Notes from Cantor Avima

Last week I wrote about the well known words and settings for "Ma Tovu O-ha-leh-cha Yaakov"  because they were part of the Torah portion we read last week. But, I thought it would be nice to write this week about the words of another very popular song: Hinei Ma Tov. The words are from Psalm 133:  Hinei ma tov u'ma na-eem sheh-vet achim gam yah-chad. The most common translation is: "How good it is to dwell together as brothers". It is most often understood as a song of togetherness. There is a poetic image in the psalm often overlooked because the poetry of the Hebrew contains a comparison we will make evident in bold letters here:. 

A song of ascents. Of David: 

How good and pleasant it is that brothers dwell together. Like fine oil on the head running down onto the beard, the beard of Aaron, that comes down over the collar of his robe.So is the precipitation of  Hermon that falls upon the mountains of Zion. There the Lord ordained blessing, everlasting life. 

The rain that waters the land is like the holy oil that anoints the high priest.  The rain makes the land holy as does the anointing oil make holy the body and garments of Aaron.  And if the rain is like oil, the land is like the body of  Aaron, and it is made holy by the rain.  Oil/rain is a symbol of the wealth of the land.  "Dew" (precipitation) fructifies the land, makes peace and perpetuates the name of the family, ("the brothers.") Eternal life is achieved when the name of the deceased endures and is mentioned in the names and prayers of later generations.  Thus Israel's inheritance is not only an inheritance of wealth or real estate, it is an inheritance of holiness and eternal life. 

The following youtube is a great sing along video for two of the most popular melodies: Hinei Ma Tov

Here is another one by Elana Arian: Hinei Ma Tov - Elana Arian

I can't resist this one sung by Harry Belafonte in 1959: Hinei Ma Tov - Harry Belafonte