Mishpatim: Zemer of The Week
פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ / Pote’ach Et Yadecha
Ishay Ribo and other artists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrVT3UlMAD8
פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל חַי
You open Your hand and satisfy every living being.
This song reframes human generosity as imitatio Dei (imitating Hashem’s actions). Hashem opens His hand not reluctantly, but naturally. As described in “Word of the Week,” Mishpatim teaches us to mirror that stance – not just what to give, but how to see our resources: entrusted, purposeful, and meant to flow outward.
If you want a more traditional zemer:
The zemer for this week: יום שבתון
Yaakov Shwekey’s new version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoijftIvaJE
This zemer was written by the author of the Kuzari, R’ Yehuda Halevi. (His name is formed by the acrostic across the zemer’s five stanzas.) He lived from 1075-1140 C.E.
Originally from Spain, at the end of his life he finally achieved his lifelong dream of living in Eretz Yisrael. The zemer describes the love of Bnei Yisrael for the Shabbat, the way in which Shabbat helps us rest from the challenges of the week, and how the honor given to Shabbat by Hashem on Har Sinai still echoes down to our generations.
Central elements of this parsha include Bnei Yisrael’s accepting the Torah, learning new mitzvot, and hearing previously given mitzvot reiterated.
Some of the connections to the parsha:
· 2nd line of 3rd stanza:
“נעשה ונשמע אמרו כאחד” (“ ‘We will do and we will listen’ they said as one”) – After Moshe read Sefer Habris to Bnei Yisroel, they declared “נעשה ונשמע” (Shemot 24:7).
“נעשה ונשמע אמרו כאחד” (“ ‘We will do and we will listen’ they said as one”) – After Moshe read Sefer Habris to Bnei Yisroel, they declared “נעשה ונשמע” (Shemot 24:7).
o Moshe’s reading the Sefer Habris also has echoes in the 2nd line of the 5th stanza of this zemer:
“יזכר לפקדו ברית ושבועה” (“May He remember to invoke [for Bnei Yisroel] His convenant and oath”).
“יזכר לפקדו ברית ושבועה” (“May He remember to invoke [for Bnei Yisroel] His convenant and oath”).
· 1st line of 4th stanza:
“דבר בקדשו בהר המור” (“He declared in His holiness at the mountain of teaching”) – In this parsha, Bnei Yisrael are standing at Har Sinai, learning Torah from Hashem through Moshe.
“דבר בקדשו בהר המור” (“He declared in His holiness at the mountain of teaching”) – In this parsha, Bnei Yisrael are standing at Har Sinai, learning Torah from Hashem through Moshe.
At the end of the parsha, Hashem tells Moshe to come up the mountain to receive the luchot, and he stays there for 40 days and nights (Shemot 24:12-24:18).
· 1st line of 1st stanza, 2nd line of 4th stanza:
... יום שבתון אין לשכח”
... יום שבתון אין לשכח”
"יום השביעי זכור ושמר"
(“Do not forget the day of rest … The seventh day you shall remember and safeguard”) – Here, Hashem reiterates the importance of keeping Shabbat (Shemot 23:12).