(
Tell Me Why
Bruce®
hardwood floors
f
(>E QUM I I )
AND VAIN
Bruce
PRE-FINISHED 2% x
SOLID OAK
4 Colors Urethane Finish
Standard Nail Down Installation.
$5 9 9
Sq. Ft. INSTALLED
Bruce®
hardwood floors
FREE
3rd COAT
OF FINISH
With this ad
UNFINISHED 214 x
SOLID SELECT OAK
Standard Nail Down Installation
SANDED, STAINED, FINISHED
Standard Colors
2 Coats BonaTech Mega Finish.
$695 Sq. Ft. INSTALLED
FINISHED
4X6 AREA RUG Reg. 950e
FREE Assorted
Colors, Very Heavy Textured,
A Bordered, Beveled, Backed, Bound.
RUG FREE WITH %SOO' PURCHASE
RE-FINISH YOUR OLD WOOD
FLOORS LIKE NEW!
SPECIAL PRICE $ 219 SQ. Fr.
Sand, Stain, Finish With 2 Coats BonaTech Mega.
STANDARD COLORS
Free 3rd coat not included.
Our craftsmen take great pride in the quality of their work-
manship. A pride that assures the hardwood flooring you
choose is the very best you can buy, and your home main-
tains a very beautiful and natural look for many years to come.
CC
LU
Ci
Floor Covering Pius, Inc.
2258 Franklin Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
1 block East of Telegraph, North of Square Lake Road
92
(810) 332-9430
Mon. & Wed. 9-7, Tue., Thur. & Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-3
* previous orders excluded
A Charming Dish, Gefilte Fish
You've seen a tuna. You've seen a carp.
But have you ever seen a gefilte fish?
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Q: If Jews were polygamous is
Q: I notice that when Israelis use company's label reads, "So
biblical times, why aren't they formal titles of address they refer Good!", complete with quote
now?
to men as mar and women as marks. The question is, who said
A: First of all, most Jewish marat, which I suppose are the it? Boris Yeltsin? Mister Rogers?
men in ancient times were equivalent of our Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Ruth? Doug Ross on "ER"?),
monogamous. Most polygamous What is the origin of these terms? a jar, or by cooking one of those
marriages occurred among the
A: Mar is not Hebrew; it is heavy loaves with some onions
upper classes, which could afford Aramaic, and it means "lord" and carrots.
But back in the old days,
to maintain large households of (that is, a human noble — not
women
still made their own
multiple wives.
God, the Lord). In the Tanach,
Although the Tanach records its use can be traced to the book gefilte fish from scratch. It could
episodes of polygamy, more often ofDaniel, where the prophet ad- include any number of fishes,
than not the married couples who dresses the king as mari ("my perhaps carp and pike and white-
appear in the Bible are monog- lord" — 4:16). In Babylonia, fish, which were first cleaned,
amous. Mishley, the book of where the Jews spoke Aramaic, then chopped and mixed with
Proverbs, contains many verses mar became a title preceding a some combination of egg, onion,
regarding marriage, and you name, primarily for rabbis. Be- spices, carrots and bread crumbs,
and finally cooked.
would be hard- BAROWMEDIA
The appropri-
pressed to inter-
ate
flavoring for
pret them as
gefilte fish has
anything other
been the subject
than referring to
of much intense
one man and
debate. Some in-
one wife. Most
sist the only
people probably
good
gefilte fish
would agree
is a sweet gefilte
that Proverbs
fish. Others pre-
31:10-31, the fa-
fer theirs a little
mous Eyshet
spicier.
Chayil, would
Equally con-
sound pretty sil-
troversial
is
ly sung to more
what might ac-
than one wife.
company the
By talmudic
gefilte fish. Pol-
times, the rab-
ish Jews gener-
bis tried to
ally like it
discourage
unadorned by
polygamy. They
such lowly addi-
ruled that a There are some exc eptions, but in general it has been one man, one wife.
tions as condi-
woman married
ments. German
to a man who takes a second wife cause courtesy titles like "Mister" Jews often opt for mayonnaise on
must be granted a divorce if she do not otherwise exist in Hebrew, the side. Jews of Russian her-
disapproves of her husband's ac- mar was adopted in modern Is- itage no doubt have made the
tions. They also ruled that a man rael. Marat is simply the femi- wisest choice, however, and like
may not take a second wife if he nine form derived from mar.
their gefilte fish with a hearty
promised his first wife that he
Q: Every time we go to my grand- helping
of chrain, horseradish—
would remain monogamous, and mother's house on Friday night, she and that last comment has noth-
that a man may not take a sec- serves us gefilte fish. I can't say I'll ing to do with the fact that the
ond wife where monogamy is the ever love it, but over the years I writer of this column had great-
local custom.
have learned to tolerate it, espe- grandparents from Russia. It is
In the late 900s, Rabbeinu cially if I smother it in mayonnaise. simply a matter of fact.
I have to confess, though, that I
Gershom ben Yehuda Meor Ha-
Although the concept of Jews
Cola of Mainz, the leading rabbi don't really know what gefilte fish eating gefilte fish may seem old
of Ashkenazi Jewry, issued a ban is. Is there some species of which as the remaining Gabor sisters
against polygamy (and along I am unaware, or is gefilte a Yid- (though, of course, they're still
with it, a ban against divorcing dish word for a fish I already know? "young at heart,") in fact the first
a woman against her will). The
A: You've asked for it, and now known recipe for the dish ap-
ban was accepted by all Ashke- you're going to get your fill.
pears in a cookbook by a Mrs.
nazi communities for all time.
There is no such creature as a Hertz, published in Germany in
The law did not apply to non- gefilte fish (can you imagine go- 1867. ❑
Ashkenazi Jewry, who either ing to an aquarium to view the
were unaware of it or did not ac- piranha, the eel, and the gefilte
cept it.
fish?). And while "gefilte" is in- Send questions to Tell Me Why,
In 1950, the chief rabbis of the deed Yiddish, it's not a transla- The Jewish News, 27676
State of Israel enacted their own tion of one of those perennial Franklin Road, Southfield, MI
prohibition on pol3s-stamy-for all favorites tuna and salmon or any 48034, or fax to (810) 354-6069.
Jewish citizens of the state, irre- other fish. What it means is All letters must be signed and in-
spective of their communal ori- "stuffed."
cluck the writer's address. Ques-
gin. The Knesset also passed
Today, the typical Jewish chef tions answered in the column will
secular legislation outlawing is likely to prepare his or her feature only the writer's initials
polygamy.
gefilte fish by opening a can (one and city of residence.