Raba Tz’raruni mi’n’urai,
gam lo-yachlu li

From the time I was young, I have felt terribly oppressed,
but I have never been defeated. (Psalm 129:2)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 129 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

I heal the trauma of the past by acknowledging that wound with tender compassion, and then opening to the deeper truth that I am and will always be victorious over all the forces that rise against me. No one can take away my inherent holiness and unbreakable connection to the One. No one can extinguish the Divine spark within me.

To hear the chants, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• Undefeated (melody)  
• Undefeated (harmony)  
• Undefeated (mix)  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Undefeated PDF.

Ashrecha v’tov lach

You shall be happy and all will go well for you. (Psalm 128:2)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 128 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

When we walk in the ways of holiness and have reverence for the wholeness of Life, we will be blessed with the possibility of receiving the fruits of our labor and the manifestation of our dreams. Yet all the goodness of Life can only come to us when we choose to enjoy those gifts in humility and gratefulness.

To hear the chants, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• Choosing Happiness (melody)  
• Choosing Happiness (harmony)  
• Choosing Happiness (mix)  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Choosing Happiness PDF.

Im-Yah lo-yivneh vayit,
shav amlu vonav bo

Unless God builds this house,
we just labor in vain. (Psalm 127:1)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 127 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

We are the builders, the doers, the ones that are trying to make things happen. We think that with enough egoic effort and determined will, we can build this world to our exact specifications. And sooner or later we run into trouble; the world we are trying to build is not working the way we want it. Perhaps we didn’t or couldn’t see the whole picture or foresee the consequences of our actions; perhaps we encounter difficulties, resistances or misadventures along the way. It is then that we must surrender to the Divine force within us, and become the vehicle for that Great Power. We realize that God is building the house (this world) through us.

To hear the chants, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• Who Builds? (melody)  
• Who Builds? (harmony)  
• Who Builds? (mix)  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Who Builds? PDF.

Yerushalayim harim saviv lah,
VaHaVaYaH saviv l’amo,
may’atah v’ad-olam

The hills of Jerusalem enfold her, just as God enfolds us, now and forever. (Psalm 125:2)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 125 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

When we feel safe, surrounded by a sense of God’s protective loving presence, we can relax, put down our defenses, and thrive. That protective loving presence can feel as sturdy and majestic as mountains that shield us from the dangers of the world. We open to that blessing and trust in its endurance.

To hear the chants, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• Enfolded (melody)  
• Enfolded (harmony)  
• Enfolded (mix)  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Enfolded PDF.

Lulay Yah shehayah lanu

Were it not for God, who was with us… (Psalm 124:1, Psalm 124:2)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 124 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

Looking back at the twists and turns of our lives, we can see the subtle and not-so-subtle influence of Divine inspiration, and guidance that has led us to this miraculous moment. My father-in-law would often say, “It could be worse,” setting him on a path to gratefulness. It is a perspective that takes nothing for granted, and opens us up to the blessing of now.

To hear the chants, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• Lulay (melody)  
• Lulay (harmony)  
• Lulay (mix)  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Lulay PDF.