Fall 2025

The global spice trade has thrived for millennia. Whether over land or ancient maritime routes, merchants sold their aromatic wares as they competed to expand their markets. The spice traders who kidnapped Yosef HaTzadik on their way to Mitzrayim attest to the long history of this commodity. But the reference to spices in the Torah goes back even further. We find it by briyas haolam: barasi yetzer hara, barasi Torah tavlin vo – I have created the evil inclination, I have created Torah as a “spice” (i.e., an antidote) to counter it.[1]

The word spice originated from the Latin species, meaning sort or kind (interestingly, the same meaning that species has today) and it referred to an item of special value. Ancient Roman merchants deeply prized Indian black pepper which they considered more precious than gold, terming it “black gold.” This pungent and versatile spice has an estimated heat rating […]