Songs for Times of Distress
Our hearts are broken in this terrifying moment, as we stand in support of our friends, family, and everyone in Israel. Join us as we sing and pray for the return of hostages and for peace and safety. Songs included here:
  • “Mima’amakim” (Psalm 130)
  • “Esa Einai” (Psalm 121)
  • “Min Hameitzar” (Psalm 118)
  • “Eilekha” (Psalm 30)
  • “Gesher” (Likutei Moharan)
  • “Karov L’Shavateinu” (Fast day liturgy)

“Mima’amakim”

מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ ה׳
אדוני שִׁמְעָה בְקוֹלִי
From the depths I cry out to you
Hashem, listen to my voice
𝑀𝑖’𝑚𝑎’𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑚 𝑘𝑒’𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑘ℎ𝑎 𝐻𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑚
𝐴𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑖 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑎ℎ 𝑣’𝑘𝑜𝑙𝑖

“Esa Einai”

אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִים
מֵאַיִן יָבֹא עֶזְרִי
עֶזְרִי מֵעִם יהוה
עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ
I turn my eyes to the mountains
from where will my help come?
My help comes from Hashem
maker of heaven and earth
𝐸𝑠𝑎 𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑖 𝑒𝑙-ℎ𝑒’ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑚
𝑚’𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑎𝑣𝑜 𝑒𝑧𝑟𝑖
𝑒𝑧𝑟𝑖 𝑚’𝑖𝑚 𝐻𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑚
𝑜𝑠𝑒ℎ 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑚 𝑣𝑎’𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑧

“Min Hameitzar”

מִן־הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָּהּ
עָנָנִי בַמֶּרְחָב יָהּ
מִן־הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָּהּ
עָנָנִי בַמֶּרְחָב יָהּ
יי לִי לֹא אִירָא
מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂה לִי אָדָם
יי לִי לֹא אִירָא
מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂה לִי אָדָם
From the narrow I called on the LORD
the Lord answered me and brought me relief
From the narrow I called on the LORD
the Lord answered me and brought me relief
The LORD is on my side, I have no fear
what can man do to me?
The LORD is on my side, I have no fear
what can man do to me?
Bm D A
𝑀𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑖𝑡𝑧𝑎𝑟 𝑘𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖 𝑌𝑎ℎ
Em Bm D A
𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑖 𝑣𝑎’𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑣 𝑦𝑎ℎ
Bm D A
𝑀𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑖𝑡𝑧𝑎𝑟 𝑘𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖 𝑌𝑎ℎ
Em Bm F#m Bm
𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑖 𝑣𝑎’𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑣 𝑦𝑎ℎ
Em G D
𝐴𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑖 𝑙𝑖, 𝑙𝑜 𝑖𝑟𝑎ℎ
Em G D
𝑚𝑎ℎ 𝑦𝑎’𝑎𝑠𝑒ℎ 𝑙𝑖 𝑎𝑑𝑎𝑚
Em G D
𝐴𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑖 𝑙𝑖, 𝑙𝑜 𝑖𝑟𝑎ℎ
Am D Em
𝑚𝑎ℎ 𝑦𝑎’𝑎𝑠𝑒ℎ 𝑙𝑖 𝑎𝑑𝑎𝑚

“Eilekha”

