The Modern Hebrew songs of Rabbi Nachman- part 1

Sometimes people feel fierce and tension in their lives. There are always reasons for such tension. As children, we are taught to not be judgmental in the face of fear or anxiety. On the contrary, we should try to engage with all of our emotions in that situation.

One of the ways to confront fear is to speak to God by praying or singing. Today, I would like to share with you one way to handle fear and fight against anxiety with the words of Rabbi Nachman, whose words can be found in a number of Jewish songs.
The first song is a direct quote of Rabbi Nachman’s, who said:

 

“וְדַע, שֶׁהָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לַעֲבר
עַל גֶּשֶׁר צַר מְאד מְאד!
וְהַכְּלָל וְהָעִקָּר שֶׁלּא יִתְפַּחֵד כְּלָל”

“And know that the man needs to pass a very narrow bridge. The most important rule is not to be afraid”

 

These are the original Hebrew words of the Rabbi, which were set to music by Baruch Hayat. These beautiful words are a cornerstone of Jewish folk music and culture. Let’s see the song:

“All the world is a very narrow bridge. And the most important thing is not to be afraid at all.”

 

כל העולם כולו, גשר צר מאוד .והעיקר לא לפחד כלל

 

For many people, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, these words are like a torch in the darkness, especially when the darkness is so very frightening.

In our next article we shall learn another beautiful song using the words of Rabbi Nachman. Meanwhile, let’s enjoy the song above!

About the author

You might also be interested in:

Israel’s Most Famous...

By Anthony Freelander

Interesting Facts About The Star...

By Anthony Freelander

Join the conversation (No comments yet)

Leave a Reply