family matters

LINK: family matters

Currently listening to: 神메뉴 (God’s Menu) – Stray Kids

Cookin’ like a chef I’m a 5 star 미슐랭
(Cookin’ like a chef I’m a 5 star Michelin)
“미”의 정점을 찍고 눈에 보여 illusion
(reaching the pinnacle of beauty and visible illusion)
Whoo 첨 느꼈지 이런 감정
(Whoo, it’s the first time I’ve felt this kind of emotion)
놀랄 거야 gonna shock 바로 감전
(you’re gonna be shocked, straight to the electric shock)

If you could talk to an ancestor for 10 minutes, what would you ask?

Prompt created by yours truly. 
Feel free to use any prompts for April 2026 that I post and/or tag me.
I’d love to read your responses.

Korea has a rich history that traces back to Gojoseon, 2333 BC, making it over 4,300 years old. In comparison to the U.S. history of only 249 years old after they declared independence from the British… but the Native Americans have inhabited the land for over 15,000 years, long before the Europeans arrived.

Growing up, I used to watch a lot of the Korean royalty/historical novelas on television with my grandmother. There is a hierarchy in Korean royalty such as the empress, queen dowagers, consorts, princesses, royal concubines, and the crown prince’s concubines. It could get confusing at times so I’d ask her lots of questions and she patiently answered but I could tell that I was interrupting her K-drama time, so as I got older, I asked less questions.

With that being said, I would ask:

  • what was it like being an empress?
  • what would you have done differently if you could?
  • what advice would you tell the women who’ve read your words centuries later?

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43 responses to “family matters”

  1. Rob McShane Avatar
    Rob McShane

    Love this one 👌
    1. What have your ancestors given and taught you and have you passed this on?
    2. What would you have done differently and how?
    3. Has any of your legacy been fulfilled and if so, what and how?

    1. justrojie Avatar

      nice q’s!

  2. Sambuca (✿◠‿◠) Avatar

    I watch a lot of stuff on Korean, Japanese, and Chinese history and culture, mainly horror stories, cos I like that kind of grue. I watched one where they talked about Daegu and the mining disaster, and by god, maybe Suga grew up around that. 😱😱😱😱😱😭😭😭😭

    But I like K-drama too. I watch it with Sun-Joo, my Korean friend. I’m going to teach myself more Korean, bc I want to comfortably communicate with her. I suppose I should be teaching her English, and I will start…. Right now I only know 안녕 which I suppose is good day. No one understands her, but I try and greet her like that. Puts a smile on her face 😄😄😄😄

    1. justrojie Avatar

      aw yeah that’s awesome!! maybe you guys can watch k dramas together with subtitles?

      1. Sambuca (✿◠‿◠) Avatar

        No subtitles, I use body language as cues … I abhor subtitles … they did that on the BTS doc, and on Kian’s, but was like… weirdly uncomfortable bc you can’t be sure that’s what is actually being said.

        1. justrojie Avatar

          I do prefer subtitles over dubbed for sure

  3. mosckerr Avatar

    A Pesach Victory blessing to President Trump who shall achieve a cease fire with Iran, in the shadow of the political anarchy that ensued in both Iraq and Libya. Chag Sameach – Whoooooooooooop.

    Pesach: The birth of the chosen Cohen seed of Avraham, Yitzak, and Yaacov as an Independent Nation who conquers the land of Canaan as the eternal national inheritance of the Goy Cohen Nation which sanctifies the holy negative consequences of יראת שמים as loss of ones’ ‘good name’ reputation; together with the most holy rise up and do commandment to love HaShem לשמה through the acquisition of positive commandment “בניני אבות” which plant the seeds of prophetic mussar to grow tohor spirits within our Yatzir Ha’Tov hearts which compares חמץ to the cursed 2nd Sinai commandment – tuma middot spirits that define the seduction of the Yatzir Ha-Ra serpent which first deceived Chava.

    The difference between Hevel’s wisdom dedication of the chosen Cohen father vs. firstborn Cain’s barbeque to heaven – the Koran declaration that prophets went to all Goyim despite their rejection of the Torah revelation at Sinai.

    A korban a wisdom commandment, which like tefilla, requires k’vanna. K’vanna defined as prophetic mussar – which dedicates Oral Torah tohor spirits within the Yatzir Ha’Tov; to prevail over competing tuma Yatzir Ha-ra spirits based upon the נמשל of the Mishkan משל.