בָּעֶרֶב יָלִין בֶּכִי
וְלַבֹּקֶר רִנָּה׃
אֵלֶיךָ ה׳ אֶקְרָא
אָמַרְתִּי בְשַׁלְוִי בַּל־אֶמּוֹט לְעוֹלָם׃
הִסְתַּרְתָּ פָנֶיךָ הָיִיתִי נִבְהָל׃
אֵלֶיךָ ה׳ אֶקְרָא
הָפַכְתָּ מִסְפְּדִי לְמָחוֹל לִי
פִּתַּחְתָּ שַׂקִּי וַתְּאַזְּרֵנִי שִׂמְחָה׃
לְמַעַן יְזַמֶּרְךָ כָבוֹד וְלֹא יִדֹּם
ה׳ אֱלֹקַי לְעוֹלָם אוֹדֶךָּ׃
אֵלֶיךָ ה׳ אֶקְרָא
Nightfall, lie down weeping
but by morning — joy
To You, Hashem, I call!
When things were stable, I said, “I shall never be shaken”
But when You hid Your face, I was terrified
To You, Hashem, I call!
You turned my lament into dancing
you undid my sackcloth and clothed me with happiness
that I might sing to You and not be silent.
Hashem my God, I will praise You forever
To You, Hashem, I call!
𝐵𝑎’𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑣 𝑦𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑘ℎ𝑖 𝑣’𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑎ℎ
𝐵𝑎’𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑣 𝑦𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑘ℎ𝑖 𝑣’𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑎ℎ
𝐸𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑘ℎ𝑎 ℎ𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑒𝑘𝑟𝑎 𝐸𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑘ℎ𝑎 ℎ𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑒𝑘𝑟𝑎
𝐸𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑘ℎ𝑎 ℎ𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑒𝑘𝑟𝑎 𝐸𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑘ℎ𝑎 ℎ𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑒𝑘𝑟𝑎
Ah…..
𝐴𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖 𝑣’𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑣𝑖 𝑏𝑎’𝑎𝑙-𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑡 𝑙’𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑚
𝐻𝑖𝑠’𝑡𝑎𝑟’𝑡𝑎 𝑓𝑎’𝑛𝑒𝑘ℎ𝑎 ℎ𝑎’𝑦𝑖𝑡𝑖 𝑛𝑖𝑣’ℎ𝑎𝑙
𝐸𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑘ℎ𝑎 ℎ𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑒𝑘𝑟𝑎
𝐻𝑎’𝑓𝑎𝑘ℎ’𝑡𝑎 𝑚𝑖𝑠’𝑝𝑒𝑑𝑖 𝑙’𝑚𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑙 𝑙𝑖
𝑃𝑖’𝑡𝑎𝑐ℎ’𝑡𝑎 𝑠𝑎𝑘𝑖 𝑣𝑎’𝑡𝑒-𝑒𝑧𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑖 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑐ℎ𝑎
𝐿’𝑚𝑎’𝑎𝑛 𝑦𝑒’𝑧𝑎’𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑘ℎ𝑎 𝑘’𝑣𝑜𝑑 𝑣’𝑙𝑜 𝑦𝑖𝑑𝑜𝑚
𝐴𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑖 𝑒𝑙𝑜ℎ𝑎𝑖 𝑙’𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑚 𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑘ℎ𝑎
𝐸𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑘ℎ𝑎 ℎ𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑒𝑘𝑟𝑎

“Gesher”

Lyrics adapted from R. Nachman of Breslov...
כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ
גֶּשֶׁר צַר מְאוֹד…
וְהָעִקָּר, וְהָעִקָּר
לֹא לְפַחֵד כְּלָל
לֹא לְפַחֵד…
As I walk along this very narrow bridge
I will not be afraid
Knowing You with me
As I walk along this very narrow bridge
I will not fear
Knowing You are near
𝐾𝑜𝑙 ℎ𝑎'𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑚 𝑘𝑢𝑙𝑜
𝐺𝑒𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑧𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑒'𝑜𝑑
𝐾𝑜𝑙 ℎ𝑎'𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑚 𝑘𝑢𝑙𝑜
𝐺𝑒𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑧𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑒'𝑜𝑑
𝑉𝑒-ℎ𝑎'𝑖𝑘𝑎𝑟, 𝑣𝑒-ℎ𝑎'𝑖𝑘𝑎𝑟
𝐿𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑑 𝑘𝑙𝑎𝑙
𝐿𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑑

“Karov L’Shavateinu”

הֱיֵה נָא קָרוֹב לְשַׁוְעָתֵֽנוּ
יְהִי-נָא חַסְדְּ֒ךָ לְנַחֲמֵֽנוּ
כִּי אַתָּה יהוה הָעוֹנֶה בְּעֵת צָרָה
פּוֹדֶה וּמַצִּיל בְּכָל עֵת צָרָה וְצוּקָה
Please be near to our cry
Let Your loving kindness console us
For You, God, are the One who answers in time of trouble
Who redeems and rescues in all times of trouble and distress
𝐻𝑒’𝑦𝑒𝑖ℎ 𝑛𝑎 𝑘𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑣 𝑙’𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑢
𝑌𝑒ℎ𝑖-𝑛𝑎 ℎ𝑎𝑠’𝑑𝑒𝑘ℎ𝑎 𝑙’𝑛𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑎’𝑚𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑢
𝐾𝑖 𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝐻𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑚 ℎ𝑎-𝑜𝑛𝑒ℎ 𝑏’𝑒𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑧𝑎𝑟𝑎
𝑃𝑜𝑑𝑒ℎ 𝑢’𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑧𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑏’𝑘ℎ𝑜𝑙-𝑒𝑡 𝑡𝑧𝑎𝑟𝑎 𝑏’𝑡𝑧𝑢𝑘𝑎ℎ