Oh, around the fire, dancing free,
Ashkenazi, Sefardi,
Chossid, Litvak, arm in arm,
Swaying together.
Women, children, taking part,
The youth, the old; yet, young at heart.
It’s thanks to you, Rabbeinu Bar Yochai,
One big family,
On Har Meron.
Year after year, a barren Chanah would cry from her sorrow, and would even be ridiculed for her inability to bear children. Finally, after 19 years of pain, she felt she could no longer accept her childless fate. Chanah lifted herself up and tapped into the most potent vehicle for change that exists in the world – Tefillah. At that moment, she davened the most heartfelt prayer she had ever prayed – clear and to the point, from the depths of her broken heart.
When we speak of Reb Shayele, we quickly recognize his excellence in the middah of having a Lev Tov. He loved each and every person no matter their financial, social or spiritual status. He didn’t focus on the sins, mistakes, or bad habits of others. He saw each person as they truly were – a beautiful, pure neshoma with unlimited potential.
His eyes glimmered like crystal and were filled with love and kindness. His smiling face was warm and radiant. His voice was pleasant and sweet. Just who was this Tzaddik, about whom so many amazing things have been said? Why exactly did everyone so greatly admire and adore him? Let’s read a few things about one of the greatest figures of Yerushalayim, a man simply called Reb Aryeh, and then maybe we’ll have a better idea.
A Niggun has the advantage of speech, in that those who are in earshot of the niggun can hear it, join in, and deepen their dveykus in Hashem.
When Shabbos arrived, “Zaidy Schechter” would transform his humble home into an atmosphere that was undeniably Me’eyn Olam Haboh. The warmth, the kedushah, the stories, the niggunim – it was impossible not to walk away from the whole experience a more proud and elevated Jew.
I believe that Rav Hertzel Schechter, zt’l personified this vital lesson. He taught us all through his songs that nothing is “owed,” but rather, everything is “עוד.”
Many assume Shenker’s compositions are traditional; as in older-than-Moshe-Rabbeinu, pre-date-chicken-soup, or at the very least, are from some prehistoric era. That kind of traditional.
Even beyond his brilliance as a musician, Reb Shlomo was a charismatic teacher who traveled the world offering inspirational insights that were filled with a love for all human beings. He discovered the good in every person, found holiness in the outcasts, treasures in the beggars, and righteousness in the rebels.
Suddenly, amidst all the noise, a wail pierced through the heavens. Mamma Rochel, hearing her children’s cries, began weeping bitterly for her children. She was inconsolable. Her children were in pain! Yes, they had sinned. Yes, they even deserved what was coming to them. But they were her children!