Many years ago, when I was still a single Yeshiva Bochur, I was given the privileged assignment to give a ride to a very great person. It was Motzei Shabbos, and a prominent Torah family I knew was having a Bar Mitzvah. I was asked to pick up Rabbi Moshe Neuschlas from New Square. I went with a friend of mine and we arrived at the elderly Rabbi’s modest home. He answered the door and we expected him to come right away outside but he beckoned us in instead. We could not refuse his offer.

He seated us at the dining room table and generously presented each of us with a piece of hot and delicious looking potato Kugel. As he was putting the Kugel down, he was explaining to us the YICHUS, the historicity and import of this Kugel. As part of its spiritual ingredients, this holy Kugel contained Shirayim, leftovers, or traces of Kugel that had been eaten from a series of big Rebbes whose names I cannot recall. I was not so familiar with this selling point of Kugel or any other food.

I felt comfortable enough to ask the Rabbi, “What is the source of Shirayim, eating from the remnants of what a Tzadik has eaten from?” It was a week before Purim, I remember, and he gave two answers immediately. He said there is a Gemara that says, that if someone eats from something that a Sheretz, a mouse ate from then it causes forgetfulness. Therefore, how much more so in a positive direction if one eats from something that a Tzadik ate from it increases his spiritual prowess.

For the second answer the Rabbi referred to a Possuk in the Megillah of Esther, which we read on Purim. The verse says that Haman went out (from the first party) “B’Simcha U’BTuv Levav” – with joy and a happy heart. This is not a simple description. The Chumash tells us in the rebukes of KiSavo that the reason why the Bais HaMikdash will have been worthy to be destroyed and the Jewish People exiled from the land is “Tachas Asher Lo Avadeta Es HASHEM Elochecha B’Simcha U’Btuv Levav…” – because you did not serve HASHEM your G-d with joy and a happy heart.” Now, the Rabbi asked, “From where did Haman get such a lofty level? The answer is that Haman was exiting the Seuda, the party of Esther, and therefore it was the Shirayim of Esther!” We then went out to the car satisfied with both the tasty Kugel and the delicious answer.

And Sarah said, “G-d has made joy for me; whoever hears will rejoice over me. “And she said, “Who would have said to Avraham that Sarah would nurse children, for I have borne a son to his old age!” And the child grew and was weaned, and Avraham made a great feast on the day that Yitzchok was weaned. (Breishis 21:6-8) The verse subtly reveals to us the healthy skepticism people had about Sarah having actually given birth to a child at an advanced age.

Rashi comments on something puzzling. Sarah would nurse children: Why is “children” in the plural? On the day of the feast, the princesses brought their children with them, and she nursed them, for they were saying, “Sarah did not give birth, but brought in a foundling from the street.” The Midrash describes that Sarah began to fount with milk and nurse those children.

The Midrash tells us some other interesting information about the future results of that “party” where Sarah “nursed children”. Centuries later the Jewish People unanimously accepted the Torah and the nations of the world were offered the same opportunity but they refused. However, there were certain individuals within those nations that did want to receive the Torah. They would become Gerim, the righteous converts, and these people were the descendants of those children that drank from the milk of Sarah at that party. So, it was the holy milk of Sarah that had such a profound effect far into the future. Now, just imagine the impact on Yitzchok!

One of my teachers told us, perhaps whimsically, but still true, that that is what the Litvaks say. The Chassidim, however, claim that – it was not necessarily the milk that flowed from Sarah but rather the Shirayim of Yitzchok. So, we see that Shirayim is not just a souvenir but the unleashing of a powerful spiritual force embedded deep within a holy potato Kugel.