Music, English translation and audio © 18 July 2022 Alexander Massey Dedicated to my dear uncle, Paul Massey (z”l), who died on 12 July 2022. Download the free sheet music (voice & piano or guitar) The poem that has become known as Dudeleh (also as A dudele) was written in Yiddish by Reb Levi Yitzchak […]
Dudeleh, Ribono Shel Olam (You, You, You!) Read More »
Listen Sh’ma Yisrael How should I listen? What do you want me to hear? Adonai Eloheinu What are you? Who are we to call you ours? Adonai Echad You are One. Why do you seem so Other? V’ahavta… v’hayah… vayomer… Love. The rest will follow. Enough said. © 2022 Alexander Massey
Composition and audio © Alexander Massey 10 Feb 2015 Download the free sheet music (lead sheet, voice & guitar) Eternal One, who reigned supreme, / Before creating anything, When, by Your will, all was made, / Then all Creation called You King. When all shall end, God’s reign shall still / Extend in endless story;
Adon Olam No.2 (Master Of The Universe) Read More »
This translation of the second paragraph of the Sh’ma intersperses close reading of the original Hebrew with meditative interpolations to expand on multiple meanings and ambiguities in the Hebrew, as well as in the translation itself. The reader is invited to use this as a starting point for personal meditation on the deep power and
Love and Follow (Sh’ma #2) Read More »
This translation of the first paragraph of the Sh’ma intersperses close reading of the original Hebrew with meditative interpolations to expand on multiple meanings and ambiguities in the Hebrew, as well as in the translation itself. The reader is invited to use this as a starting point for personal meditation on the deep power and
Listen and Love (Sh’ma #1) Read More »
Download the free sheet music (for 1 or 2 voices & optional piano) Adon Olam is one of those lyrics that everyone seems to know by heart, and many take great delight in fitting to popular tunes like ‘Auld Lang Syne’, ‘Summertime’, ‘Happy Birthday’, or even ‘Yellow Submarine’. But what is it about what, and
Adon Olam No.1 (Master Of The Universe) Read More »
Inviting the angels to return soon … Kein LaShabbat Haba’ah – Composition, lyrics and audio © Alexander Massey, 30 July 2011 Download the free sheet music (round for 3 voices & piano) This piece is a chance to have some fun. The idea came to me one Saturday evening. I always feel a little pang
Kein LaShabbat Haba’ah (‘Yes’ To Next Shabbat!) Read More »
The Rabbis juxtaposed the three separate paragraphs of the Sh’ma, because they touched on so many themes and layers of meaning central to Judaism. Reading the Sh’ma therefore enables us to fulfill the commandment to study Torah (Berachot 60b). For about a year and a half, I have studied the Sh’ma closely, as well as
Seven Triptychs on the Sh’ma (poem) Read More »
What weight should we give to the voices from the past? After all, we don’t do exactly what was done in the past, not least because we cannot know for sure what was done, but also because conscience, common sense, or new knowledge to which the Rabbis did not have access persuade us to do
Hebrew has a structure of correspondences between words by their root (shoresh) that provides layers of subtlety and multiple meanings. Comparison of passages that use words similarly or in special ways gives scholars opportunity for a range of interpretations. In kabbalistic thought, the letters themselves have meanings, and gematria (numerology) provides another relatedness between words and phrases
Lashon Hakodesh (poem) Read More »