Rabbi Shefa Gold

Author: Alia Meira

  • Becoming Holy: K’doshim Ti’h’yu

    K’doshim Ti’h’yu Ki Kadosh Ani
    K'doshim Hebrew text
    You shall be Holy, for I am Holy. (Leviticus 19:2)

    We take upon ourselves the Mitzvah of becoming Holy, for that is who we truly are. To be holy means to practice kindness and compassion towards ourselves, our family, friends and community. Our love is imbued with the knowledge that the “other” is one with the “self.”

    Everything we do as holy community rests on the strength and commitment of these words:
    V’Ahavta L’rayacha Kamocha
    Vahavta Hebrew text
    You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Leviticus 19:18)

    To hear the chant, use the audio player. To download the chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

  • Receiving Our Inheritance: Zichru l’olam/Kol ashayr

    Zichru l’olam b’rito, davar tzivah l’elef dor.
    Receiving Our Inheritance 1 Hebrew text
    Always remember his covenant,
    The promise of a thousand generations. (Chronicles 1, 16:15)

    Kol ashayr bilvavcha asay,
    Ki Ha-Elohim imach.
    Receiving Our Inheritance 2 Hebrew text
    Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you. (Chronicles 1, 17:2)

    You can use the first chant to connect with your legacy and open to receive the inheritance that is bequeathed to you through your ancestors.

    The second chant is a message of permission and encouragement from your ancestor’s soul to you.

    To hear the two chants, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

  • The Majesty of Nurture: L’takayn

    L’takayn Olam b’malchut Shaddai
    The Majesty of Nurture Hebrew text
    Healing the World through the Majesty of Nurture (Alaynu)

    These words are found in the prayer which is called “Alaynu.” It comes near the end of the prayer service and is meant to energize us for our holy work. This translation was given to me by Rabbi Arthur Waskow, whose dedication to the holy work of healing the world is an inspiration for me. The Divine name Shaddai is related to the word for Breast. It is an ancient name of God that invokes the Source of all nurturance.

    As we chant these words, we align ourselves with the Majesty of Nurture by expressing the awesome healing power of compassion for all Life.

    To hear the chant, use the audio player. To download the chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

    For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 249.

    The Magic of Hebrew Chant ©2013 Shefa Gold. All rights reserved.

  • Protecting Our Inner Child: Ki chizak

    Ki chizak b’richay sh’arayich, Bayrach baniyich b’kirbaych
    Protecting Our Inner Child Hebrew text
    When your boundaries are strong, your inner child is blessed. (Psalm 147:13)
    [Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 147 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

    There is a place inside each of us that is young and fragile and innocent. Part of our spiritual practice is to protect and honor that part of ourselves. When we protect her from our own cynicism and from the harshness of the world, she is nurtured from within and blessed with the space to feel safe. When she doesn’t feel that safety, the inner child is apt to “act out” in destructive ways… just to get our attention.

    To hear the chant, use the audio player. To download the chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

    To download the PDF file for this chant, click Protecting Our Inner Child PDF. For the musical notation, click Protecting Our Inner Child notation PDF.

    The musical notation is also on page 289 of The Magic of Hebrew Chant, which is available from the Books page.
    The Magic of Hebrew Chant ©2013 Shefa Gold. All rights reserved.


  • Divine Congratulations: Ki Mala

    Ki Malah tz’va’ah
    Divine Congratulations Hebrew text
    Her time of service is fulfilled. (Isaiah 40:2)

    Sometimes I can feel oppressed by the feeling that I’m never finished. I feel the weight of everything that is left undone, and that weight can keep me from receiving the joy of this present moment which is always complete in itself. This practice allows me to rest in the satisfaction of having completed my whole life up till now. God is congratulating me for my achievements. This is a practice of receiving these divine accolades so that I can rest in fulfillment and be renewed.

    To hear the various parts of the chant, use the audio players. To download a part, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

    For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 306.

    The Magic of Hebrew Chant ©2013 Shefa Gold. All rights reserved.