Ahavti ki yishma Adonai et koli tachanunai

I Love, because God hears my voice, my supplications. (Psalm 116:1)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 116 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

How do I become a lover? How can I grow my love? This mysterious and powerful phrase from this Psalm begins with the word “ahavti” I love… but it doesn’t tell us the object of that love. I interpret this to mean that what will follow is the prerequisite for becoming a lover. When I feel perfectly heard, when my voice is received and my yearnings are acknowledged, then something in my straining heart relaxes. When I let go of the struggle to be heard, then my heart becomes spacious, open and responsive.

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.

• Ahavti 1  
• Ahavti 2  
• Ahavti 3  
• Ahavti (mix)  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Ahavti PDF.

Ashrei HaAm yodeya T’ruah Adonay B’or panecha y’haleychun

Oh God, Happy are the people who know the blast of the shofar;
they walk in the light of your presence. (Psalm 89:16)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 89 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

What kind of “Happy” is this? Certainly not the happiness of superficial pleasure — a lifestyle of Denial that masks a terrible truth, and not the ‘la-di-da’ happiness that keeps life bland and safe. This is the kind of “happy” that is a dynamic force waiting quietly at our center, the deep joy for existence itself.

The blast of the shofar can break open the shell that imprisons that inner joy. When that joy is freed, it becomes a light that shines regardless of circumstance. And that joy is our power. It is the power that moves us as “we walk in the light of God’s presence,” as we walk with integrity, courage, commitment, as we walk in beauty.

May the blast of the shofar shatter the rigid walls that imprison our true joy.

May the wail of the shofar open our hearts and send us with compassion to profound forgiveness.

May the call of the shofar inspire each of us to respond with our unique love as we rise to the challenge that is set before us this year.

This practice can be done as a dance of stillness and movement. As you chant Ashrei HaAm yodeya T’ruah Adonay, stand very still and listen, raising your arms to receive God’s presence with the word Adonay. Then, with the words B’or panecha y’haleychun, do a mindful walking meditation around the circle. This practice can be done as a round with two concentric circles.

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

• Rosh Hashanah Chant  
• Rosh Hashanah Chant Round  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Rosh Hashanah Chant PDF. For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 276.

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

Zarach BaChoshech Or LaY’sharim, Chanun v’Rachum v’Tzadik

Even in the darkness a light shines for the upright, gracious, compassionate and just. (Psalm 112:4)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 112 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

The light that we shine sustains us through the Darkness, through difficult times. That light awakens in us (and in others) the qualities of Grace, Compassion and a Passion for Justice. This 3 part round is a practice of affirming and strengthening that shining inner light, as we face hard challenges, and scary times.

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

• Even in the Darkness  

For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 268.

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

Samuch libo lo yira (masculine)
Samuch liba lo tira (feminine)

Heart supported, fearless. (Psalm 112:8)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 112 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

This is a practice that cultivates a path to fearlessness, one that I had not imagined possible. On this path, we open ourselves to the feeling of being completely supported. As we relax, expand and lean into that sense of being held and supported, our hearts open in fearlessness.

You can also do this practice with a spiritbuddy, gently placing one hand on the front of their heart and one hand on the back of their heart. As your spiritbuddy dances slowly to the chant, follow their movements giving them a sense of heart support in their dance. Then switch places.

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.

• Supported 1  
• Supported 2  
• Supported Mix  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Supported PDF. For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 269.

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