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- "[People] live on best after calamity, not by utterly repressing their grief and shock, but by facing it, by measuring its dimensions, by finding some form of words to order and articulate their experience." (Introduction, p. xvi)
- "[Jeremy] Eichler, the chief classical-music critic of the Boston Globe, is not shy about his mission, which is to demonstrate that what Thomas Mann called music's 'spoken unspokenness' gives it a unique power to memorialize in a way that engages our emotions. Eichler makes his case by scrutinizing four key mid-century works that attempted to address the catastrophe of the Second War: Richard Strauss's 'Metamorphosen' [1945], Arnold Schoenberg's 'A Survivor from Warsaw' [1947], Dmitri Shostakovich's Thirteenth Symphony [1962], and Benjamin Britten's 'War Requiem' [1961]. Each, he claims, functions 'as a carrier of memory for a post-Holocaust world.'" (p. 60)
- "'A Survivor from Warsaw' is a scream of terror. ... At the close of the piece, the Jews rise up in defiance, singing in unison the Hebrew prayer Shema Yisrael. ... It is a work, Eichler says, that 'actively denies comfort or any facile sense of closure.'" (p. 62)
- עוד אכתוב עלינו שיר, והמילים יביעו נחמה. "I will still write a song about us, and the words will express consolation."
Noah Efron, The Promised Podcast, "The 'Song of War' Edition," November 23, 2023
- "...this war, the war we're having now, has already produced more music, more songs, than all the wars that came before put together. And the music, the songs, it has produced, they are different from the music that came before."
- "...[there are] easily over a hundred. And they do not have a single voice. They do not seek to create a unity." (This is in contrast to many songs written in response to Israel's previous wars.)
- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2m3VAf0BSzqlmfkK0jTpmS
- Lamentations and the events to which it gives expression
- Lamentations as a collection of songs
- name - איכה, קינות
- structure - א״ב
- chapters - 5
- music(s) of Lamentations
- an annual musical event
- Examples of responses to calamity in Eichah
General Themes: 1 - Despair; 2 - Anger; 3 - Hope; 4 - Witness; 5 - Prayer
(יב) ל֣וֹא אֲלֵיכֶם֮ כׇּל־עֹ֣בְרֵי דֶ֒רֶךְ֒ הַבִּ֣יטוּ וּרְא֔וּ אִם־יֵ֤שׁ מַכְאוֹב֙ כְּמַכְאֹבִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר עוֹלַ֖ל לִ֑י אֲשֶׁר֙ הוֹגָ֣ה ה' בְּי֖וֹם חֲר֥וֹן אַפּֽוֹ׃ {ס}
(12) May it never befall you,
All who pass along the road—
Look about and see:
Is there any agony like mine ["I" here = Jerusalem],
Which was dealt out to me
When the LORD afflicted me
On His day of wrath?
Compare ch. 2
(יח) צַדִּ֥יק ה֛וּא ה' כִּ֣י פִ֣יהוּ מָרִ֑יתִי שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֣א כׇל־[הָֽעַמִּ֗ים] (עמים) וּרְאוּ֙ מַכְאֹבִ֔י בְּתוּלֹתַ֥י וּבַחוּרַ֖י הָלְכ֥וּ בַשֶּֽׁבִי׃ {ס}
(18) The LORD is in the right,
For I have disobeyed Him.
Hear, all you peoples,
And behold my agony:
My maidens and my youths
Have gone into captivity!
Disobeyed: cf. 2:14
Captivity: compare 3:7
(יד) נְבִיאַ֗יִךְ חָ֤זוּ לָךְ֙ שָׁ֣וְא וְתָפֵ֔ל וְלֹֽא־גִלּ֥וּ עַל־עֲוֺנֵ֖ךְ לְהָשִׁ֣יב (שביתך) [שְׁבוּתֵ֑ךְ] וַיֶּ֣חֱזוּ לָ֔ךְ מַשְׂא֥וֹת שָׁ֖וְא וּמַדּוּחִֽים׃ {ס}
(14) Your seers prophesied to you
Delusion and folly.
They did not expose your iniquity
So as to restore your fortunes,
But prophesied to you oracles
Of delusion and deception.
