The songs we sing become our prayers, often expressing our longing louder than any words alone
The first song that comes to mind is Abie Rotenberg’s “V’liYerushalayim Ircha” from Dveykus 3 — the melody is full of emotion and yearning for the rebuilding of Yerushalayim. As a child, I remember my father would make a kumzitz for his talmidim and friends every Motzaei Shabbos Nachamu in our home. They would sing this song with the lights out, and in that darkness, you could really feel the song’s power in the air.
Recently, my favorite has been “Ani Maamin” by Tai.
While the Three Weeks is a time when we mourn and reflect on the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, I like to be forward-focused, working on what we can do to help it get rebuilt. Until that happens, like Tai says, “I will keep holding tight…”
The song that first awakened a feeling of longing for Yerushalayim within me is Mordechai Ben David’s vintage “Racheim Bechasdecha.” I remember listening to it in our dining room in Argentina, when I was a kid of around nine years old.
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