Explore the music and lyrics of "Light My Soul" from Rabbi Ariel Root Wolpe's album Ruach Neshama, which you can stream and download on Bandcamp from Rising Song Records. The song is accompanied by lyrics, chords and related teachings for Hanukkah. Light, listen and learn!
LYRICS
Sing sweetly, soul angel
Nurse wings from my shoulders
Fierce and full of fire
will they keep me from growing older?
Through the glass, steps emerge
tempting winds dance across my eyes
A fluttering of the flock
a shuttering of the skies
Oh God is afraid to call on me
Until I open the window
And rightly so, for nothing can be done
without the heat of my soul
Scatter shards through my bedroom
To help me feel the seasons change.
It’s a tragedy
When you can’t shut out the cold
There’s a majesty
In lighting your soul.
Light my soul
CHORDS
IntroAm F G - (2x)
VerseAm / C/B Csus2 / C / C /G / Em / Am / Am /Am / C/B Csus2 / C / C /G / Em / Am / AmAm / C / Daddsus / Daddsus / Am / C / Daddsus / Daddsus /
Chorus
Am / F / G / G / (2x)
Am / Am /
Chorus/Outro
Am / F / G / G / (6x)
Download chords and sheet music for more of the songs from Ruach Neshama directly from R. Ariel Root Wolpe.
נֵ֣ר ה׳ נִשְׁמַ֣ת אָדָ֑ם חֹ֝פֵ֗שׂ כׇּל־חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃
The lifebreath/soul of a person is the lamp of the LORD revealing all innermost parts.
ומכש"כ בימים הללו שנעשה נסים שיהי' להדליק הנרות עפ"י נס אף שגם בחי' הנרות הי' חסר לבנ"י אז. ממילא ההארה גם עתה למצוא סיוע ע"י מצות נר חנוכה למצוא ע"י הנרות בחי' הנגנז.
Especially at this season, when lights were miraculously lit for Israel even though they did not have enough oil, there remains light even now to help us, with the aid of these Hanukkah candles, to find that hidden light within. [Translation by R. Art Green]
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: נֵר חֲנוּכָּה מִצְוָה לְהַנִּיחָהּ עַל פֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ מִבַּחוּץ. אִם הָיָה דָּר בַּעֲלִיָּיה — מַנִּיחָהּ בַּחַלּוֹן הַסְּמוּכָה לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים.
The Sages taught in a baraita: It is a mitzva to place the Hanukkah lamp at the entrance to one’s house on the outside, so that all can see it. If he lived upstairs, he places it at the window adjacent to the public domain.
וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ: (בראשית ו׳:ט״ז) צֹהַר תַּעֲשֶׂה לַתֵּבָה, פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י: יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים חַלּוֹן, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים אֶבֶן טוֹב. וְהַחִלּוּק שֶׁבֵּין חַלּוֹן לְאֶבֶן טוֹב – כִּי הַחַלּוֹן אֵין לוֹ אוֹר בְּעַצְמוֹ, אֶלָּא דֶּרֶךְ שָׁם נִכְנָס הָאוֹר, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁאֵין אוֹר, אֵין מֵאִיר; אֲבָל אֶבֶן טוֹב, אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁאֵין אוֹר מִבַּחוּץ, הוּא מֵאִיר בְּעַצְמוֹ. כֵּן יֵשׁ בְּנֵי־אָדָם, שֶׁדִּבּוּרָם הוּא חַלּוֹן, וְאֵין כֹּחַ לְהָאִיר לָהֶם בְּעַצְמָם. וְזֶה: יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, וַאֲמִירָתָם נַעֲשֶׂה חַלּוֹן; וְיֵשׁ, שֶׁאֲמִירָתָם נַעֲשֶׂה אֶבֶן טוֹב וּמֵאִיר:
This is the explanation of, “Make a light for the ark.” Rashi explains: “some say a window, and some say a precious jewel.” The difference between a window and a precious jewel is that a window has no light of its own. It is simply [a medium] for the light to enter through. But when there is no light, the window does not give light. With a precious jewel, however, even when there is no outside light the jewel shines of itself. So, too, there are people whose words are [like] a window, incapable of giving them light on their own. This is [what Rashi means by] “some say.” Their “saying” becomes a window. And there are some whose “saying” becomes a precious jewel and [their words] radiate.
What's the connection between the biblical Ark and Hanukkah? According to the Hasidic master Rabbi Eliezer of Dziko, in his book Imrei Noam, Noah made olive oil from the branch brought by the dove indicating that dry land was near. This oil was handed down until Jacob hid the oil at the site of the future Temple in Jerusalem, where it was ultimately, miraculously found and used to re-dedicate the Beit Hamikdash. [Seen in a teaching from Rabbi Yonatan Neril, who quoted this oral tradition as written down by R. David Hertzberg.]
Listen to more music from R. Ariel Root Wolpe...