Cf. re prophets 4:13
(יג) כִּ֤י מִקְּטַנָּם֙ וְעַד־גְּדוֹלָ֔ם כֻּלּ֖וֹ בּוֹצֵ֣עַ בָּ֑צַע וּמִנָּבִיא֙ וְעַד־כֹּהֵ֔ן כֻּלּ֖וֹ עֹ֥שֶׂה שָּֽׁקֶר׃ (יד) וַֽיְרַפְּא֞וּ אֶת־שֶׁ֤בֶר עַמִּי֙ עַל־נְקַלָּ֔ה לֵאמֹ֖ר שָׁל֣וֹם ׀ שָׁל֑וֹם וְאֵ֖ין שָׁלֽוֹם׃
(13) For from the smallest to the greatest,
They are all greedy for gain;
Priest and prophet alike,
They all act falsely. (14) They offer healing offhand
For the wounds of My people,
Saying, “All is well, all is well,”
When nothing is well.
(21) Prostrate in the streets lie
Both young and old.
My maidens and youths
Are fallen by the sword;
You slew them on Your day of wrath,
You slaughtered without pity.
(ה) הָיָ֨ה אדושם ׀ כְּאוֹיֵב֙ בִּלַּ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּלַּע֙ כׇּל־אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ שִׁחֵ֖ת מִבְצָרָ֑יו וַיֶּ֙רֶב֙ בְּבַת־יְהוּדָ֔ה תַּאֲנִיָּ֖ה וַאֲנִיָּֽה׃ {ס}
(5) The Lord has acted like a foe,
He has laid waste Israel,
Laid waste all her citadels,
Destroyed her strongholds.
He has increased within Fair Judah
Mourning and moaning.
(כב) חַֽסְדֵ֤י ה' כִּ֣י לֹא־תָ֔מְנוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כָל֖וּ רַחֲמָֽיו׃ {ס}
(22) The kindness of the LORD has not ended,
His mercies are not spent.
(לח) מִפִּ֤י עֶלְיוֹן֙ לֹ֣א תֵצֵ֔א הָרָע֖וֹת וְהַטּֽוֹב׃ {ס}
(38) Is it not at the word of the Most High,
That weal and woe befall?
(יב) לֹ֤א הֶאֱמִ֙ינוּ֙ מַלְכֵי־אֶ֔רֶץ (וכל) [כֹּ֖ל] יֹשְׁבֵ֣י תֵבֵ֑ל כִּ֤י יָבֹא֙ צַ֣ר וְאוֹיֵ֔ב בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֖י יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ {ס}
(12) The kings of the earth did not believe,
Nor any of the inhabitants of the world,
That foe or adversary could enter
The gates of Jerusalem.
(סט) וַיִּ֣בֶן כְּמוֹ־רָ֭מִים מִקְדָּשׁ֑וֹ כְּ֝אֶ֗רֶץ יְסָדָ֥הּ לְעוֹלָֽם׃
(69) He built His Sanctuary like the heavens,
like the earth that He established forever.
(ד) אַל־תִּבְטְח֣וּ לָכֶ֔ם אֶל־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַשֶּׁ֖קֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵיכַ֤ל ה' הֵיכַ֣ל ה' הֵיכַ֥ל ה' הֵֽמָּה׃
(4) Don’t put your trust in illusions and say, “The Temple of GOD, the Temple of GOD, the Temple of GOD are these [buildings].”
(20) When you gaze upon Zion, our city of assembly,
Your eyes shall behold Jerusalem
As a secure homestead,
A tent not to be transported,
Whose pegs shall never be pulled up,
And none of whose ropes shall break.
(3) Now the Presence of the God of Israel had moved from the cherub on which it had rested to the platformathe platform The raised platform on which the temple stood; cf. 47.1. of the House. The figure clothed in linen with the writing case at his waist was summoned;
(21) Rejoice and exult, Fair Edom,
Who dwell in the land of Uz!
To you, too, the cup shall pass,
You shall get drunk and expose your nakedness. (22) Your iniquity, Fair Zion, is expiated;
He will exile you no longer.
Your iniquity, Fair Edom, He will note;
He will uncover your sins.
See also 3:66. Babylon is not named in Lamentations.
