Od y’nuvun b’sayva
D’shaynim v’rananim y’hi’yu

They will be fruitful, even in old age
They will be juicy and luxuriant. (Psalm 92:15)

I wrote this double-round chant in honor of Reb Zalman Shachter-Shalomi z”l and in honor of his 80th birthday. The intention that I bring to this double-round chant is to get in touch with the kind of fruitfulness, luxuriance and juiciness that emerges from my depths after many years of experience. This is a fruitfulness of wisdom and subtlety and it’s not always obvious if you’re only attuned to the surface of things. Even as our outer skin dries and wrinkles, there is an inner softness that can be cultivated from years of rubbing up against the Mystery. Even as outer sight dims and hearing falters, there are inner senses that can become fine-tuned as we age.

As I chant these words, I bless the elders who have been models of aging and saging for me as they continue to blossom, burgeon and flourish in full-hearted glory.

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

• Aging and Saging round #1  
• Aging and Saging round #2  
• Aging and Saging mix  

NOTE: Re-recorded in November, 2024.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Aging and Saging PDF. For the musical notation, click Aging and Saging notation PDF.

Chaneyni Yah ki oomlal ani

Grace me, Yah, for I am withered [disconnected]. (Psalm 6:3)

In order to connect with God, our Source, we have to acknowledge how disconnected we sometimes get. That disconnection manifests as weariness, irritability, loneliness, emptiness, or a feeling of being scattered or lost.

Reconnecting requires that we acknowledge the price of that disconnection and then open in yearning and hopefulness to the mystery of God’s Grace.

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

• Preparation for Re-connecting  

For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 267.

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

Chasdei Adonai olam ashira

I will sing forth from the hidden infinite, the loving-kindnesses of God. (Psalm 89:1)

Chant is the practice of calling forth hidden truths and bringing them into awareness and manifestation through voice and intention. I don’t sing about those truths… I sing those truths into being. With the power of my voice and the wholeheartedness of my intention, I call forth the beauty that is hidden within existence. As that beauty sings itself through me, I open myself as a channel, as a vessel, as a vehicle for the awareness of God’s presence in the world.

The word Olam means the infinite both in Time and Space. And it also means the Hidden or Concealed. The power of our Song reaches through the cracks of Time and Space and calls forth the hidden dimension of the Infinite, which has been waiting all along. The Song opens our eyes to the manifestations of God’s Love that surround us — evidence of the Infinite pouring itself into and throughout our finite world.

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

• Singing God’s Love  

For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 281.

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

Esa eynai el he-harim me-ayin yovo ezri (2x)

My help comes from the One (3X)
Creator of Heaven and Earth. (Psalm 121:1)

I wrote this chant for a friend to use during labor. During the process of birthing, it seemed important to tune in to the Creator-function of God, to become partners with God in the work of Creation, and to turn towards that aspect of God that is continually creating through us.

Even if your are not literally “giving birth,” this chant can be used to stimulate and celebrate the creative force that moves through us each day.

This is a two-part round.

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

• Tuning In to the Creator-Function  

For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 281.

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

Sur may-ra va’aseh tov ba-keish shalom v’rod-fayhu

Turn away from evil and do good;
Seek peace/wholeness and go after it. (Psalm 34:15)

With a discerning heart, I see my life divided into two categories — that which drains my energy and separates me, (which here is called evil) and that which gives me energy and connects me to the wholeness of Life.

My spiritual practice is to turn away from the seduction of evil because I know its power to sap my strength and love… And then to counter the pull of “evil” with an action that brings goodness into the world — an act of kindness, a gesture of compassion, a deed of justice-making. When I glimpse the possibility of Shalom (peace or wholeness), then I must go after it, like a detective searching out clues, like a warrior facing the enemy-within that is reflected in my world.

The practice is to first ask the question, “What is it that separates me or drains me of strength, love or compassion?” It may be a habit or thought or something you do without ever questioning its place in your life. As you chant, use the power of the words to turn away from that which you have discerned to be the “evil” in your life. Let the chant strengthen your commitment towards good. At the end of the chant, make a commitment towards one specific action that represents “good.” And do it.

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

• Turning  

For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 273.

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