It’s beginning to sound a lot like…
Tishrei!
If you’re the sort of person who feels bombarded by Xmas carols round about December 5th in North America, you have some sense of what goes on here before the Tishrei festivals (ie, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah).
Some songs are holier than others. The “secular” ones deal with the passing of seasons and years, while the holy ones are drawn from the Torah, Tanach, Siddur, Machzor, etc. Both are heard almost everywhere, regardless of whether it’s a religious or secular setting.
And if you are ever out in public when either of these is sung or performed,
you WILL be expected to join in, at least on the refrain. Israelis love to sing in public. They get a kind of grudging look on their faces, but generally sing with zest once they get started.So get studying!
I’ve include videos beneath each song.
Kol Yom Matchila Shanah
כָּל יוֹם מַתְחִילָה שָׁנָה
(Every day, a New Year begins)
| The sky is still clear But in the evening it’s cool in the window that faces the sea. It’s maybe impossible to say That summer’s already over But the sun is more tired than before. On the grass in the yard The day starts to shorten But it’s still as if nothing has changed. If you’re a true friend Just pretend for a moment Don’t tell me another year’s passed. No, this can’t be possible. For years aren’t like seconds. If you look you’ll be able to see, That nothing has changed All the feelings rebel Give me just a few more days… I just couldn’t get anything done this year. There’s no more rain in the cloud; Don’t jump on every single sign Don’t get off before the station Don’t see me in my journal Be like a merciful father Don’t wake me up; I’m still asleep. No, this cannot be possible A year… a year… A year… another year… A year… a year… Don’t tell me another year has passed. | הָרָקִיעַ עוֹד בָּהִיר, עַל הַדֶּשֶׁא בֶּחָצֵר לֹא, זֶה לֹא יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת אֵין עוֹד גֶּשֶׁם בֶּעָנָן לֹא, זֶה לֹא יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת... |
Adon Haselichot
Even though this is a religious song, actually part of the Selichos prayers leading up to Yom Kippur, you will hear it absolutely everywhere: schools and buses, of course, but also grocery stores, lingerie stores in the mall… everywhere.
This is one version of several out there.
(Because it comes from the Mizrachi / Sefardi tradition, I won’t butcher it by turning the final “t” into an “s” as I usually do with anything prayer/Torah related, according to my weird Ashkenazi minhag.)
אֲדוֹן הַסְּלִיחוֹת
(Master of Forgiveness)
| Master of forgiveness, examiner of hearts, revealer of depths, speaker of justice FORGIVE US – Have mercy on us. Glorious in wonders, great in consolation, Remembering the covenant with our fathers, Investigating our conscience FORGIVE US – Have mercy on us. Who is good and does good to His creations, knowing all secrets; conquering sin, clothed in justice. FORGIVE US – Have mercy on us. Full of purity, awesome in praises, Forgiving of sins, answers in times of trouble. FORGIVE US – Have mercy on us. Enacting salvation, viewing the future Calling to generations, riding through the plains,* FORGIVE US – Have mercy on us. | אֲדוֹן הַסְּלִיחוֹת, בּוֹחֵן לְבָבוֹת הָדוּר בְּנִפְלָאוֹת, וָתִיק בְּנֶחָמוֹת,
טוֹב וּמֵיטִיב לַבְּרִיוֹת, יּוֹדֵעַ כָּל נִסְתָּרוֹת. מָלֵא זַכֻּיוֹת, נוֹרָא תְהִלוֹת, פּוֹעֵל יְשׁוּעוֹת, צוֹפֶה עֲתִידוֹת, |
* Could not find a translation for this last pair, which has been translated into English as “rider in the sky” “desert” and various other meanings.
This is my last post of 5774, and I’m actually writing it well ahead of time and setting it to autopost, because I know things are going to get busy later on this week.
Please accept my best wishes for you and your family in the new year. May 5775 be a year of aliyah, of going up, in every possible way…
Tzivia / צִיבְיָה
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