U'vchein Tzaddikim

וּבְכֵן, צַדִּיקִים יִרְאוּ וְיִשְׂמָחוּ, וִישָׁרִים יַעֲלֺּזוּ, וַחֲסִידִים בְּרִינָּה יָגִילוּ

"And so too, (When Mashiach comes) the righteous will see and be glad, the upright will exult, and the devout will be mirthful with glad song." (Shmoneh Esreh, Yamim Noraim)

The three types of man mentioned here; The righteous, the upright, and the devout, are three categories that men fall into. The Sfas Emes explains that they are listed in ascending order of worthiness. Righteous people (Tzaddikim) are those people who do the will of Hashem even when they “aren’t feeling it.” They push past their strong temptations for other things and they follow Hakadosh Baruch Hu even though they may not understand the Justice of His ways. The upright (Yesharim) are those people who have such perfect faith, that they never question God’s will or ways. As a result, they are in a constant state of joy; more so than the merely ‘righteous.’ [This is all according to Rashi’s opinion in the Gemara in Taanis 15a, that the upright are greater than the righteous. However, the Rashba over there holds that the righteous are greater. Seemingly this is because they have to put in more effort to go against what they want to do, and instead do what they know they should be doing. Someone who is constantly willing and joyful when it comes to his/her Avoda has less struggle, so the schar (reward) and accomplishment aren’t necessarily as great. -Unlike my Bio-Psych Professor, Hashem grades of effort.] And finally, The Zohar Hakadosh explains that the devout (Chassidim) are those who try to serve Hashem by doing more than the minimum requirements of the law; in effect they do Chessed with Hashem, kavayachol. So basically the moral is- We should all be Chassidim!!

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(Pic courtesy of Judaic Art Exchange)

Ein Kitzva

אֵין קִצְבָה לִשְׁנוֹתֶךָ, וְאֵין קֵץ לְאֺרֶךְ יָמֶיךָ, וְאֵין לְשַׁעֵר מַרְכְּבוֹת כְּבוֹדֶךָ, וְאֵין לְפָרֵשׁ עֵלּוּם שְׁמֶךָ. שִׁמְךָ נָאֶה לְךָ וְאַתָּה נָאֶה לִשְׁמֶךָ, וּשְׁמֵנוּ קָרָאתָ בִשְׁמֶךָ

"There is no set span to Your years and there is no end to the length of Your days. It is impossible to estimate the angelic chariots of Your glory and to elucidate the hiddeness of Your Name. Your Name is worthy of You and You are worthy of Your Name, and You have included Your Name in our name." (Chazaras HaShatz Yamim Noraim)

This piyut is drawing a sharp contrast between feeble man and Almighty Hashem. The one preceding it, which ended describing the mortality of man, read: “We are but a dissipating cloud… flying dust, a fleeting dream…” The first words of this piyut, however, seem superfluous. First it says “There is no set span to your years (Hashem)…” and then it says “…and there is no end.” These two phrases mean almost the same thing but there is a slight difference. A ‘set span’ refers to an amount of time, so we are saying that Hashem has no life span, as it were, of like a billion or a trillion years. An ‘end’ refers to a deadline; so in effect, we are saying that Hashem’s existence is endless; He has no beginning and no end, which is coincidentally the 4th of the Rambam’s Ani Maamins.
The piyut ends with “And You included Your name in our name.”
Here are a few explanations of this:
-The Last 2 letters of יִשְׂרָאֵל are 'א' and 'ל' ; a Name of Hashem.
-When the Torah names the families of the Jews in Bamidbar, Perek 26, the letters of Hashem’s name, 'י' and 'ה' are added to each name. For example: שָׁעוּל’s Family is called הַשָׁעוּלִי.
-If you spell out each letter of Hashems name ('י'and 'ה') You get yud, vuv, daled, and hei, and yud, and those letters spell out יְהוּדִי, Jew! (My favorite)
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(Clock pic courtesy of CoolChaser)
(Kippa pic courtesy of here)

I'm going to try to post some songs pertaining to Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Succos/Simchas Torah over the next little while because I'll be having some extra time... Over Rosh Hashana davening I came across a buncha great ones. Once again if anyone has any requests please feel free to leave comments.
-CR

Achas Sha'alti

אַחַת שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת ה', אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ; שִׁבְתִּי בּבֵית ה' כָּל יְמֵי חַיַּי, לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֺעַם ה', וּלְבַקֵר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ

"One thing I asked of Hashem, that i shall request: [Would that] I dwell in the House of Hashem all the days of my life, to behold the delight of Hashem and to visit His Sanctuary." (Tehillim-27:4)

