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Yitro: Zemer of The Week

“Vayichan Sham Yisrael Neged HaHar – Ki’ish Echad B’Lev Echad” /וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר

 
וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר
“And Israel encamped there opposite the mountain…” (Shemot 19:2)
 
This song takes a prominent verse from Parshat Yitro – the moment just before Matan Torah – and musically highlights how the people gathered opposite Mount Sinai with unity and readiness. Midrashic interpretation understands “vayichan” in the singular, as if Israel became “k’ish echad b’lev echad” (like one person with one heart) – a posture of collective focus before receiving the Torah’s laws and teachings.
 
“Naaseh V’Nishma” / נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע
 
Simcha Leiner’s version, shot at my alma mater: https://youtu.be/I2LMLWn_7ok
 
וַיֹּאמְרוּ כָּל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע
And they said, “All that God has spoken, we will do and we will listen.”
 
Yitro’s defining trait is not what he knew, but how he listened – openly, humbly, and with a readiness to act. Naaseh v’nishma captures that same posture: commitment that begins with listening rather than mastery. The Torah frames revelation not as passive hearing, but as an active willingness to be shaped by what we hear – exactly the civil-discourse muscle this week’s Word of the Week article highlights.
 
If you want a more-traditional zemer:
 
The zemer for this week: מה ידידות
 
This zemer first appeared in 1545.  Its author, Menachem, modestly hid the acrostic of his name at the beginnings of the second, third, fourth, and sixth stanzas.  The zemer begins and ends with praise for Shabbat and Shabbat observers, and the middle stanzas cover a wide variety of Hilchos Shabbos.
 
Central elements of this parsha include Bnei Yisrael coming to Mt. Sinai and receiving the 10 Commandments.
 
Some of the connections to the parsha:
  • 3rd line of 3rd stanza: “והייתם לי סגולה” (“And you will be to Me a treasured nation”) – In this parsha, Bnei Yisrael are referred to as Hashem’s “סגולה” (Shemot 19:5).
  • 4th line of 1st stanza: “לא תעשו מלאכה” (“Do not do work [on Shabbat]”) – From the fourth commandment (Shemot 20:10).
    • Likewise, 4th line of 3rd stanza: “ששת ימים תעבדו” (“Six days shall you work”) – From Shemot 20:9.
  • 1st line of 3rd stanza: “נחלת יעקב ראש” (“The portion of Yaakov he will inherit”) – Right before the Torah is given, Bnei Yisrael are referred to as “Beit Yaakov” (Shemot 19:3).
    • The Gemara (Shabbat 118a-b) describes how the boundless reward for feasting on Shabbat will mirror Hashem’s boundless promise to Yaakov about the inheritance of his offspring.  In fact, many of the concepts and phrases in this zemer originated in those pages of Masechet Shabbat.  For instance:
      • 1st two lines of 1st stanza: “את שבת המלכה … בואי כלה” (“You, the Shabbat queen … come, O bride”) – The Gemara on Shabbat 119a describes why Shabbat is called a “queen” and a “bride.”
      • 1st line of 5th stanza: “עונג קרא לשבת” (“refer to the Shabbat as a delight”) – The Gemara on Shabbat 118b delves into the meaning of “עונג” and how to fulfill the requirements of Oneg Shabbat.
      • 3rd line of last stanza: “מחבלי משיח יוצלו לרבחה” (“From the birth pangs of Moshiach they will be rescued for relief”) – The Gemara on Shabbat 118a describes the major rewards that await those who treasure the Shabbat, including being rescued from “ חבלי משיח .”