The founder of the Jewish ethical movement, Rabbi Israel Salanter tells the story of a strange town on a Shabbat when he was invited to eat with one of the town’s most respected families. Returning from Services, his host noticed to is great horror that his wife had forgotten to cover the hallot. Fearful that Rabbi Salanter think his household was not knowledgeable about the tradition, the man yelled at his wife for forgetting this basic act. Mortified and blushing with shame, she ran to drape the cover over the bread. When it came time to recite the Kiddush, Rabbi Salanter stopped the man and said: “I am not sure the food in this house is kosher. It is a home that worries more about embarrassing bread than embarrassing people.”
Come for a dose of inspiration from some of the greatest (and at times oddest) minds of history. The table is set. Come eat.