These words are bursting with Torah. I’ve heard many amazing vortlach on the different parts of this Passuk but I'll only share one with you. (If anyone has any others to add please leave a comment. And maybe I'll end up adding more as well)
The Passuk begins: “One thing I asked of Hashem...” And then it superfluously adds “That I shall request.” What's the deal with the double lashon? Just say “The one thing I ask for is…” I heard a beautiful answer to this question from my Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Naftali Yeager Shlit”a. He gave a mashal: When a genie offers you one wish, for anything at all, your mind starts racing. You think to yourself “There are so many things I want; wealth, beauty, health, happiness, honor…” the list goes on and on. Finally you make your decision. You chose one of the many things you’ve taken into consideration, and give up the rest. That is how it works when dealing with a genie, but lehavdil eleph havdalos with Hakadosh Baruch Hu, the decision is easy. There are no cheshbonos, no calculations. If there is “One thing I ask of Hashem…This is the thing I want,” nothing else even comes to mind, the choice is clear. All I want is closeness with Hashem; a relationship with Avinu Shebashamayim.

Back!

Shalom Everyone,
Sorry it’s taken me so long to start posting again. I’ve been crazy busy with Yeshiva and college and what-not. Be’ezras Hashem I'll be posting at least a song a week from now on.
I hope everyone’s summer was great! Stay tuned…
-CR

Sorry...

Shalom Everyone!
I just wanted to inform the velt that today I will IY"H be leaving for camp and I will be gone for the next 2 months. I won't have my laptop with me so I wont be posting more songs till I get back. But have no fear- This gives everyone a great opportunity to chazer (review) all the songs posted thus-far, especially with all of the weddings going on this summer B"H!
Please feel free to leave comments with ideas for songs or any criticism whatsoever.
Kol Tuv- I'll miss you all...
--CR
ps. Make sure to "spread the words!!"

Ahavas Olam

אַהֲבַת עוֹלָם תָּבִיא לָהֶם, וּבְרִית אָבוֹת לַבָּנִים תִּזְכּוֹר

"A love that is eternal may you bring them, and the covenant of the forefathers upon the children may you recall." (Musaf for Rosh Chodesh)

My good friend, Rav E. L. Shlit"a, shared some ideas with me that he saw from Rabbi Zev Leff Shlit"a, explaining the two concepts mentioned in this Tefilla, namely: Ahavas Olam (Eternal Love), and Bris Avos (Covenant of the Forefathers). The Dover Shalom (Rabbi Shalom Rokeach, the first Belzer Rebbe) speaks about how this Eternal Love is referring to the times of Mashiach when Hashem's love for us will clearly be seen once we are no longer in exile under the subjugation of other nations. He also adds that with this Eternal Love and the covenant with our forefathers, Hashem will make the Mizbe'ach (altar) in the 3rd Beis Hamikdash eternal; there will never again be a churban (destruction). Another famous pshat, also told over in the name of the Dover Shalom, is that this bris mentioned here is the Bris Bein Habesarim that Hashem had with Avraham avinu, a covenant stating that Avraham's children will be many and basically that Hashem will ultimately redeem them, among other things. Finally- it is important to note that although the Zechus Avos (Merits of our Forefathers) may have run out according to Chazal, the Bris Avos is a Bris Olam, an eternal covenant.
B'derech agav- I've been attending a Kiruv Training Seminar over the past few weeks and in discussing proofs that the Torah was divinely written, and not made up by some guy, this concept of Bris Olam was brought up. If someone was trying to make up a Torah for people to follow, and claim that it was given to them by G-d, why would they take a chance and write that the Jewish people will last as a nation forever? It's a huge risk! Not only that but the Torah continues to say things contradicting that prediction! It says how the Jews will be scattered around the world, they will be hated and persecuted! If I were trying to convince people that the Jews would last forever, I would say the total opposite! How will they ever survive if they are constantly persecuted and thrown out of their land? So it's pretty clear that no one in their right mind would make something like that up. So, like Abie Rotenberg said: "It had to be Hashem." (And btw- not only is it totally ridiculous for someone to make these contradictory predictions up, the crazy thing is-it's exactly what happened!!! Just look at Jewish History! A proof that Judaism is the true religion is simply the fact that we are still around. It's absolutely Yad Hashem (the Hand of G-d)! (Find out more about this typa stuff at Aish.com and Kiruv.com)

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(Top pic courtesy of Kumah.org)

(Bottom pic courtesy of HolocaustResearchProject)

Yosis Alayich

יָשִׂישׂ עָלַיִךְ אֱלֺקָיִךְ, כְּמְשׂוֹשׂ חָתָן עַל-כַּלָה

"Your G-d will rejoice over you, like a groom rejoices over his bride." (Yeshayahu 62:5 words are changed around a little bit)