(יא) נָשִׁים֙ בְּצִיּ֣וֹן עִנּ֔וּ בְּתֻלֹ֖ת בְּעָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃
(11) They have ravished women in Zion,
Maidens in the towns of Judah.
(21) Take us back, O LORD, to Yourself,
And let us come back;
Renew our days as of old! (22) For truly, You have rejected us,
Bitterly raged against us.
Take us back, O LORD, to Yourself,
And let us come back;
Renew our days as of old!
Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem (Rembrandt, 1606-1669) 1630 - 4gE-j88Uz3znNw — Google Arts & Culture, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13410464
(לה) חֶ֥רֶב עַל־כַּשְׂדִּ֖ים נְאֻם־ה' וְאֶל־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י בָבֶ֔ל וְאֶל־שָׂרֶ֖יהָ וְאֶל־חֲכָמֶֽיהָ׃
(35) A sword against the Chaldeans
—declares GOD —
And against the inhabitants of Babylon,
Against its officials and its sages!
(כ) מַפֵּץ־אַתָּ֣ה לִ֔י כְּלֵ֖י מִלְחָמָ֑ה וְנִפַּצְתִּ֤י בְךָ֙ גּוֹיִ֔ם וְהִשְׁחַתִּ֥י בְךָ֖ מַמְלָכֽוֹת׃
(20) You are My war club, [My] weapons of battle;
With you I clubbed nations,
With you I destroyed kingdoms;
(כד) וְשִׁלַּמְתִּ֨י לְבָבֶ֜ל וּלְכֹ֣ל ׀ יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י כַשְׂדִּ֗ים אֵ֧ת כׇּל־רָעָתָ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֥וּ בְצִיּ֖וֹן לְעֵינֵיכֶ֑ם נְאֻ֖ם ה'׃ {ס}
(24) But I will requite Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea
For all the wicked things they did to Zion before your eyes
—declares GOD.
Perhaps not very long at all...
"Public mourning over the destroyed city [of Jerusalem] was carried on from earliest times." Delbert R. Hillers, p. xl.
(5) some men came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria—eighty of them, their beards shaved, their garments torn, and their bodies gashed—carrying grain offerings and frankincense to present at the House of GOD.
Selections from three songs
Featured on Noah Efron's "Promised Podcast," 11/2/2023 https://tlv1.fm/promised-podcast/2023/11/02/the-things-change-edition/ at ~1h05m54s
Posted on YouTube October 16, 2023
3.1 million views at YouTube as of Jan 15 '24
הנביאים חזו לך אחרת
מישהו נרדם במשמרת
איפה החלום
אין אמת ואין שלום
אין גם צדק
רק סדק
The prophets envisioned something different for you [=Moledet, homeland, the Land of Israel].
Someone fell asleep while on guard duty.
Where is the dream?
There is no truth and no peace
And no justice/tzedek.
Only a fissure/sedek …
את היחידה המיוחדת
לעולם תהיי לי מולדת
גם על סף תהום
גם בתוך הגיהנום
את גן עדן
גן עדן
You are the only one, the special one
You will always be my homeland
Even on the edge of the abyss
Even in hell
You are paradise.
Paradise.
(Translation adapted from https://www.lookstein.org/resources/israel-at-war-october-2023/lesson-plans/moledet-by-hanan-ben-ari/)
(4) See, the guardian of Israel
neither slumbers nor sleeps!
(יח) רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד, עַל הַדִּין וְעַל הָאֱמֶת וְעַל הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (זכריה ח) אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפַּט שָׁלוֹם שִׁפְטוּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶם:
(18) Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel used to say: on three things does the world stand: On justice, on truth and on peace, as it is said: “execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates” (Zechariah 8:16).
(כג) רָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהִנֵּה־תֹ֖הוּ וָבֹ֑הוּ וְאֶל־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ין אוֹרָֽם׃
(23) I look at the earth,
It is unformed and void/תהו ובהו;
At the skies,
And their light is gone.
