Hebrew recital of the Scroll of Cham-Steam in the manner of the Megillah

February 27, 2021 1:39 PM

Megilat Ḥam-Ed — the Scroll of the Steamed Portions of Cham — And this scroll, the Scroll of Cham-Steam, was written and sealed by the hand of Isaac Harel son of Jael and Abraham Meir the priest, in the thirty-second year of the family of the sons of Simp. May the lord be unto us a help, a help!
posted by Kattullus (17 comments total)

At this time of year?
At this time of day?
In this part of the country?
Localized entirely within your kitchen?
posted by Nerd of the North at 1:49 PM on February 27, 2021 [6 favorites]

I think you mean:

In this season of the year, and also at this time of the day, and also in this province of the land, and also it is dwelling from head to end within thy kitchen?

I'll ask someone else who knows Hebrew to give the original.
posted by Kattullus at 1:53 PM on February 27, 2021 [9 favorites]

If the radiance of the firmament had only been in this province of the land, but had not also dwelt from head to end within the kitchen, dayenu.
posted by eponym at 2:04 PM on February 27, 2021 [5 favorites]

dayenu

Wrong holiday, but I'll allow it.
posted by Faint of Butt at 3:25 PM on February 27, 2021 [3 favorites]

*drowns out each utterance of "shalmer" with grogger*
posted by phooky at 3:55 PM on February 27, 2021 [9 favorites]

QERUSTIBERG

The transliterations are 😗👌
posted by supercres at 4:56 PM on February 27, 2021 [7 favorites]

Seymour, his mouth agape, when he saw the smoking oven.
posted by CynicalKnight at 5:00 PM on February 27, 2021 [4 favorites]

YES. I lost it at "Baal-beni".
posted by phooky at 5:17 PM on February 27, 2021 [3 favorites]

That was a megillah, all right.
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 5:25 PM on February 27, 2021 [3 favorites]

This is just some masterful craft. As I am not Jewish, pretty sure most of it is going over my head.
posted by Going To Maine at 6:35 PM on February 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

I’m proud to say I recognized one or two words sung, being a hopeless goyim. But overall I think this Cantor led review of the scrolls of the sons of Simp was a nice change and if the Cantor chose to translate other such scrolls, I would listen.

מְעוּלֶה
posted by njohnson23 at 7:16 PM on February 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

i always thought it was noah that got steamed
posted by pyramid termite at 7:35 PM on February 27, 2021 [2 favorites]

This is such a microscopically specific type of excellent.
posted by saturday_morning at 7:55 PM on February 27, 2021 [6 favorites]

It's really good! There's a sad bit of the (actual) Megilla for which cantors traditionally briefly drop out of the usual tune into the tune usually used for reading the Book of Lamentations, and Isaac Meyer drops into that at 1:06-1:14 when Seymour sees that his food is burning. You can probably notice it even if you don't know Hebrew. Nice!
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:16 PM on February 27, 2021 [5 favorites]

And as the service was drawing to a close, Lawrence, the son of Tureaud, said, "My sorrow is upon the unlearned who has brought no offering unto this feast."
posted by dannyboybell at 6:10 AM on February 28, 2021 [3 favorites]

Is there a reference I’m missing that links “Utica” and “the ancient city”? Is it a reference to the old Carthaginian city in Tunisia?
posted by supercres at 1:40 PM on February 28, 2021

Answering my own question:

Utica (Classical Latin: [ˈʊ.t̪ɪ.ka]) is an unusual latinization of the Punic name ʿtq (𐤏𐤕𐤒‬) or ʿtg (𐤏𐤕𐤂‬). These derived from Phoenician ˁAtiq (ʿtq), cognate with Arabic ˁatiqah (عَتِيقَة) and Hebrew ˁatiq (עתיק, seen in the title of God, "Ancient of Days"). These all mean "Old" and contrast the settlement with the later colony Carthage, whose own name literally meant "New Town". The latinization is a little unusual in that the Latin U more often transcribed the letter W (i.e., waw) in Punic names.
posted by supercres at 1:41 PM on February 28, 2021 [6 favorites]