Chants, Shir HaShirim

I Have Come into My Garden

Baati l’gani achoti challah
Baati in Hebrew
I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. (Song of Songs 5:1)

With this practice we receive the Presence of the Beloved who has responded to our invitation with a glorious YES. We put down the struggle … and relax. We pause to receive that YES. We open in receptivity and relief, letting the strain of our effort dissolve into celebration. We share the myrrh, spices, honeycomb, wine and milk of this amazing garden, taking in the Great Love with all the nourishment and pleasure that Life offers.

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

To download the PDF file for this chant, click I Have Come into My Garden (Baati) PDF. For the musical notation, click Baati notation PDF.

Chants, Scripture

The Place

Hinay Makom iti
The Place in Hebrew
Right Here! There is a Place with Me. (Exodus 33:21)

When Moses asks to see God’s Glory, God answers with these words, directing Moses to a Place from which to see and know the Divine Presence. That place is here. In fact the word Makom (place) became a name of God. I hear God saying, “stand still upon the rock, the foundation of existence, and you will know Me. For that Place is with Me; I am there with you in the place of your stillness, your longing, your love.”

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

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

Chants, Psalms

My Good

Va’ani kirvat Elohim li tov
My Good in Hebrew
And as for me, God’s nearness is my good. (Psalm 73:28)

In Kabbalah there are 4 worlds that describe a continuum between the infinite Source and our limited reality. The world that is closest to God is called Atzilut, which means nearness. In moments when we touch the world of Atzilut, we feel close to the Source of All. This practice is the expressed realization that those moments of touching and being touched by Source allow goodness to flow in and become our own goodness. We are inspired to keep drawing near to that Source, through heightened perception, inquiry, praise and celebration. When we touch that Divinely sourced goodness within, we can open our own flow and bring that goodness to the word.

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

To download the PDF file for this chant, click My Good PDF. For the musical notation, click My Good notation PDF.

Chants, Psalms

The God-Field

HaBotayach ba’Adonai chesed y’so’v’venu (Psalm 32:10)
The God-Field in Hebrew
The one who trusts in God will be surrounded with loving-kindness.

Trusting in God means that my heart rests in the deep knowing of my ultimate safety. (Yes, even Death is safe!) I relax and know that I am connected to an infinite resource that I can call on to deal with whatever might emerge in this moment. When I take off my armoring, and my heart opens, I receive the grace that is always flowing. That Divine flow fills my energy field, and protects me with an aura of kindness, a God-field that surrounds me.

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

NOTE: This chant was slightly updated to use Adonai (instead of the original Ya) on 10/15/21.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click The God-Field PDF. For the musical notation, click The God-Field notation PDF.

Chants, Liturgy

Awaken

Oreyr k’or nogah shoshanat ha’amakim
Awaken in Hebrew
Awaken as bright light the rose of the depths. (Yom Kippur morning piyyut)

The words from this anonymous ancient poem that is recited on the Holiest day of the year seem to describe our spiritual work so beautifully. There is a bud of love in the heart, buried deep within, often buried beneath our trauma, our hurt, our disappointments, betrayals or despair. Through our practice and careful attention we can awaken that flower in the heart and allow its tightly held petals to unfurl as our love. And then we become radiant, and can shine our transformed presence into the world.

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

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Awaken PDF. For the musical notation, click Awaken notation PDF.