Han’shamah Lach

Music and Audio © Alexander Massey 13 Sept 2018

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Han’shamah lach v’haguf pa-alach,
chusah al amalach.
Han’shamah lach v’haguf shelach,
Havayah, aseih l’ma-an sh’mecha.

The soul is Yours and the body is Your workmanship;
have compassion on what You have created;
the soul is Yours and the body is Yours,
Havayah, do this for the sake of Your Name.

There is a well known setting of the first verse of Han’shamah lach attributed to Shlomo Carlebach. With very few settings in circulation, I felt it was important to offer an alternative.

The machzor (High Holy Days prayerbook) of UK Judaism cites this source: Machzor Oholei Ya’akov, ed. R. Ya’akov ibn Yitzchaki, vol II (Jerusalem 1910), p.37. Idelsohn attributes the poem to Abraham Ibn Ezra. The prayer is usually associated with High Holy Days. Yamim Noraim, and is sung at Selichot, and also Kol Nidrei. The verses used in this setting are part of a longer prayer. Often just these two verses (or even the first verse) are used.