Notes from Cantor Avima

How did I miss writing about Psalm 27? After all, we begin adding Psalm 27 into our prayers twice daily with the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul. As I write this, we are over a week into the month of Elul, the final month of the calendar year. This psalm has so many beautiful statements of faith, belief and yearning to be closer to God. And, as expected many melodies have been composed for these words. 

The opening words are:

Adonai Ori V'y'eeshee, meemee eerah: / Adonai is my light and myhelp. Whom shall I fear? 

Adonai ma'oz chayai, meemee efchad / Adonai is the strength of my life. Whom shall I dread? 

Craig Taubman wrote a beautifil and haunting melody for these words: I love how the melody begins almost timidly, but then blossoms with confidence, only to retreat again. For me this mirrors the emotional struggle as we confront out spirituality.  Craig Taubman - Adonai Ori - Psalm 27

A few verses later, we have these words which descrbie the yearning to be closer to God: 

Achat Sha'alti May-ayt Hashem, Otah avakesh, / One thing I ask of Adonai, for this I yearn

shivti b'vayt Hashem Kol-y'may cha-yai / To dwell in the House of Adonai all the days of my life 

lachazot b'no'am Hashem Ul'vaker b'haychalo / to behold God's beauty; to pray in God's sanctuary. 

Listen to this beautiful setting: 

Aly Halpert and Joey Weisberg - Achat Sha'alti

Here is something a little more chassidic: Yonatan Razel - Achat Sha'al'ti

This amazing duet , combines the melody I learned as a child with a counter melody of Esa Aynai:  I  Achat Sha'alti Duet - Leah K and Rabbi T

And, finally, I cannot leave out the stunning setting by Chava Mirel. Achat Sha'alti - Chava Mirel, Rabbi Angel Buchdahl, Cantor Dan Mutlu

Ifeel like my Youtube search has barely scratched the surface - I leave it to you to continue exploring and find a melody that inspires you and helps to prepare you for these Days of Awe.