August has begun to signal the end of winter and as I write this, it literally feels like spring is springing. We have enjoyed a few in-person events this month as well as some fantastic online services. I think we can all feel the excitement building for the high holy days in September and October. I’ve even taken up a new instrument, the shofar! Tisha B’av was followed by women’s day and Tu B’v (Jewish Valentine’s Day) on 12 August. I was very privileged to be able to give some in-depth explanations about some of the songs we sing in our liturgy. As promised I will share some of the information and research that I did in this article. The following are all excerpts from websites, I have quoted the sources where possible.
Yedid Nefesh – the intense love of God
Yedid Nefesh (Hebrew: יְדִיד נֶפֶש, lit. ’beloved of the soul’) is the title of a piyyut and zemer. It is usually sung on Shabbat. A piyyut or piyut (plural piyyutim or piyutim, Hebrew: פִּיּוּטִים / פיוטים, פִּיּוּט / פיוט pronounced [piˈjut, pijuˈtim]; from Greek ποιητής poiētḗs “poet”) is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, chanted, or recited during religious services. Piyyutim have been written since Temple times. Most piyyutim are in Hebrew or Aramaic, and most follow some poetic scheme, such as an acrostic following the order of the Hebrew alphabet or spelling out the name of the author. Zemirot or Z’miros (Hebrew: זמירות zǝmîrôt, singular: zimrah but often called by the masculine zemer) are Jewish hymns, usually sung in the Hebrew or Aramaic languages, but sometimes also in Yiddish or Ladino. The best-known zemirot are those sung around the table during Shabbat and to some extent the Jewish holidays.
This poem is commonly attributed to the sixteenth-century Sephardic kabbalist, Rabbi Elazar ben Moshe Azikri (1533-1600), who first published it in Sefer Charedim (published in Venice 1601), but Azikri did not claim authorship of it and there have been other suggested authors (e.g. Judah Halevi, or Israel Najara). Azikri’s philosophy centred around the intense love one must feel for God, a theme that is evident in this piyyut (see above). The first letters of each of the four verses make up the four-letter name of God, known in English as the tetragrammaton.
The melody of the version we sing is taken from the Simon & Garfunkel melody of Bridge over troubled water.
Dodi Li – the love of a supportive relationship
“Ani L’Dodi V’Dodi Li” is a phrase often quoted in reference to love and Judaism, and it is a quote from the Song of Songs, written by the wise King Solomon. It translates to “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” But what is the meaning behind it? Why is this specific passage such an iconic symbol of love? The meaning behind the passage starts in an unexpected place. The first letters of each of the words of “Ani L’Dodi V’Dodi Li” spell out Elul, in Hebrew, the month before the high holidays, a time of repentance and self-examination. Rosh Chodesh Elul (the beginning of the month of Elul) begins in the evening on Friday, August 26, 2022. What does that have to do with love though?
As it turns out, a lot. The love referred to in this passage is that of our relationship with God, a compassionate relationship, full of understanding and forgiveness, a love that understands that life is a work in progress, and nobody is perfect from the start. The month of Elul gives us a chance to re-focus our attention and ensure that we are making progress in the right direction, towards letting the bit of God within us shine out in a beautiful way. Although we are commanded to love God, it is a two sided and supportive relationship, and that’s what makes this particular verse powerful and meaningful. It shows better than others how our relationship with God connects us and binds us together as helping each other and being there for each other.
A beautiful and spiritual sentiment, it also translates into our relationships with other people. This is the kind of relationship to strive for, one where each party is there for one another in every situation or circumstance. This is the reason that this beautiful verse is often featured on wedding rings or gifts between couples. It symbolizes not only the relationship with God but the ideal supportive relationship that builds up both of the participants, a goal for a good marriage as well.
www.israel-catalog.com/content/meaning-behind-ani-ldodi-vdodi-li
V’ahavtah – you shall love
V’ahvtah is part of the Shema. Shema Yisrael (Shema Israel or Sh’ma Yisrael; Hebrew: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל; “Hear, O Israel”) is a Jewish prayer (known as the Shema) that serves as a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services. Its first verse encapsulates the monotheistic essence of Judaism: “Hear, O Israel: YHWH is our God, YHWH is one” (Hebrew: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד׃), found in Deuteronomy 6:4.
