אלקיים, קזבלנקה, ז'חא ואורחיו

waªd-en-Ωªår, Ωªa ‚bar le-∂™fá ݱndu fe-d-dår. çåÝa, šaÝadd Ýal™hom, Ωau veΩΩåf-de-∂™fa ta… Ωau ta-id±qu

Ýa-l-båb. Ωªa ª±llum ±l-båb, u-fraª bihom u-qallum šas ≈barkom u-håda u-håda. ∂aªkú, yid≈lú Ýa-l-b⁄t,

qallóm: mamn¨Ý le-bl±©a dialkom, Ýamlum q±ddåm el-båb, ma td±≈luç b±-l-b±l©á Ýála q±bált k±l-çí zrabí. Ωá

qál Ωªá, qállum, ݱmlú le-bla©í dialkúm fi-l-båb. šumá d≈lú, fraª bihúm, gilçu hådåk çåÝá, çwiyyeç, le…

iªibbu… u-n-nås iªibbu imçu fªålum. dår Ωªa qållúm: laš! šintú ma ta-timçuç le-d-dår; intu ma-tgilçú,

tçrabú maÝiyá u-tfirªú maÝiyá u-kul-çi. Ωa e∂-∂™fa ªiçmú, be-(l)-ªáqq mni bqa i†±lb±húm baç igílç(u),

gilçú. ta mn¨r la-(Ýa)ça, Ωa Ωªa ݱmlum wåªd-el-Ýåçá m≈™ra. ݱm±l Ýaçá m±Ωyna b±ΩΩåf. u-gilçú, ∂±ªkú,

s±rbú, klu, u-mn¨r ha-(Ýa)ça ªbu yitΩbadú. u-foqt le-Ýaça, çåÝa çªa ta-yaq¨l le-∂™fa ta-yq¨l-lum: šå kulú,

kulú, ta-tåklu ݱn(d)-dialkúm, ma-t≈ufúç, ta-tåklú ݱn-dialkúm, ma ta-taklN Ýendí le-wal^, Ýén-dialkóm,

kulú u-ݱmlú fªål dårkum. †ov (טוב). mn¨r l-maklá ∂-∂™fa iªibbu yimçu le-d-dår. çåÝa qålu le-Ωªa: bemét

,u-tbqa Ýåiç, u-kån k±l-çi mΩyån, maklá m±Ωyåná, srib, k±l-çi kt⁄r ,(תודה רבה) mersí, toda-rabá ,(באמת)

rábbi ya݆™k ±l-≈™r, u-k±l-çi. Ωau måΩ… iªibbu itΩbadu Ýa-l-båb, u-båti yq¨lu le-Ωªá: Ωªá, f™n humá

l-bla©ín dialná? çåÝá u-Ωªa qållum: yåk-ana qúlt-lkúm šintú ta-tåklú Ýen-dialkúm? taÝárf šaç Ýam±l çªá?

mçá ݱbbá le-bla©í u-båÝhum, u-be-l-fl¨s li ‚b±r bihNm ݱmlum Ýaçá.

Tsipi Elkayam (Casablanca/Morocco) — ˇªa and His GuestsOne day ˇªa found guests in his house. But he made for them, very many guests came. They cameand knocked on the door. ˇªa opened the door for them and rejoiced at their coming and said tothem $how are you% etc. etc. They laughed (and wanted) to enter the house. He said to them, $it'snot allowed with your shoes (on), put them before the door, don't enter with your shoes becauseeverything is full of carpets.% ˇªa came and told them $put your shoes at the door%. They enteredand he was glad at them, and they sat a short time. They wanted… The men wanted to go at once.ˇªa turned to them and said $no, you are not going to go home, you'll sit and you'll drink with meand be glad with me, and everything%. (They came) the guests were ashamed but when hecontinued to ask them they sat down. Until after supper. ˇªa prepared for them a good meal,prepared a very good meal. And they sat, and laughed and drank and ate and after the meal theywanted to go out. And during the meal ˇªa would say to the guests, he'd say to them, $eh, eat, eat,you are eating from your own, don't be afraid, you're eating from you own, you are not eatinganything from me — from your own — eat and behave as in your home.% Well, after the meal theguests want to go home. Then, they said to ˇªa, $really, thank you, thank you very much, and mayGod lengthen your life, and everything was excellent, good food, drinks, everything in abundance.May God give you all the best, and everything%. They went and wanted to get out of the door, andcame back and told ˇªa: $ˇªa where are our shoes?% But ˇªa told them, $Haven't I told you thatyou are eating from your own?% Do you know what ˇªa did? He went, took the shoes and soldthem and with the money he got for them he prepared them the dinner.

ž Judith Rosenhouse, Haifa (Israel)E-Mail swantechŽ013.net.il

Published together with the original recording in the Semitic Language Archives SemArch<http://www.semarch.uni-hd.de/>