    The revelation of the Torah at Sinai differentiates between the vision of the Divine Names of בראשית prophets from the 1st commandment Divine Name לשמה — תורה לא בשמים היא. Just as korbanot cannot express a sanctification-dedication except at the chosen place of the Cohen altar at Jerusalem; so too and how much more so justice requires Sanhedrin courts which define Torah “faith” as צדק צדק תרדוף.

    The contrast of Cain’s barbeque to heaven, it despises the Torah revealed faith which pursues judicial justice. Akin to the Easter post blood libel pogroms which through the Ages of Xtian and Muslim racial injustice produced the fruits of the European Shoah, together with the post WWII Arab attempts to exterminate all Jews and reject the idea that dhimmi Jews share equal rights to achieve national self determination within the borders of the Cohen lands.

    All Torah commandments exist as a mountain held aloft by the 1st Torah commanment hair; אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים – Egypt clearly לאו דוקא. Just as korbanot only dedicated upon the Cohen altar in Jerusalem, so too and how much more so צדק צדק תרדוף defines acceptance of the Torah לשמה — applicable only within the borders of the oath sworn Cohen land inheritance – the Chosen seed of the Avot.

    The brit of Avraham – that childless man would כלל father the chosen Cohen people – the k’vanna of Hevel’s chosen Cohen korban dedication through the מלאכה wisdom of prophetic mussar; which serves as the k’vanna foundation of all time-oriented Av Torah commandments. The פרט of both Yitzak and Yaacov, they both define this כלל.

    Through Blessing/Curse Life\Death-ruling the land with justice vs. existing as slaves under the oppression corrupt “Egyptian” cursed justice. ברכת כהנים – this Cohen blessing has three parts, like the “thesis statement” p’suk of kre’a shma tefilla דאורייתא inclusive of three Divine Names – כלל-זימן גרמא מצוות, פרט שב ולא תעשה and פרט קום ועשה מצוות; tefilla דרבנן inclusive of אלהי אברהם אלהי יצחק ואלהי יעקב prophetic Shemone Esrei.

    The substance of Torah faith לשמה – – Sanhedrin common law courts which differentiate between דני נפשות from דני ממון – Capital Crimes vs Torts Damages. This fundamental הבדלה separates the klippa Mishkan form/Tree of life “bark” from the essential essence fruits of righteous justice as the dedication of Torah Sinai acceptance.

    The jurisdiction of Sanhedrin Capital Crimes Courts – only in the oath sworn Cohen inheritance land – under the essential pre-condition that the Chosen Cohen people rule Independent from foreign domination; the latter defines g’lut judicial Par’o straw courts – judicial injustice – comparable to the vertical British Star Courts which validated British navel impressment of American sailors seized on the High Seas and forced to serve a 25 year sentence on British ships of war.

    Whereas דני ממון torts courts – this judicial סמיכה – while also inclusive of the precedent of the House of Aaron Moshiach anointing dedication – have jurisdiction in both ארץ ישראל and g’lut Egyptian lands of judicial oppression corrupt-injustice. The Easter passion blood libel pogroms produced the tuma mussar fruits of the Shoah – both in Europe and all Arab wars to throw the Jews of Israel into the Sea.

    When missionaries come knocking at my door, my first question to them: My people burned in the ovens of death camps across Xtian Europe, where was Jesus? Where was Allah as rabid Muslim believers scream to this day “death to the Jews? Yet Arabs lose war after war like Europe now rejects the reputation of the Church; the EU made no reference to the church when it attempted to establish a Constitution.

    Pesach – not just liberation from Egypt — it is the birth of a nation whose entire purpose is to sanctify justice, kavanah, and prophetic mussar in the land promised to the Avot, and history shows the consequences when this mission is rejected or suppressed. The mussar k’vanna of this “Oral Torah” interpretation of Chag Pesach 5786, he seder table itself becomes the altar where we re-swear the brit — not with animal korban but with the living dedication of prophetic mussar in the Yatzir Ha’Tov. Chag sameach.