The following verses are commonly referred to as the V’ahavta according to the first word of the verse immediately following the Shema, or in Classical Hebrew, V’ahav’ta meaning “and you shall love…”. They contain the command to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and might (Deuteronomy 6:5). The Talmud emphasizes that you will, at some point, whether you choose to or not, and therefore uses “shall” – future tense – love God.
Then verse 7 goes on to remind the community to remember all the commandments and to “teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit down and when you walk, when you lie down and when you rise”,[5] to recite the words of God when retiring or rising; to bind those words “on thy arm and thy head” (classically Jewish oral tradition interprets as tefillin), and to “inscribe them on the door-posts of your house and on your gates” (referring to mezuzah).
Our version is by Julie Silver, we also performed her version of Dodi Li earlier and later on, we will perform her version of Y’varechecha. Julie Silver is one of the most celebrated and beloved performers in the world of contemporary Jewish music today. She tours throughout the world and has been engaging audiences with her gorgeous compositions and liturgical settings, her lyrical guitar playing, her dynamic stage presence, and her megawatt smile for over 25 years.
Although she resides in Southern California, Julie’s roots are deep in New England. She was raised in Newton, Massachusetts and by the time she was 18, she was leading raucous song sessions throughout the Reform Jewish movement and playing coffeehouses in and around Boston. Eventually, she would become one of the most sought-after song leaders in the country. She graduated from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and was selected by her senior class to deliver the commencement address and sing an original song at Graduation in May 1988. It was her first audience of thousands—the first of many.
Im Ein Ani Li Mi Li – love one another now
Translation: If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And when I am for myself, then what am “I”? And if not now, when?
Hillel the Elder or Rabbi Hillel (Hebrew: הִלֵּל Hīllēl; variously called Hillel HaGadol, Hillel HaZaken, Hillel HaBavli[1] or HaBavli, was born according to tradition in Babylon c. 110 BCE, died 10 CE in Jerusalem) was a Jewish religious leader, sage and scholar associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud and the founder of the House of Hillel school of tannaim.
He is popularly known as the author of two sayings: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And being only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when? And the expression of the ethic of reciprocity, or “Golden Rule”: “That which is hateful to you, do not do unto your fellow.” That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary; now go and learn.” This rule is also known to be considered as Leviticus 19:18: וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ “Love your fellow as you love yourself.” Hillel leaves us with the following questions for discussion with you and your family.
If I am not for myself, who will be for me? What does it mean to take care of yourself first? Why is this the first message given?
If I am only for myself, what am I? What is our responsibility to others? Why is it important to care for others?
If not now, when? Why do we put things off for another day? It is important to act today for ourselves and for others.
And finally: Why did Hillel put these three questions together?
Olam Chesed Yibaneh – build this world from Love
The song was written by Rabbi Menachem Creditor, who originally wanted to compose a song for his daughter’s Simchat bat (a celebration of his daughter’s birth) which was about a month after the Twin Towers fell. But he had one problem: the music never came. In a month of mixed feelings for many—hatred, fear, sorrow—what message could he leave his daughter? During an early-autumn stroll down Broadway, the smell and debris of the collapsed towers still somewhat fresh, and his daughter cradled in his arms, the song swelled up inside of him, said Creditor. First, a melody; then, from Creditor’s mouth emerged the verse in tandem with the tune. It came naturally to him.
The English poem is noteworthy—it’s a commentary, in its own right, on the psalm from which it’s adapted. The Jewish Publication Society Tanakh, a commonly accepted Bible in Jewish circles, translates the verse and its preceding one: “I will sing of the LORD’s steadfast love forever; to all generations, I will proclaim Your faithfulness with my mouth. I declare, ‘Your steadfast love is confirmed forever; there in the heavens You establish Your faithfulness.’”
Two things immediately stick out. First, as Creditor admits, he changed the context of the verse: in the original God is the one with the agency to love. But in Creditor’s rendition, we humans are agents. What’s more, Creditor translates the Hebrew word Olam as world; but, traditional translations interpret Olam, in this context, to mean “forever.” Thus, the verse is no longer about an abstract divine vision but rather a call for grounded, human love.
