A new chant for the month of Elul.....
Lulei Heh'emanti

:לוּלֵא הֶאֱמַנְתִּי לִרְאוֹת בְּטוּב־יְהֹוָה בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים
lulei heh'emanti lirot b'tuv HaShem b'eretz hayyim.
     ("If only I can keep faith, to see God's goodness while yet in this life!” 
Psalm 27:13, musical setting by Diane Elliot)

An Embodied Omer Practice:
​Chanting the Daily Sefirot

The ancient practice of counting the Omer is described in the Torah (Leviticus 23:9-21). It was a first fruits offering; on the day after Passover, the spring liberation festival, the people were to bring an Omer measure (about 2.5 liters) of newly harvested barley, the winter crop, to the priest, who would lift and “wave” the grain. Then they were to keep count of the days for seven weeks, 49 days, while the summer crop, the wheat was ripening. An offering of wheat loaves would then be brought for the festival of Shavu’ot (weeks). In later times, the Sages connected Shavu’ot with the receiving of Torah at Mt. Sinai, so the period between Passover, the time of Liberation, and Shavu’ot, the time of receiving Revelation, became a time of spiritual cleansing and refinement, becoming ready to receive Torah. Still later, the kabbalists (Jewish mystics) inaugurated a practice of connecting each week of the Omer count with one of the lower seven sefirot, the divine Emanations the comprise the Tree of Life — Hesed/Lovingkindness, Gevurah/Strength, Tiferet/Integration & Compassion, Netzah/Perseverance or Victory, Hod/Splendor, Yesod/Foundation, and Malkhut/Presence. Each day of the seven weeks was also connected with another of those same seven qualities, including the quality of the week itself, making 49 permutations in all, 49 flavors of spiritual refinement. The practice recorded here consists of chanting the two sefirot for the day a total of 112 times: chanting and leaning 18 times in each of the six directions (forward-back-right-left-up-down) for a total of 108 repetitions, and an additional four times for the Four-Letter Divine Name of Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey. 18 is a powerful number, signifying life. In this practice, we become the barley offering, waving ourselves in six directions to ensure health and prosperity, while at the same time, sealing into our awareness the two qualities for the day, making a tikkun or repair in our own souls. The recording was made on the 35th day of the Omer as part of a workshop sponsored by Congregation Ner Shalom in Cotati, California; its qualities (or “midot” in Hebrew) are “Malkhut sheh’b’Hod,” the Presence that grows through humble appreciation of the Beauty and Splendor of Creation. 

Kaveh el HaShem

Sheet Music

קַוֵּה אֶל־יְהוָה חֲזַק וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ וְקַוֵּה אֶל־יְהֹוָה
kaveh el HaShem khazak v'ya'ametz lib’kha 
cave el HaShem v'kaveh el HaShem, khazak v'ya'ametz lib’kha 
     ("Immerse yourself in the One, strengthen your mind, take hold, 
and immerse yourself in the One” 
Psalm 27:14, musical setting by Diane Elliot)

Kaveh el HaShem was composed by Diane Elliot, arranged and produced by Achi Ben Shalom.

Vi'hi no'am

וִיהִי נֹעַם, וִיהִי נֹעַם, וִיהִי נֹעַם אֲדֹנָי  (x2)
אֱלֹהֵינוּ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה, וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ
כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ, וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ, כּוֹנְנֵהוּ
vi’hi no’am vi’hi no’am vi’hi no’am adonai (2x)
eloheynu, eloheynu aleynu, u-ma’aseh, u-ma’aseh yadeynu
kon’nah aleynu u-ma’aseh yadeynu, ma’aseh yadeynu kon’nehu
And let the pleasantness, the pleasure of the Holy,
guide all we do, fill all we make
And let G~d’s loveliness guide all we do, fill all we make, be what we are!
ay, yai, yai, lai, la, lai…..
vi’hi no’am vi’hi no’am vi’hi no’am adonai (2x)
(Psalm 90:17, setting and English words by Diane Elliot)