    1. justrojie Avatar

      bruhhh. i thought something happened to you cause you were MIA. Pesach meaning: In Judaism, Pesach commemorates the Exodus from Egypt and the formation of the Israelites as a people. It is not typically framed in the way this text describes (for example, “Cohen nation” conquering Canaan as its central theme, or linking it to modern political figures).
      Use of “Cohen”: “Kohen” refers specifically to a priestly lineage within the Jewish people, not the entire nation. Calling the whole nation a “Cohen nation” is not standard.
      Theological claims: The text blends concepts like yetzer tov/ra (inclinations), korban (sacrifices), and Torah commandments in ways that don’t reflect how they are understood in Jewish theology or classical sources.
      Other religions: References to the Qur’an, Christianity, and historical events are either oversimplified, inaccurate, or presented in a polemical way rather than a factual one.
      Historical claims: Some statements about history and religion are distorted or framed to support a specific ideological narrative rather than reflect balanced scholarship.
      Political elements: The opening line about a modern political leader and Iran has no connection to Pesach in any traditional or widely accepted sense.

      1. mosckerr Avatar

        Why? I do not understand what “typically” refers to? [Use of “Cohen”: “Kohen” refers specifically to a priestly lineage within the Jewish people, not the entire nation.] Not according to the Talmud.

        Torah a political Constitutional revelation for the Cohen Republic of 12 Tribes.

        1. justrojie Avatar
          1. Meaning of “Kohen” (Cohen)

          In classical Jewish texts—including the Talmud—
          “Kohen” always refers to a specific hereditary priestly class, descendants of Aaron (Aharon), brother of Moses.
          • They had distinct roles: Temple service, sacrifices, certain blessings.
          • They are a subset of the tribe of Levi, not the whole people of Israel.
          • The rest of Israel is divided into:
          • Kohanim (priests)
          • Levites
          • Israelites (the other tribes)

          There is no standard Talmudic position that “Kohen” refers to the entire nation.

          1. “Kingdom of priests” idea

          The confusion likely comes from a verse in Torah (Exodus 19:6):

          “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

          Traditional interpretations (including in the Talmud and later commentators) understand this as:
          • A spiritual calling for the whole nation
          • Not a literal statement that all Israelites are Kohanim

          So:
          • Metaphorical / national mission → yes
          • Literal priestly identity for all tribes → no

          1. “Cohen Republic of 12 Tribes”

          This phrase is not a recognized concept in the Talmud or classical Jewish literature.

          Ancient Israel:
          • Was a tribal society with religious law
          • Later developed into monarchies (Saul, David, Solomon)
          • Had priestly authority (Kohanim) and judicial authority (elders, judges, later Sanhedrin)

          But it was not described as a “Cohen Republic” in any traditional source.

          1. Torah as a “political constitution”

          This part is partially interpretive:
          • The Torah does contain:
          • Laws (civil, criminal, ritual)
          • Governance structures (courts, judges)
          • Some scholars describe it as a kind of divine legal constitution

          However:
          • It’s primarily understood in Judaism as covenantal law from God, not a republic-based political document
          • Authority is theological, not derived from “the people” like a modern republic

          1. mosckerr Avatar

            Cohonim of the house of Aaron – only they can dedicate korbanot. But the Talmud instructs that the dedication of tohor middot לשמה – the mitzva known as tefillah – the נמשל of the korbanot משל.

          2. justrojie Avatar

            The Talmud does not frame tefillah strictly as a “nimshal” replacing korbanot in a simple metaphorical sense. Instead, it presents a few related ideas:
            • Parallel structure: Prayer times correspond to daily offerings (e.g., morning and afternoon prayers aligned with Tamid offerings).
            • Substitute after destruction: After the Temple’s destruction, prayer functions as a replacement or stand-in for sacrifices.
            • Inner dimension: Prayer emphasizes intent (kavanah) and inner devotion, which korbanot also required.

          3. mosckerr Avatar

            Oral Torah by definition interprets the k’vanna of the language of the Written Torah. In a similar manner that the Supreme Court in the US “interprets” the intent of the US Constitutional framers.

          4. justrojie Avatar

            Comparing it to the Supreme Court of the United States interpreting the Constitution is only partially similar—and here’s why:

            1) Source of authority
            • Supreme Court: Interprets a human-authored document written at a specific time.
            • Oral Torah (traditional view): Considered divinely given alongside the Written Torah at Sinai—not just later interpretation.

            👉 That’s a huge difference. In the traditional model, it’s not just “figuring out intent”—it’s transmitting an original, authoritative explanation.