This Passuk (which is also mentioned in Lecha Dodi) is speaking of Hashem's relationship with Yerushalayim when once again His Shechina will rest within her In the coming of the Beis Hamikdash. The Malbim addresses an interesting question. If one looks at the relationship between Hashem and Yerushalayim/the Jewish people over the past 1939 years since the destructing of the 2nd Beis Hamikdash, it seems more like it will be a REmarriage when Hashem brings Mashiach to us with the 3rd Beis Hamikdash. It seems more like we are divorcees to Hakadosh Baurch Hu at this point-But from the Passuk it doesn't sound like that! Whats pshat? So The Malbim would like to say that from this Passuk we see that the future marriage between us and Hashem wont be like a normal remarriage, which isn't as filled with extreme joy as a regular marriage. Rather, the remarriage between us and Avinu Shebashamayim will be as happy and exciting as a newly married couple. We should celebrate this chasuna very soon BB"A.
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(Pic courtesy of JerusalemPartners)

Sos Asis

שׂוֹשׂ אָשִׂישׂ בַּה', תָּגֵל נַפְשִׁי בֵּאלֺקַי, כִּי הִלְבִּישַׁנִי בִּגְדֵי-יֶשַׁע מְעִיל צְדָקָה יְעָטָנִי, כֶּחָתָן יְכַהֵן פְּאֵר, וְכַכַּלָּה תַּעְדֶּה כֵלֶיהָ

"I will rejoice intensely with Hashem, my soul will exult with my G-d, for He has dressed me in clothing of salvation, in a robe of righteousness has he cloaked me, like a groom who axalts [himself] with splendor, like a bride who bedecks herself with her jewelry." (Yeshayahu 61:10)

Why is there a change in Hakadosh Baruch Hu's name? First it says "I will rejoice intensely with Hashem(Adon...)," and then it says "My soul will exult with my G-d(Elokai)."
So- it is a well known concept that Hashem's name is used differently in different places to pinpoint certain attributes of His. When the name "Adon..." is used it connotes Hashem's attribute of Rachamim-mercy. And when the name "Elokim" is used, it expresses Hashem's attribute of Din-Justice. That being said, Rabbi Yoseph Kimchi points out that in the first phrase the verb is in a double form, alluding to both the Guf (body) and the Neshama (soul). Both of these aspects of a human being rejoice in G-d's mercy. The second phrase, however, is in singular form, and only the Neshama is mentioned. This is because only the Neshama, which can endure far more suffering that the Guf, can appreciate the attribute of justice and rejoice in it. [It, therefore, rejoices when it is purified by Hashem's attribute of justice]
וְטַהֵר לִבֵּנוּ לְעָבְדְּךָ בֶּאֱמֶת "May Hashem purify all of our hearts so we may serve Him fully in truth!!"

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(Chuppah pic courtesy of NeedlePointShop)

Ko Amar Hashem

כֺּה אָמַר ה': זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ, אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֺתָיִךְ, לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ לֺא זְרוּעָה

"Thus said Hashem: I recall for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your nuptials, your following Me into the Wilderness, into an unsown land." (Yirmiyahu 2:2)

This passuk is referring to Klal Yisrael's amazing faith in Hashem when they followed Him into the desert after being taken out of Mitzrayim. They left without any food other than the Matza baking on their backs; not knowing how they were going to survive. They just knew one thing: Hashem was leading them in a certain direction, so that was obviously the best way to go. They knew, as we still know today, that Hashem would NEVER steer us wrong. If he asks something of us, we are guaranteed that not only are we capable of accomplishing it, but also that it's the best possible thing for us.
In the Torah when it talks about the holiday we call 'Pesach' it doesn't call it by that name. It is called 'Chag Hamatzos' The holiday of Matza. So why do we call it by a different name? I heard from R' Moshe Bamberger that the theme of Pesach is love. This difference in names is a sign of the "conflict" between us and Hashem as to how to approach Yetziyas Mitzrayim. We see it as a clear sign of Hashem's unlimited love for us. He rocked the Egyptians with 10 makos and on the last one he "passed over" (Pesach) us and only killed the Egyptian first born. So to celebrate this affection we feel from Hashem, we call the holiday Pesach. But on the flip side, Hashem sees it differently. He sees Yetziyas Mitzrayim as a sign of our faith and love for Him. He saw us rush to follow Him into an unsown land. We rushed so quickly that we didn't even wait for our bread to rise, and as a result, we have Matza. So that's why Hashem calls the holiday "Chag Hamatzos."
If only we were to realize how much Hashem loves us, life would be so much more enjoyable. 'Kol mon de'avid Rachmana, letav avid!!' Everything Hashem does is for the GOOD! The Boss is on our side! He's got our backs! We have it made!
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(Top pic courtesy of TravelBlog)
(Bottom pic courtesy of DailyJews)