Monday, May 4, 2009

Tzama Lecha Nafshi

צָמְאָה לְךָ נַפְשִׁי, כָּמַהּ לְךָ בְשָׂרִי, בְּאֶרֶץ צִיָּה וְעָיֵף בְּלִי מָיִם. כֵּן בַּקֺּדֶשׁ חַזִיתִךָ, לִרְאוֹת עֻזְּךָ וּכְבוֹדֶךָ

"Thirsts for You does my soul, longs for You does my flesh; in a land parched and weary with no water. So, too, in the Sanctuary to have beheld You, to see Your might and Your glory." (Tehillim 63:2,3)

These words came from Dovid Hamelech when he was in Midbar Yehuda (the wilderness of Judah). Even in that desolate place, after being exiled from nation, family, and home, he never wavered in his love for Hakadosh Baruch Hu. These same words are the words coming from the deepest places within every Yid in the choshech (darkness) filled world we live in. We have to purify ourselves through Torah and Mitzvos in order to bring these words to the surface until they burst forth from our lips with emesdike (true) yearning for closeness with our Creator and the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash.

5 comments:

elies said...

Thank you so much for the words!!!!!!!!!! I got the lchaim mp3 set for sefirah with the Belzer Tzomah and I have been looking for the source for the longest time now. Thank you so much for posting them. I'll know what I'm singing past "Tzomah lechu nafshi..." Now to find which zemer it's in...

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il77SOQUlEU

Unknown said...

Toda rabbah for covering this song. I really appreciate how you translate very literally beneath the song. On a side note, I don't live clos to a shul where I can study Hebrew. As you seem to have a firm grasp of the original text, do you have any recommendations on curriculums or programs I could do from home to study and learn to read the bible in Hebrew? Thanks!

Anonymous said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shVxDw2Qdcg

Beautiful slow version...

Anonymous said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il77SOQUlEU
by the lubavitcher rebbe