE。

 

Then they made bells of pure gold and put the bells between the pomegranates on the hem of the robe all around, between the pomegranates,  a bell and a pomegranate, then another bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe, to minister in, as Adonai commanded Moses. 

Exodus 39:25~27

(verse added to the post as per conversation in the comments! Bold and colors emphasized accordingly!)

 

Nes Gadol Haya Sham, A GREAT MIRACLE HAPPENED THERE!

For a Classic Jewish spin on Chanukah Music,  Enjoy a Chanukah Playlist of the Maccabeats songs, one for each night,  HERE 

Also you can find my AHAVA CHANUKAH Playlist of songs HERE.