The song sung today is the same as the rendition born on the street but with one exception. When he first recorded the song, he closed his eyes and began to sing. First the nigun: “ya dai dai…” Then, the Hebrew. But what followed was an act of artistic spontaneity. He imagined the towers falling, the dust darkened his vision. Walking down Broadway, his baby daughter laying in his arms once more. The tears flowed as the towers collapsed. From the rubble emerged the words, “and you must build this world from love.” Originally written to read “and you will build this world from love,” Creditor swapped will with must. Why did he do this?
“There was an urgency that coursed through me,” he said. “Building this world from love isn’t a choice we get to make, it’s an obligation to see this world as worth it and to see every human being as a partner in making that happen.”
A fellow rabbi told him “Olam Chesed Yibaneh” was sung at the North American Jewish Choral Festival. Then, song leaders from all over started singing it, followed by the Jewish Renewal Movement. Neshama Carlebach, daughter of the late Jewish music maestro Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, sang it at the gates of Auschwitz and then at a music festival in Japan. Eventually, people began covering the song. The song’s increasing traction pleasantly surprised Creditor.
Yeish Kochavim – the love we remember
Hannah Szenes (often anglicized as Hannah Senesh or Chanah Senesh; wrote the poem “There are Stars” (Yesh Kochavim. (17 July 1921 – 7 November 1944) Hannah was a poet and a Special Operations Executive (SOE) member. She was one of 37 Jewish SOE recruits from Mandate Palestine parachuted by the British into Yugoslavia during the Second World War to assist anti-Nazi forces and ultimately in the rescue of Hungarian Jews about to be deported to the German death camp at Auschwitz.
Szenes was arrested at the Hungarian border by Hungarian gendarmes. She was imprisoned and tortured but refused to reveal details of her mission. She was eventually tried and executed by the firing squad. She is regarded as a national heroine in Israel but has largely been forgotten in her birthplace of Hungary according to The Guardian. In Israel, her poetry is widely known and the Yad Hana kibbutz as well as several streets, are named after her. We will also sing another one of her poems during Yom Kippur called Eli Eli.
All You Need Is Love – The Beatles
“All You Need Is Love” is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in July 1967. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The song was Britain’s contribution to Our World, the first live global television link, for which the band were filmed performing it at EMI Studios in London on 25 June. The programme was broadcast via satellite and seen by an audience of over 400 million in 25 countries. Lennon’s lyrics were deliberately simplistic, to allow for the show’s international audience, and captured the utopian ideals associated with the Summer of Love. The single topped sales charts in Britain, the United States and many other countries, and became an anthem for the counterculture’s embrace of flower power philosophy.
Our World coincided with the height of the Beatles’ popularity and influence, following the release of their album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Rather than perform the song entirely live, the group played to a pre-recorded backing track. With an orchestral arrangement by George Martin, the song begins with a portion of the French national anthem and ends with musical quotations from works such as Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood”, “Greensleeves”, Bach’s Invention No. 8 in F major, and the Beatles’ 1963 hit “She Loves You”. Adding to the broadcast’s festive atmosphere, the studio was adorned with signs and streamers, and filled with guests dressed in psychedelic attire, including members of the Rolling Stones, the Who and the Small Faces. Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ manager, described the performance as the band’s “finest” moment.
“All You Need Is Love” was later included on the US Magical Mystery Tour album and served as the moral for the Beatles’ 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine. Originally broadcast in black-and-white, the Our World performance was colourised for inclusion in the Beatles’ 1995 Anthology documentary series. While the song remains synonymous with the 1967 Summer of Love ethos and provided the foundation for Lennon’s legacy as a humanitarian, numerous critics found the message naive in retrospect, particularly during the 1980s. Since 2009, Global Beatles Day, an international celebration of the Beatles’ music and social message, takes place on 25 June each year in tribute to their Our World performance.
I hope you have enjoyed learning more about these songs in depth. After Tu B’av we had the privilege of having our Havdalah event on the 13th of August at our house. It was fabulous to see everyone and hope that everyone will attend the next one. The event takes place every 2nd Saturday of the month unless it coincides with a high holy day. Please keep an eye on the newsletter and WhatsApp groups for any date changes.
We closed off the month with an online service and an in-person Saturday service at Rabbi Julia’s house. It was a fantastic morning and left me feeling very uplifted and energized for September. I’m really looking forward to our services, events and Rosh Hashana. I will be practising my shofar every day until then.
Musically yours 🎵