            2) “Intent of the framers” vs. “k’vanna”
            • The Court debates what the framers meant (originalism vs. living constitutionalism).
            • The Oral Torah doesn’t usually frame itself as reconstructing “intent” (k’vanna) of authors.

            Instead, it uses:
            • Received traditions (mesorah)
            • Interpretive rules (like the 13 hermeneutical principles)
            • Legal reasoning and precedent

            👉 It’s less about guessing intent and more about working within an authorized interpretive system.

          5. mosckerr Avatar

            Judaism – by definition – a g’lut invention of necessity.

          6. mosckerr Avatar

            Oral Torah refers Sanhedrin Court Room rulings which interpret and define the k’vanna of the Written Torah Constitution similar fashion to how the British Parliament law define and determine the British Constitutional laws.

          7. justrojie Avatar

            This is where it breaks down the most.

            The Parliament of the United Kingdom:
            • Creates law (it is sovereign)
            • Can change constitutional principles through new statutes

            By contrast:
            • The Sanhedrin could interpret and legislate, but not freely rewrite the Torah
            • Its authority is bounded by the Torah and tradition

            👉 A closer analogy would be:
            • A combined system of constitutional court + longstanding legal tradition
            • Not a fully sovereign legislature like Parliament

          8. mosckerr Avatar

            Each of the 12 tribes independent of one another. States in the US Republic likewise independent of one another – each state has their own legislatures.

      2. Nemo Avatar

        Having fun yet with that internet? ;p

        1. justrojie Avatar

          lol yes!

          1. Nemo Avatar

            It’s interesting to see others engage in such an obscure, but Internet-important item like Talmudry. Long-winded as it often is.

            Right – I’ll return to my scuttle-hole of syncretism, cosmic fatties and general miscellany.

            Live free, snack hard.

          2. justrojie Avatar

            😆 feel free to interject, I find it interesting the more people engage

          3. Nemo Avatar

            I’d rather hear a fat girl fart than discuss Talmudry at this point in my life. But thanks anyway. It’s about as fun for me as I imagine making diet plans for a feedee would be for you.

          4. justrojie Avatar

            🤣 🤣 I do like making diet plans

          5. justrojie Avatar

            🤣 I thought it would be for a live person

          6. Nemo Avatar

            Well, I mean it could be if you fed them well enough. There you go, take a fit girl and make her a fat queen. Hatch a plan. 😉

          7. justrojie Avatar

            😆 just go to ayce buffets every day and sleep pretty much would do it

  4. Nicholas K F Matte Avatar

    THAT’S SOOOO TRIPPY!!! WOW RO!!!

    1. justrojie Avatar

      hehe thanks, Nico!

  5. vic5566 Avatar

    One time in school I had to miss dance practice to visit my relatives living in Brunei. Since nobody knows anything abt dat place besides the oil and the monarchy, everyone somehow genuinely assumed I was some kind of heir to the Sultan. So when I came back to school, I was given the ‘royal treatment ~👑’ … til I explained everything to them…

    1. justrojie Avatar

      lol tbh idk much about brunei cept for the royalty there and that it’s an ideal place to live for many

      1. vic5566 Avatar

        ye dat sorta covers it, lol. Brunei essentially feels like a lost Malaysian state. Oso it’s probably only rlly ideal to live there if ur Muslim…

        1. justrojie Avatar

          Oooh good 2 know!

  6. Nicholas K F Matte Avatar

    Ro? You mentionned in a post once that you are a descendant of royalty. What EXACTLY is this very interesting lineage you have??

    1. justrojie Avatar

      Surprisingly, they are from both sides of the fam but on my mother’s side, she was assassinated because she opposed the Japanese influence over the peninsula. I’ll give you that clue :>

      1. Nicholas K F Matte Avatar

        Aha!! I will research!!!😁

      2. Nicholas K F Matte Avatar

        Ahhhhhhh! Empress Myeongseong?

        1. justrojie Avatar

          Winner winner chicken dinner

  7. Violet Lentz Avatar

    And it sickens me that men that are the product of 250 years are trying to dictate what these ancient civilizations are entitled to. Off subject but still my thoughts.

    1. justrojie Avatar

      That’s exactly what I was thinking as I wrote that paragraph!

  8. anoruouchechi1 Avatar

    Nice one

    1. justrojie Avatar

      Danke!

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