Category Archives: Chants

Chants, Psalms

That Roar: Yiram

Yiram hayam um’lo’o, tevel v’yoshvay vah.
That Roar Hebrew Text

Th sea in its fullness will roar, (also) the world and all its inhabitants. (Psalm 98:7)

While walking on the beach in Los Angeles, I listened to the great roar of the ocean and felt it as wilderness. The message of that roar cut through the thin veneer of civilization. I realized that just as the seas cover 70% of our planet, the waters within me also constituted 70% of my seemingly solid body. I felt a kinship with the ocean, and I heard that roar within me. I saw that all of our constructed reality- the inhabited world – was dwarfed in comparison with that vast wilderness that edged across my toes. As I listened to the roar of the ocean, I opened to the roar of our human lives surrounded like islands by the great sea of Oneness.

This is a practice of opening to the wild, oceanic, wondrous expanse, so that we might tap into that immense energy as the source of our creativity.

To hear the various parts of the chant, use the audio players. To download a part, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click That Roar PDF. For the musical notation, click That Roar Music.

Chants, Scripture

Dreaming: Ma y’h’yu

Ma y’h’yu chalomotav (Ma y’h’yu chalomoteha)
Dreaming Hebrew Text
[Let’s see] what will become of his dreams? (Genesis 37:20)

When Joseph’s brothers throw him into a pit they ask this question in a way that is mean… but the practice here is to reclaim that question. Imagine a holy altar and sit in front of it. Then, remember being a very young child. What was the very first thing that you remember wanting to “be when you grew up.” Place the image of your earliest dream along with all of your youthful enthusiasm and sense of possibility onto the altar in front of you. Then chant these words. At the end of the chant ask yourself the question, return to the image and ask, “What has become of my dream?” Notice the images and feelings that emerge. Reclaim the energy of your first dream.

To hear the various parts of the chant, use the audio players. To download a part, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

Chants, Liturgy, Psalms

An Invitation to Shabbat: L’chu

L’chu n’ra’n’na La’Adonai
L'chu Hebrew text
Oh, go forth, let us express our joy! (Psalm 95:1)

These are the first words of the traditional Kabbalat Shabbat Service. They are meant to move us out of our complacency and awaken us to the miracle of Shabbat which is just happening. The word n’ra’n’na is related to ra’n’nim, which are a certain kind of very expressive bird (mentioned in Job 39:13). Birds are so very unself-conscious in how they express their joy. They are our teachers of song. This is a practice of finding whatever joy might be locked up in your heart, and letting it out. In expressing our joy, we then can invite each other to step forth into the sacred realm of Shabbat.

To hear the various parts of the chant, use the audio players. To download a part, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Invitation to Shabbat PDF. For the musical notation, click L’chu Music.

Chants, Psalms

By Day Your Love: Yomam y’tzaveh

Yomam y’tzaveh Adonai chasdo, u’va’laila shirah imi
By Day Your Love Hebrew text
By day: Your Love… By Night: Your Song
By day God commands his love and by night her song is with me. (Psalm 42:9)

In the light of day and all that we do, God’s love is called forth through us and through all of Creation. Then at night, the Divine song reverberates in the stillness, surrounding us and holding us in a tender embrace. This practice is a chant of remembrance and celebration of that Presence who supports us through every trial and accompanies us on every journey.

To hear the various parts of the chant, use the audio players. To download a part, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click By Day Your Love PDF. For the musical notation, click By Day Your Love Music.

Chants, Psalms

Turn Your Hope to God: Kavay el Yah

Kavay el Yah, Chazak v’ya’amaytz libecha,
Kavay el Yah
Turn Your Hope to God Hebrew text
Turn your hope to God; be strong and be filled with courage;
turn your hope to God. (Psalm 27:14)

Psalm 27, which is especially dedicated to the Tshuvah work of Elul, ends by offering us this visionary possibility. We can turn to God with all our yearning, all our dreams, all our highest and deepest hope. In doing so we will be strengthened in our work of coming close to God. We can also understand this line to mean that it will take all of our strength and all of our courage in order to turn our hope to God. The practice of this chant is to call up that strength, that courage, and use it to make that turning.

To hear the various parts of the chant, use the audio players. To download a part, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Turn Your Hope to God PDF. For the musical notation, click Turn Your Hope to God Music.