Abair d'urnaí! Say your prayers!
Tá mé ag obair go leor faoí lathair. Mar sin, níl mé ábalta seoladh altannaí go minic ar an blog seo agamsa. Ach, d'fhoglaim mé eolas nua, nuair chuaigh mé agus Niall ar an sionagóg Dé Sathairn seo caite. Thosaigh mac agam ag tógáil go mbeadh 'mac na aithne' nuair go beidh sé trí blianta deag. Chaith sé féin go raibh ag imithe de Shabóid ar an maidin ina theampall "Dáil na h-Iosrael." Tá sé i gcónaí ina Coill Chuileann ar an taobh thoir, in aice leis na bhaile "Na Sonosach," nó "Los Feliz" ina teanga Spáinneach go briste!
D'imigh muid ar an seirbhise go luath nó mall! Chruinnigh duine difriúla ansin. Ceapaim go raibh siad leath na Laidineachaí, agus leath na clann Eorpach. Tháinig muid isteach nuair go raibh ag éirí na Tóiraigh as. Bhí an cantaire ag amhránaíocht os ard. Ní maith liom ag cantaireacht de ghuth ard. Sílím go bhfuil callán. Tá seanbhéic ann. Tá sé cosulacht mórcheoldrama agam le. Ach, measaim go raibh maith leo gach duine eile freisin.
Bhí roinnt seo go raibh níos lag. D'imir cluiche clisteacha agamsa féin. Bíonn mé ag cleachtadh ag labhairt agamsa féin as Gaeilge faoi na seirbhse Shabóid sin. Ní raibh cuimhne liom an focal Éireannach "ag guí" dó. Bhí cuimhne liom an focal "paidreacha," mar sin go raibh an focal is fusa!
D'inis na raibí dóibh faoí an lamh. Mhúinim sé díobh faoí an caill Ghiudach uaidh. Tá ordóg ag ceistiú. Tá an mhéar cholbha (nó thosaigh) a lochtú. Ar bhfuil an mhéar fhada (nó láir-- focal eile uirthi as gaeilge!)? Dúirt na raibí orainn go raibh "ag insint orainn go fíneálta ar an Talmúd" (ní bhfuair an focal seo, nó "Tóireagh", foclóir agam anseo!) gur "go bhfuil an mhéain dhlúthchaidreamh sin í." Tá an mhéar an fháinne ag glanadh. Faoí deireadh, tá an mhéar bheag ag marcálaim chuige ar an Tóiraigh.
Chríochnaigh na raibí seanmóir a dhéanamh air againn. Chuala muid faoí an scéal bíobalta is hálainn. Is maith liom é go leor. Bhí Éilias arm a bhualadh na sagairt na Bál ar cheile ar Shliabh Chairmeil. Níor rugadh Ízeibil agus Acháb an fáidh. D'ímigh sé ansin. Bhí sé ag imeacht i bhfolach. D'fhán sé go Horeb. Ach, ní raibh an Tiarna sa toit is tormán. Fuair sé an Tiarna ansiud. "I ndiadh na tine, tháinig fuaim chogair bhig." (Cead Leabhair na Ríthe, 19:12.) D'fhág muid an teampeall an lá sin go siochain.
Say your prayers!
I have been working a lot lately. Therefore, I'm not able to send posts as often to this blog of mine. But, I learned new knowledge, when Niall and I went to the synagogue last Saturday. My son's started preparing for becoming "bar mitzvah" [= "son of the commandment"] when he's thirteen years old. He must be going off to Shabbat in the morning at the 'Knesset Israel' temple. It's near 'the wood of the holly" [= Hollywood] on the east side, near the community of 'The Happy Ones,' or "Los Feliz" in the broken Spanish language!
We went to the service sooner or later! Different people were gathered there. I estimate that half were Latinos and half of European descent. We came in when the Torah was lifted up. The cantor was singing loudest. I don't like singing with a loud voice. I think it's a big noise. It's a giant shriek. It resembles grand opera for me. It seemed that every one else liked it, however.
This section went very slowly. I played a game of skill with myself. I practiced speaking to myself in Irish about that Shabbat service. I could not remember the Irish word for "praying." I remembered the word "prayers," since that's a much easier word!
The rabbi told us about the hand. He taught us about the Jewish meaning of it. The thumb is for questioning. The outer (or starting) finger is for blaming. What about the long (or mare-- another word for it in Irish) finger? The rabbi spoke to us that "the Talmud [this word not to be found in this here dictionary of mine, or "Torah"!] tells us delicately" that "it is the finger of intimacy." The ring finger is for cleanliness. Finally, the little finger points to the Torah.
The rabbi finished giving his sermon to us. We heard about the most beautiful biblical story. I like it a lot. Elijah defeated the army of priests of Baal together at Mount Carmel. Jezebel and Ahab did not catch the prophet. He ran off from there. He went into hiding. He stayed in Horeb. But, God was not in the smoke and thunder. God was beyond. "And after the fire, came a still small voice."(I Kings, 19:12.) We left the temple that day peacefully.
Image/íomhá: Hamsa, a Jewish "hand" amulet of domestic or personal protection. Compare that found in the Arab world-- when a large eye is added and it seems the text is deleted-- often called the Hand of Fatima against the eye of evil.
http://www.crocker.com/~ganeydn/images/newamulet.gif
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