By COLlive reporter
Photos by Jim Rosen
Richard Seigel is a retired ship captain from Alaska, who now lives on Kauai, Hawaii’s Garden Island. When he is not attending to his Etrog orchard – one of his favorite pastimes – he is busy with his pet baby-donkey.
A couple of years ago, Richard (aka Zevulun) purchased a donkey from a friend, Yossi. After a 13 month-long pregnancy, it finally gave birth to a beautiful newborn, who was named Yissachar (after the Israelite tribe whose symbol was a donkey).
One of the rarest Mitzvot – and largely unknown today – is the Biblical commandment to redeem the firstborn donkey from a Kohen, with a sheep (or goat). (Exodus 13:13)
The donkey is the only non-Kosher animal whose firstborn is sacred upon birth, and therefore belongs to the Kohen as G-d’s agent, until redeemed.
Biblical commentary explains the reason for this unique Mitzvah. This is due to this particular species’ participation in the Exodus from Egypt, assisting the Jewish People with carrying their belongings out of slavery, and through the desert for their years of wandering. It was therefore rewarded with this privilege.
Back to Kauai, 5772.
Excitedly preparing for this special occasion – a first for Hawaii, as for all involved – the search for a Kohen began.
While in New York or Los Angeles, Kohanim are available by the dozen and donkeys are hard to come by, in Kauai, one can buy a sheep within the hour, from one of the many pastures that cover this majestic part of paradise. Kohanim, however, are hardly found species.
Coordinating this ceremony was Rabbi Michoel Goldman, Chabad Shliach in The Garden Island. The Siegels, who are very close friends of Chabad in Anchorage, Alaska – where they lived for many years – have developed a close relationship with Goldman and his wife Zisel, and have become pillars of the developing island community.
After calling local lay-leaders as well as rabbis on all neighbor islands, Rabbi Goldman could not identify a Kosher Kohen, and was about to fly one down from California for the celebration-ceremony.
At the 11th hour, Rabbi Dovid Tilson of Chabad-Hawaii-Kai (on the main island of Oahu) called. An Israeli man had just walked into the Chabad House in Honolulu, saying that his family just moved to Hawaii from New York, and he was seeking guidance. After chatting a bit, it turned out he was a genuine Kohen!
Liad Goldman was immediately contacted and after discovering the unusual nature of this rare Mitzvah, happily accepted a ticket to Kauai to participate. He came with his mom who was visiting from Tel-Aviv, and Richard and Vicky Seigel happily hosted them at their place. (Ironically, a couple days later, they met 2 Kohanim who were farming and camping on our very street!)
Rabbi Goldman said: “Having had our first challenge solved, I now began searching for the precise ritual and customs associated with this rare Mitzvah-ceremony, calling some leading Rabbis overseas. None of them were familiar with the details of the ritual, some even questioning if it was practiced today.
“Searching HebrewBooks.org, I discovered a Sefer “Brit Kehunah” written by Rabbi Kalfon Moshe haKohen, Chief Rabbi of Djerba, an island off the coast of Tunisia, whose Jewish community (mostly Kohanim) dates back to the era of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem, some 2300 years ago!
“How much more authentic a tradition can you ask for?! I copied the laws and customs from this book and translated the prayers and blessings into English, so that
all participants could follow along and appreciate the ceremony, meaningfully.”
The ceremony actually takes only five minutes, and basically involves the Kohen verifying (1) that this is in fact a firstborn and (2) that it belongs 100% to the Jewish owner (who himself is not a Kohen or Levi).
Then, the owner takes a sheep (or goat) and makes the blessing “Baruch Ata…Asher Kideshanu b’Mitzvotav v’Tzivanu Al Pidyon Peter Chamor” (Who has commanded us to redeem the firstborn donkey), and also makes a “Shehechiyanu” (while including a new fruit). He hands the sheep to the Kohen, who pronounces it redeemed and the Kohen blesses the owner that he merit to fulfill more Mitzvot.
It is also customary to adorn the baby donkey with jewelry (in this case, some Hawaiian flower-leis were added!) to commemorate that the donkeys carried out of Egypt all the wealth the Jewish people accumulated from the Egyptians.
The ceremony was followed by L’chaim, celebrations and a festive meal in the Siegel’s Sukkah. How timely, that Zevulun’s Yissachar was redeemed on Sukkot, a festival very much part of his life, where adjacent to the pasture is Kauai’s Etrog Orchard!
VIDEO:
hatzlocha rabbah on your new shlichus!
perel
donkey is so cute!
the way they carried that lamb- oy!
what does the kohen do with the lamb?
donkeys are so cute!
Great to see and read of the exploits of one of Alaska’s two
great Ocean Guiding pilots of the big ships doing his thing
in Hawaii.
You are missed in Alaska, but need in Hawaii
Sholom the Green’s of Anchorage
That is so special!! It makes the mitzva look so beautiful! The little girl especially adds to it!
Well done Michoel. A more emeser chassidisher Shliach is difficult to find. You are an inspiration! And your Chayenu has added so much learning to my life. Keep up the great work!
I love the gratitude, respect and compassion that Jews show to all, even donkeys. This was touching and beautiful.
Wow, great work Michoel…you make South Africans proud china!
IIRC you cant harness a peter rechem, am i wron?
Mazal Tov – how beautiful!
I seriously don’t understand the PETER thing?
wow thats awesome! enjoy hawaii!
I have a newfound respect for donkeys, but I’m still voting repbublican
Nice work, Captain! It’s great to see you and your family doing well, and inspiring to see such a beautiful mitzvah!
-Isaac Schapira
Wow amazing!!!
Baruch Hashem!!!!
Dave you could have called your cuz in NY.
yeshar coah! who would think – such a rear mitsva i Hawayi!!!
Col ala kavod.
Reb Zevulun this is your chance to get famous! Big Macher gets even bigger!! Now’s the time to break into the etrog market. 🙂
~your friends from WI
This ceremony was performed last year in Melbourne, Australia by members of the Adass Yisroel community. Hundreds of people attended this unique occasion.
You are a great shliach
Friend from ch
This was very special to watch and we felt like we were there with you. In the merit of this unique mitzva which you guided other fellow yidden to do, may H-shem bless you with great wealth.
Moshiach Now!
My whole outlook on donkeys has changed!
U’mola kol ha’aretz deya es Hashem, including Hawaii.
Times of Moshiach!
Very interesting.