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The
Baal Shem Tov, or Besht — the founder of Chasidism —
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Shirat ha'asavim ~ The Song of the Grasses
"The Song of the Grasses" by Naomi Shemer based on Rebbe Nachman. Here are the lyrics and translation, as well as the sources in Rebbe Nachman: Know that each and every shepherd has his own tune. How beautiful, how beautiful and pleasant to hear their song. And when the the heart is filled by the song and yearns for the Land of Israel Transliterated: Da l'kha shekol ro'eh ve ro'eh yeish lo nigun m'yuchad mishelo. Kamah yafeh, kama yafeh vena'eh k'sheshom'im hashirah shelahem. Ukh'shehaleiv, min hashirah mitmalei umishtokeik el erets yisra'el. The following is the reputed source in Reb Nachman. However, I cannot find this source in Reb Nachman's works: דע כי כל רועה ורועה יש לו ניגון מיוחד
לפי העשבים ולפי המקום שהוא רועה שם
כי כל עשב ועשב יש לו שירה
ומשירת העשבים נעשה ניגון של רועה
הלוואי והייתי זוכה לשמוע את כל השירות והתשבחות של העשבים
איך כל עשב ועשב אומר שירה לה' יתברך
בלי תהייה ובלי שום מחשבות זרות
ואינם מצפים לשום גמול
כמה יפה ונאה ששומעים את השירה שלהם
וטוב מאוד ביניהם לעבוד את ה' ביראה
תיכף כשאדם מתעורר להשתוקק בארץ ישראל
אזי כפי התעוררותו ותשוקתו
נמשכת עליו הארה מקדושת ארץ ישראל (ליקוטי שיחות, רבי נחמן מברסלב) This passage is found in several slightly different versions on the web, mostly in Tu Bish'vat haggadot. But there is no Reb Nachman work I know titled Likutei Sichot. There are two specific passages in Likutei Moharan (2:11 and 2:63) that talk about the song and power of the grasses/plants—but neither one mentions yearning for the land of Israel (see below). Neither does the quote that comes closest to the song and to this passage, from Sichot Haran 163 (which almost certainly is what is being called Likutei Sichot:
אִם הָיִיתָ זוֹכֶה לִשְׁמעַ אֶת קוֹל הַשִּׁירוֹת וְהַתִּשְׁבָּחוֹת שֶׁל הָעֲשָׂבִים, אֵיךְ כָּל עֵשֶׂב וְעֵשֶׂב אוֹמֵר שִׁירָה לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּלִי פְּנִיָּה וּבְלִי שׁוּם מַחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת וְאֵינָם מְצַפִּים לְשׁוּם תַּשְׁלוּם גְּמוּל, כַּמָּה יָפֶה וְנָאֶה כְּשֶׁשּׁוֹמְעִין הַשִּׁירָה שֶׁלָּהֶם וְטוֹב מְאד בֵּינֵיהֶם לַעֲבד אֶת ה בְּיִרְאָה Here are the two passages from LM mentioned above (see also LM 2:1, sec. 11): Know that every shepherd has a unique melody (nigun) according to the grasses and the place where he herds, for every animal has a grass unique to her that she needs to eat. Also a shepherd isn't always in one place, and according to the grasses and the place where he herds, so he has a nigun. For every grass there is a song (shirah) which it speaks, that this is the aspect of Perek Shirah, and from the song of the grasses is made the nigun of the shepherd. And this is the secret of what's written, "And Adah bore Yaval, he was father of all who sit in tents and herd, and the name of his brother [was] Yovel, he was father of all who grab the lyre and the harp." For just when there was in the world [for the first time] a shepherd of cattle, just then there were musical instruments. And so it is with David the king, who "knows music-playing" and therefore was a shepherd...And this is the aspect of "From the edge/wing/kanaf of the earth we heard songs (z'mirot)"--[it means] that songs and nigunim come out from the "wing of the earth", for by means of the grasses growing in the earth/land a nigun is made. And since the shepherd knows the nigun, by means of this he gives strength to the grasses, and so there is something for the animals to eat...and there is pasture for the animals/...And also the nigun is good for the shepherd himself, since the shepherd is always with the animals, [because] it would be possible for them to draw [down] and lower the shepherd...to the aspect of the spirit of animals [if not for the nigun]....And know that the king has every nigun in completeness...for the nigun is made from the growth of the land. ~ LM 2:63 Know that when a person prays in the field, then all of the grasses/plants together come into the prayer, and they help him, and give him strength within his prayer. ~ LM 2:11 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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Design in progress © Rabbi David Mevorach Seidenberg 2006 |