Aloha v’shalom (love and peace)!
In the hana butta days, ka’u kumu / chachami (my rabbi), was fond of saying, ” התורה לא משתעלת / ha’torah lo mishta’elet (the Torah does not cough, folks)!” As part of his mantric aʻo, dvar (teaching), he would also add to this, “Every word is in there for a reason.” And, by added implication, he meant every scribal mistake or error of omission within Torah, too.
Ours was a Conservadox hale heiau, esnoga (synagogue), long before there was ever such a word for this. But, we were more than this, as a community, too. What was special about our hale heiau, was our manaʻo, our kavanah (thoughtful intention), to include every community member in the experience of walaʻau, schmoosen (chatting), our way into non-pressured community Jewish education.
Yes, for our hale, kahal (community, lit. “house”), every member regardless of age girsa d’yankuta (imbibed knowledge as if mother’s milk). It was the ‘uhane, nashamah (breath, essense) of our wā, עֵת èt (period of time). The way we island Jews holoholo (strolled) upon the ‘āina, ha’èretz (the land). And it showed most evidently in our manawaleʻa, tzedakah (generous heart, justice).
Though ia wā (at the time), as is still today, puaʻa, khazir (pork) is kapu, asur (forbidden), for our lāhui, am/le’om (people, nation), the poi (boiled taro root) is a pōmaikaʻi, a bracha (blessing), for our kino, nefesh (body-mind). Much like the salty fresh ane, ruach (breeze), that enlivens our koko, dam (blood) – renewing our mauli ola, nishmàt chayìm (power of healing).
And, if you sneeze, “kihe a mauli ola, labriut (sneeze and live)!” For, at this au, zmàn (time), I wish to bring us, now, back to our island Jewish hālau, yeshiva/shul (school of learning), where a kumu, a rabbi (teacher), reaches our māno, lev (heart), with inspiring ‘ōlelo, melel (words) – not on what we should believe, but on why we should be inspired to learn!
Aloha, a hana hou kākou i kēia!
יוסף פרקשדי
Reb Sean, you have no idea how well you seeded a joyous and all-encompassing Judaism within me. The example you set, by being authentically you as a Rabbi, has inspired me and has grounded me within our people. כל הכבוד kol ha’kavod!
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Hmmm, a short and simple update, just for me!
It was brought to my attention tonight that I need to express more attention, literally. This got me thinking, especially because of the night it is in Ashkenazi land.
Whea stey in us da mana maika’i, da yetzer ha’tov? Whea stey da mana ‘ino, da yetzer ha’ra? Can tell o wot, which stey mana loa? Whea come dis, mana, da lev o moach?! … No can tell, brah! Like I fo say bott!
Family wen talk stink bout me lolo (mòach). Deh like me fo mo nānā (sam lev) dem. Wen have me tink bout me mana (kòach). Den wen realize dis Purim, say da Ashkenazi. Good night fo tink bout dis! Yeah?
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No mind me, eh? I goin fo break kapu tonight, cause I wen keep da phone on, den wen get ‘ōpū ha’o! Like me fo sho dat I can be flexible. So. Goin talk stori to you now! You like hear?!
Dis I wen do! I wen spock da phone fo eat. Good ting I wen go check em first, da phone. Aswhy I ste hea now. Try look insi fo net, den come outsi! … Kānaka goin fo ‘ike mi, yeah?! … Can join me, wat? Ia wā goin fo hele to da kine me. You like come? Get choke akule fo hukilau. Den wen pau, we goin huli da grindz ova da kālua an pā’ina! …
Eh, can take da kama’āina out of da islands, but no can take da ‘āina ‘uhane out of da kama. Yeah? Dis da kine ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i Pelekānia (Hawaiian Creole English) dat I wen talk da hanna buttah dayz. So ho’ākamai me, eh? Try learn ke! Den we goin pā’ina togedah. You an I, yeah?
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Hele i ka make!!! Fo real kine?! Da dog wen get me OS, an make (mah’kay) da OS!!! Which OS dis ste?!!!!! Damn!!! … Dis wat I get fo forget dat da buggah wen drop las night, wen da door wen bonk da dresser! Damn! … Da dog only like play, no his fault!!! … Whea da rest ste brah?!!!
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