A Sweet Angel Song
A beautiful song is in this week’s parsha of Vayechi. The scene is Yaacov on his deathbed, blessing his grandsons Ephraim and Menashe. Part of the blessing has become a pretty song that parents often sing to children at bedtime.
Translation in English:
“May the angel who redeemed me from all harm bless the youths, and may they be called by my name and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the land.”
Transliteration:
Hamalach hagoel oti,
Hamalach hagoel oti mikol ra
yivarech et hana’arim v’yikaray bahem sh’mi.
V’shem avotai, V’shem avotai Avraham v’Yitzchak,
v’yidgu larov, v’yidgu larov b’kerev ha’aretz.
Click on the little girl to see the same little girl with Play and Pause buttons. Click on Play to hear my daughter (and me) singing the song. Or click here for song. (I couldn’t get the Flash to embed directly in this post; one still needs a plugin for this.)
Rashi states that “the youths” refer to Ephraim and Menashe. But I like to think of the youths as any kids that are in the room at the time the song is being sung.
Hope you will find this relaxing and a calming way to get through the rest of the week!
Ilana-Davita says
I didn't know there was a "tune" for this part of the bedtime shema.
I agree with you: the words apply to all youths; Judaism is not only memory.
Mrs. S. says
Hi, Leora.
I like this post - especially when one realizes that most of the IDF soldiers are really still "youths" themselves. After all, someone who is eighteen or nineteen isn't very old.
May each and every one of them indeed be blessed...
Leora says
Mrs. S., that's nice, to have the youthful IDF soldiers in mind. Amen.
Ilana-Davita, I wish my daughter would be willing to sing into a mike now! She won't perform anymore.
ramblingwoods says
She sounds so sweet...this is a tense time, that was a nice break..
Leora says
ramblingwoods, feel good, whatever is going on for you. I'm glad you listened.
The Jewish Side says
I hadn't looked at this post before, and I thought the benching of menashe and efraim reminded me of Hamalach Hagoel, but I wasn't sure.
and that's really cool how we picked the same topic to write about, I think that's the first time it happened.
Your daughter sounds so adorable! and that's great how you helped her along.
Please leave a comment! I love to hear from you.