Hinay Yah Bayni u’vayncha, Ad Olam
Here is God between me and you forever! (1st Samuel 20:23)
This is the Oath of friendship that Jonathan says to David. He invokes God’s presence in the space between himself and his friend, as a way of sanctifying the relationship. We can use this chant to acknowledge the holiness of the space between, the miracle of the Divine glue that connects us.
This chant can be done with movement as a two-part round facing a partner. If done in two concentric circles with each person in the inner circle facing out towards a partner, after each repetition, one circle steps to the right while the other stands still, so that you are facing a different partner.
The movements: When you sing “Hinay Yah…” with one hand’s flowing gesture, create a figure 8 between you and your partner. When you sing “Ad Olam” put your hands at your side facing forward and slowly lift them up as high as you can and slowly lower them.
To hear the chant, use the audio player. To download the chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.
- Oath of Friendship
For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 253.
The Magic of Hebrew Chant ©2013 Shefa Gold. All rights reserved.