Good afternoon, and a gutten Chodesh Kislev to each of you.
Over the past month and a half, every single one of us have been tasked to navigate a vast array of feelings, emotions and tests of faith, the likes of which most of us have never experienced before. The task is a tough one, no doubt, which is why we have all been searching for and tapping into whatever reservoir of hope we can find… which for some of us includes a healthy dose of mood-appropriate music.
Once again, it is my hope that the following sampling of songs reach those who need to hear them, when they need to hear them, and that they offer the same boost of Emunah, inspiration and feelings of dveykus that they gave me when I needed it most.
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🎵Yoshvei Eretz Yisroel – Composed by Pinky Weber, sung by Lipa Schmeltzer (A Poshiter Yid, 2008)🎵
It is no secret that a Yid’s strength lies in his כח התפילה, but it’s not always easy to emit an honest, personal prayer. We need to be in the right atmosphere, ambiance and mind frame just to accomplish the most minute amount of intentional tefillah.
This song gives us the ability to close our eyes and be transported to a place more suitable for davening for אחינו בית ישראל. Once we arrive, we are able to acknowledge and embrace the immense burden of worry and fear that we carry and transform that into one heartfelt tefillah. One honest prayer from deep within ourselves – said with tear-filled eyes and a humble heart – beseeching Hashem to extend His heavenly mercy over all of His children, our brothers and sisters throughout the world, and especially over those who live in His holy Land.
Let us do what we can and give it all we have.
(Words from Tashlich)
אָנָּא מֶלֶךְ רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן… …תִתְמַּלֵא רַחֲמִים עַל כָּל אַחֵינוּ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנְּפוּצִים בְּאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ
וּבִפְרָט עַל יוֹשְׁבֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל יוֹשְׁבֵי הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וְעַל כָּל הַקָּהָל הַקָּדוֹשׁ הַזֶּה, תִּתְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם וְעָלֵינוּ

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🎵 Y’vodah – Composed by R’ Eliezer Zusia Portugal – the Skulaner Rebbe zt’l, sung by David Werdyger z’l (Skulaner Nigunim Vol. 2, 1977) 🎵
For more on the heilige Skulaner Rebbe, see our yahrtzeit post here: https://jewishmusicalnotes.com/rav-eliezer-zusia-portugal-ztl-the-skulaner-rebbe-1898-1982-29th-of-av/. For a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the tune’s creation, see Mishpacha’s article here: https://mishpacha.com/one-day-the-nations-will-know/. Between the two, one can gain a better understanding of how deeply the meaning of these words were felt when the tune was composed, and how to better connect to the words of the song today.
In kappital עט, Assaf describes the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash and our enemies’ barbarity in their treatment of the Jewish Nation. We daven that Hashem direct His anger away from us and toward our enemies who refuse to recognize Him. But not for our sake! We daven for Hashem’s salvation for the sake of His great name, because as long as we are in golus, our enemies continue to mock our faith, asking, “Where is their G-d?” (Words from Tehillim 79:10-12)
Let the nations not say, “Where is their G-d?” Before our eyes let it be known among the nations that You avenge the spilled blood of Your servants. Let the groans of the prisoners reach You; reprieve those condemned to death, as befits Your great strength. Pay back our neighbors sevenfold for the abuse they have flung at You, Hashem.
לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ הַגּוֹיִם אַיֵּה אֱלֹקֵיהֶם יִוָּדַע בַּגּוֹיִם לְעֵינֵינוּ נִקְמַת דַּם עֲבָדֶיךָ הַשָּׁפוּךְ
תָּבוֹא לְפָנֶיךָ אֶנְקַת אָסִיר כְּגֹדֶל זְרוֹעֲךָ הוֹתֵר בְּנֵי תְמוּתָה
‘וְהָשֵׁב לִשְׁכֵנֵינוּ שִׁבְעָתַיִם אֶל חֵיקָם חֶרְפָּתָם אֲשֶׁר חֵרְפוּךָ ה
May Hashem quickly redeem us from this golus so we may thank and praise Him forever!

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🎵 Lakol Zman V’ais – Composed by Abie Rotenberg & R’ Pinchas Auerbach, sung by R’ Label Sharfman (D’veykus Vol. 2, 1975) 🎵
Shlomo Hamelech tells us, לַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכָל חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם – that everything has its time “tachas haShomayim,” under the guidance of Heaven. For instance, there’s a time to cry and a time to laugh; a time to wail and a time to dance. There’s a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace, and so on.
As we find ourselves in the throes of this final stage of golus, there is one thing that I think is so important to remember: Golus Mitzrayim had its time, Golus Bavel had its time, as did Golus Poras u’Modai, Yavan and Edom. We need to know, dear friends, that there is an end. These dark times, this long and painful golus, has an end date – a perfectly planned conclusion that will bring a permanent end to all times of hate and war so that the long-awaited time of love and peace can commence.
(Words from Koheles 3:1,8)
לַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכָל חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם… עֵת לֶאֱהֹב וְעֵת לִשְׂנֹא עֵת מִלְחָמָה וְעֵת שָׁלוֹם

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🎵 Ein Davar Ra – Composed by Israel Gutfarb and Shimon Levi, sung by Yaakov Shwekey & Shimon Levi (Single, 2022) 🎵
In order to dispel דאגה – worry, we employ our most basic belief: that Hashem is כולו טוב and that there is no greater Merciful One than Him. Despite all the difficulties and episodes that appear not that way, chas v’sholom, we must still know without question that it is not merely inherently good, but for the ultimate good!
It is said in the name of the Shelah HaKadosh, אין רע יורד מהקדוש ברוך הוא, ומה שנראה כרע הוא לתכלית הטוב – there is nothing bad that comes from Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and that which appears to be bad, is really for the ultimate purpose of good. (See the beautiful song “Rak Tov” composed by Motty Ilowitz and sung by Yisroel Werdyger on Du Voint a Yid, 2019 for its equally apt musical message.)
Many years later, the Pele Yoetz (70) would reiterate as follows:
ועוד כלל אחר, שיחשב ויאמין באמונה שלמה שאין דבר רע יורד מן השמים וכל דעבד רחמנא לטב עבד (ברכות ם, ב), לטובת הנפש או לטובת הגוף, וכל מה שנראה לעינים שהוא רעה, אלקים חשבה לטובה
Yet another rule (to remove worry) is to contemplate and believe with complete faith that nothing bad comes down from Heaven, and (as we have been taught in Brachos 40b) all that Hashem does is for the good – for the good of the soul and the good of the body – and anything that appears to our eyes as “bad,” just know that Hashem considers it to be good. (Therefore, it is undeniably, ultimately good.)
{The story surrounding our featured song’s composition and composer are truly remarkable, and I suggest taking a peek and the detailed write-up by Mishpacha’s music maven, Riki Goldstein by clicking here: https://mishpacha.com/nothing-bad-comes-from-heaven/}
There is a general rule in life that we believe with perfect faith that nothing bad comes from Heaven. It is only good, and it is all good!
וזה כלל גדול בעולם שנחשוב ונאמין באמונה שלמה שאין דבר רע יורד מן השמים הכל לטובה

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