Oyfn Pripetchik? ? In the Fireplace?

It snowed overnight, after most of the snow and ice on the ground had just about melted away…

This morning's view from my apartment window

Oyfn pripetchik brent a fayerl

Un in shtub is heys.

Un der rebbe lernt kleyne kinderlekh

Dem alef-beys.

A fire is burning in the fireplace

and its warm in the house,

as the Rabbi is teaching little children

the aleph-beys.

Street view...

It’s cold and Shabbos is coming and as we recharge our batteries from the week’s harsh realities, or we contemplate on the week’s successes, there is that special Shabbos food to warm us, to comfort us. Cholent, kugel (whether potato or lokshen – noodles) and more.

As we sing Shabbos zmiros, as we tell over divrey Torah there is a warmth that permeates the heart’s own hearth – the tiny inner pripetchik where the pintele yid is always burning, always reminding one who and what he or she is. Regardless of the weather outside, whether cold, freezing, warm or hot, the heart’s temperature is perfect, as the mind feels uplifted by the niggunim, by the words of ancient wisdom, by the stories that touch one’s soul and the body enjoys those special flavors of the Shabbos food (the same food, prepared the exact same way, just tastes so different during the week).

[..]Gliklekh iz der yid vos lernt toyre,

Vos darfn mir nokh mer?

Happy is the Jew who learns Torah

What more do we need?

(Oyfn Pripetchik - Old Yiddish song)

Talking about the special taste of Shabbos food, I came across this easy recipe, on The Food Network, by Joan Nathan, it is different and very good:

Ingredients

Directions

A gutten Shabbos – Shabbat shalom umevorach, gentle reader.

CS