I Will Bring You Out

I originally composed this chant for Passover 2019. The four expressions of Divine promise for liberation from Exodus 6:6-7— I will bring you out, deliver you, redeem you, take you as my own— are inspiration for the Passover Seder’s four cups of wine.

וְהוֹצֵאתִי וְהִצַּלְתִּי וְגָאַלְתִּי וְלָקַחְתִּי

V'hotzeiti, v'hitzalti, v'ga’alti, v'lakachti

I will bring you out, deliver you, redeem you, take you as my own

and you shall know that I am your God

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Mishenichnas Adar

Sharing my chant — embracing and celebrating the joyful transition that Adar brings—with appreciation to Jack Kessler, with whom I have been studying the deep of art of singing, who is accompanying me (along with his parakeets). The ancient rabbis teach that simcha (joy/ being fully awake and alive) increases with the coming of Adar.  May our capacity to experience joy grow as we journey through the days ahead!

משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה

Mishenichnas Adar marbin b’simcha  When Adar comes, simcha increases!

Downloadable mp3 for Mishenichnas Adar

Sheet music for Mishenichnas Adar

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V’asu li mikdash

You shall make (yourselves into) a sanctuary for Me, and then my Loving Presence will flow through

I understand this verse from Exodus 25:8 as an invitation to the ongoing process of making ourselves into a sanctuary, a dwelling place for holiness. As I chant Part 1, “v’asu li mikdash”, I focus on aligning myself to the nurturing energy of the Earth and also the uplifting energies of the Heavens, cultivating within the capacity to be a stable lead energy and a holy vessel. Part 2 is then receiving a gift, receiving the flow of Loving, Creative Presence. As I chant “v’asu li mikdash v’shachanti betocham”, I consciously embody Shechina energy.

וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם

V’asu li mikdash (Part 1)

V’asu li mikdash v’shachanti b’tocham (Part 2)

Thanks to Neil Frau-Cortes and Tani Nevins-Klein for creating this recording with me.

Walking with God: A Chant for Parshat Noach

Adapted from Genesis 6:9

אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ

צַדִּיק תָּמִים

Et ha’elohim hithalech noach (x3) Et ha’elohim hithalech

Tzadik, Tamim (x4)

Noah walked (himself) with God. (He was) Tzadik (Just/Upright) and Tamim (Pure/Simple)

This chant invites us to explore the phrase “Noah walked (himself) with God”, found at the beginning of Parshat Noach. What does it mean to walk with God? It seems to me that Noah was favored by God because he was devoted to this spiritual practice— walking (both literally and metaphorically) through the world with awareness of his Divine connection. This question of how we walk with God can be explored through walking meditation— slowing down and bringing our awareness and curiosity to the process of walking. Gratitude to my Tuesday morning Jewish meditation group for helping bring this chant to life and for joining me in exploring the Torah of walking with God.