Yedid Nefesh at the beginning of Kabbalat Shabbat, we are looking to find a way to bring us closer to God, setting the mood for welcoming Shabbat. Asaph Neve Shalom shares our love poem.
Shabbat Shalom
Tag: Yedid Nefesh
Shabbat Shalom
Birgitta Veksler shares her rendition of Yedid Nefesh. A lovely welcome to Shabbat at the end of a tumultuous week.
Shabbat Shalom.
Shabbat Shalom
Nava Tehila performs a soulful rendition of Yedid Nefesh, the beautiful poem we use to welcome Kabbalat Shabbat. Written by Eleazar Azkiri in the 16th century, Yedid Nafesh is considered to be a love song to God based on an acrostic for God’s name, each stanza begins with one of the four letters of the Divine Name. (the youtube link will take you to other Nava Tehila songs after Yedid Nefesh- enjoy them all)
Wishing everyone Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat Shalom
We start Kabbalat Shabbat with the song Yedid Nefesh, a piyut (poem) dating to the 16th Century, attributed to Eleazar Azkiri as a love song to God. “You who loves my soul”. I share the first and Fifth verses of the translation by Reb Zalman Schacter Shlomi z”l (Shared by the Open Siddur Project):
You who love my soul
Compassion’s gentle source,
Take my disposition and shape it to Your will.
Like a darting deer, I will flee to You.
Before Your glorious Presence Humbly, I do bow.
Let Your sweet love
Delight me with its thrill
Because no other dainty
Will my hunger still.
Help, my Lover, spread
Your canopy of peace.
Enfold all human beings
Give all pain surcease.
Your presence on this earth plane
Do make known to us
And we shall respond then
With song and with dance.
Rush, my love, be quick,
The time for love is now,
Let Your gentle favor
Grace us as of old…
Shabbat Shalom