Kavay el Yah, Chazak v’ya’amaytz libecha,
Kavay el Yah

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.

• Turn Your Hope to God 1  
• Turn Your Hope to God 2  
• Turn Your Hope to God Mix  

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.

Evven ma’asu habonim ha’y’tah l’rosh pinah

The Stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. (Psalm 118:22)

The people who have been marginalized by our society seem to carry the voice of prophesy for us all. The part of my own psyche that has been rejected, likewise holds the key to my nascent power.

This is a practice of identifying that “stone” — the part of us that has been pushed aside, devalued, maligned or rejected — and then raising that part up as the gift that I might reclaim and refine.

To hear the chant, use the audio player. To download the chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• The Cornerstone  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click The Cornerstone PDF. For the musical notation, click The Cornerstone Music.

Eli Atah v’odeka Elohai arom’meka

You are my God and I will thank You; Oh my God, I will exalt You! (Psalm 118:28)

This is a practice that has the power to raise your vibrational frequency, allowing a greater flow of life-force through your body and mind. Turning to God in gratefulness allows us to then raise up the Divine spark in our world. When we raise up that Divine spark, we can move to an even more refined level of gratefulness. With this practice, we can spiral into new places of joy, ease, peace and harmony, while staying grounded in an immediate experience of this moment’s grace.

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.

• You Are My God Melody  
• You Are My God with Harmony  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click You Are My God PDF. For the musical notation, click You Are My God Music.

Va’ani Tamid Imach

I am always with You.
Though my heart is troubled and I’m filled with dread
I turn to face Your Mystery
Though I’ve been lost inside my head
I open to Eternity. (Psalm 73:23)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 73 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

The highest Jewish ideal is attaining a state of constant D’vekut, an uninterrupted awareness of God’s Presence, even as we are immersed in the experience of this precious world. My addictions and cravings, my doubts, fears and worries, my plans and regrets often pull me away from that awareness — that D’vekut.

This practice is a vow, a commitment, and a re-dedication to the possibility of D’vekut. I chant directly to God, the great underlying and encompassing Mystery… and through my bold address, I strengthen my commitment to turn again and again towards the Divine Expanse.

To hear the chant, use the audio player. To download the chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• Always with You  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Always With You PDF. For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 297.

The Magic of Hebrew Chant ©2013 Shefa Gold. All rights reserved.

Magini al Elohim, moshiah yishray lev.

My protection is all about the God-field;
that’s what saves the Upright Heart. (Psalm 7:11)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 7 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

When the source for my own energy field is the Shechina, that indwelling Divine Presence… then I am protected, shielded and ultimately safe. That sense of ultimate safety allows my heart to risk being open and expansive no matter what the circumstance. My heart stands up within me and takes the lead.

To hear the chant, use the audio player. To download the chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• My Protection  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click My Protection PDF. For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 294.

The Magic of Hebrew Chant ©2013 Shefa Gold. All rights reserved.