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Vayigash: Zemer of The Week

עוֹד אֲבִינוּ חַי — Od Avinu Chai

Carlebach edition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcU6qAmAqpI&t=56s

עוֹד אָבִינוּ חַי – עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי
Our father lives – the people of Israel live.

In Vayigash, Yosef reveals himself to his brothers and reassures them that their father Yaakov is alive and well. This message echoes powerfully in Carlebach’s refrain Od avinu chai (based on Yosef’s words in Genesis 45:3) and affirms continuity, survival, and joy.

This song celebrates Jewish identity and resilience – important themes at Ramaz, where students are encouraged to stand proudly as Jews in challenging times.

הִנֵּה מַה טוֹב — Hinei Mah Tov

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehnKHhJ26pQ

הִנֵּה מַה טוֹב וּמַה נָּעִים
שֶׁבֶת אַחִים גַּם יַחַד׃
Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.

Vayigash is the moment of brotherly reconciliation — long estranged siblings reunited in trust and love. This line from Tehillim perfectly encapsulates the unity of Yosef and his brothers after years of separation.

Ramaz values achdus (unity) in community and in personal relationships – a lesson that beautifully echoes the reconciliation in this parsha.

If you want a more-traditional Zemer…

The zemer  for this week: יום שבתון– Yom Shabbaton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKlDI1IjxjU

This zemer was written by the author of the Kuzari, R’ Yehuda Halevi (1075-1140 C.E.). His name is formed by the acrostic across the zemer’s five stanzas. 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 Bnai Yisrael for the Shabbos, the way in which Shabbos helps us rest from the challenges of the week, and how the honor given to Shabbos by Hashem on Har Sinai still echoes down to our generations.

Central elements of this parsha include the confrontation between Yehuda and Yosef, the descent of Yaakov and his family to Mitzrayim, and their settling in Goshen.

Some of the connections to the parsha:

  • First letters of each stanza: They spell the name יהודה (Yehuda) – In what the Midrash calls a confrontation between the two most central Israelite monarchies, Yehuda was the pivotal figure in getting Yosef to reveal himself (Bereishit 44:18 onwards).
  • First 2 lines of 2nd stanza: “לבני אמונים … אבות ובנים” (“to the children of those who are faithful … parents and children”) – The parsha details the 70 Israelites from multiple generations (descended from the “אמונים,” Avraham and Yitzchak) who were living in Mitzrayim by the end of this parsha (Bereishit 46:8-25).
  • 1st line of 5th stanza: “העם אשר נא כצאן” (“the people that wanders like sheep”) – The central reason why Yosef was able to have the Israelites settle in Goshen was because of their occupation as shepherds and their vast amounts of sheep (Bereishit 46:32).