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Nitzavim-Vayelech –
Understanding through Music I’m a big fan of Jewish music. There are many artists out there with a wide variety of styles. Growing up we used to listen to Cantorial music as my father was a fan of Chazzanut. I never really enjoyed it too much, but instead became a fan of Craig Taubman and Debbie Friedman. As the years have gone on there have been hundreds of Jewish artists entering the music scene, from Sam Glaser, to Rebbe Soul, to Reva L’Sheva, Eighteen, Moshav, Matisyahu and more. On a CD entitled “We Are All Connected: Songs to Lift the Spirit” by Marge Eiseman, there is a beautiful song called Lo Bashamayeem Hee. These words, found in this week’s Parsha tell us that the commandments are not hidden from us. We do not need to search for them in the Heavens. Yet another song, by Scott Leader on “Lift My Eyes” entitled Esa Enai, based on Psalm 121, teaches that the mountains can give us guidance. Why is it that we search for answers, looking towards the mountains, towards the Heavens, when the answers can be found right in front of us (see the discussion questions for more on this)? Things are not hidden from us, though we constantly search for answers. For many, following the commandments are difficult because they lack meaning and we often lack understanding. Why can’t the meaning and understanding come through the action? I don’t understand the mechanics of my watch, but I wear it and use it every day. Without it I would be late and lost. The same can be true for each of us with Torah and Mitzvot. We need not know the how and why to do. The meaning can come from the action. The music I listen to often helps me connect to the words and meaning, but it is the doing that helps to give me the understanding.
AS A FAMILY:
Purchase/Download a song/CD by a Jewish Artist (see me for
suggestions) and discuss
the words.
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