Posted on YouTube November 14, 2023
14 million views as of Jan 15, 2024
חבורת עכברים פאקרים יוצאים מהמחילה (לה)
עושים אבו עלי יטמבלים וואלה מילה לא תהיה מחילה (לה)
על מי ת'ה חושב שת'ה בא לפה צועק פלסטין בחינם??! (לה)
טפיייי, יבני עמלק! (לה)
הווווופ. חבלה (לה) ...
A bunch of fucker rats getting out of the tunnel
Acting like thugs you idiots I swear there will be no forgiveness
Who do you think you're coming here to yell "Palestine for free" at?!
Ptui, you sons of Amalek!
Hop, Bomb Squad! ...
גולני (חת, שתיים שוט!)
נחלאווים (חת, שתיים שוט!)
שריון (חת, שתיים שוט!)
איפה גבעתי (חת, שתיים שוט!)
כל הלוחמות באוויר (הקשב!)
הנדסה, איסוף וכפיר (הקשב!)
כל היחידות בצהל באים לחרבו דרבו על הראש שלהם, וואי וואי
Golani (one, two, shoot)
Nahlawis (one, two, shoot)
Armored Corps (one, two, shoot)
Where's Giv'ati? (one, two, shoot)
All units are on their feet (attention!)
Engineering, Collection and Kfir (attention!)
All IDF units are coming to do Harbu Darbu on their head
Translations: https://lyricstranslate.com/en/harbudarbu-harbu-darbu.html
The song's name is a distortion of the Syrian Arabic حرب وضرب, meaning "swords and strikes". In Hebrew, the phrase evolved through criminal slang[3][4] and means "to destroy an enemy"[5] or "raining hell on one's opponent".[4] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbu_Darbu
Posted on YouTube October 22, 2023
3.9 million views as of Jan. 15, 2024
בס״ד
אני זוכרת שפחדתי לעזוב את הדירה
שמישהו למעלה נרדם בשמירה
ולך תספר לעולם מה קרה כאן
ומי יאמין לצרת ההסברה
כמו יתומים
אני זוכרת שאחי שאל אותי איפה א-לוהים
ואני שאלתי מי בכלל דואג לחיילים
זוכרת שתרמנו להם אוכל ובגדים
...לא היה שמאל ולא היה ימין
I remember being afraid to leave the apartment
Someone above fell asleep on guard
And you, tell the world what happened here
And who will believe the difficulty of the explanation
like orphans
I remember that my brother asked me “where is God?”
And I asked is anyone taking care of the the soldiers
I remember we donated food and clothes to them
There was no left or right...
בא לי לדבר עם אבא
על כל מה שעבר היום
שוב אני מרגיש לבד
אבא תעשה מקום
מישהו מקשיב למעלה
מישהו בכל מקום
יישאר איתי לעד
ויגשים לי ת'חלום
I need to speak with daddy/Daddy
About everything that happened today
Again I feel alone
Daddy, make space
If anyone above is listening
Anyone, anywhere
stay with me forever
And make the dream come true.
ריבונו של עולם אם נדבר גלויות
לפעמים אין לי כוח לחיות פה
בוא תגיד לי מה הגעתי לעשות פה
כי זה פאקין חלום בלהות יו
?לא הבנתי מה? ניסת ללמד אותי שיעור
?רצית לספר לי מה מותר ומה אסור
...מה כאב לך על כל מה שקרה ביום כיפור
Lord of the world, if we're going to speak frankly
Sometimes I don’t have the strength to live here
Come and tell me what I'm supposed to do here
Because this fucking dream is a nightmare
What don’t I understand? Were you trying to teach me a lesson?
You wanted to tell me what is permitted and what is forbidden?
What upset You of all that happened on Yom Kippur?
אומרים שאתה א-ל רחום וחנון ארך אפיים ורב חסד
אז בוא תעזור לי לקום מתוך ייאוש שנאה וגם עצב
מדברים על גאולה שתבוא אני בינתיים רואה רק חורבן
...אז בוא תדבר איתי אבא לפני שתיקח גם אותי מכאן
They say you are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and abundant with kindness
So come and help me get up from the despair, hate, and sadness.
They talk about Redemption that's supposed to come. Meanwhile, I only see destruction
So come speak with me Daddy, before you take me away too...
Translations adapted from https://lyricstranslate.com/en/winter-23-winter-23.html-0.