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Singer: Yisroel Amar
Video: CJ Studios 718.781.6405
Lyrics: Esty Shemtov, Dina Amar
Concept & Ideas Rabbi Chay Amar
Studio engineering Ron BenHaim
Consultant Mendel Amar
Original melody of Vehoo Keili “Rabbi Baruch Levine”
Lyrics:
Glowing with pride
Learning side by side
Torah’s flame burning inside
Together as one
In an eternal bond
Yaakov and yosef his son
My son you must leave
You brothers you will see
And beshalom come back to me
His first journey alone
Away from his home
Leaving, his future is unknown
As the day passes on, he awaits his return
For my son oh my son I cannot mourn
Feeling a loss so strong
He desperately does long
For an answer, for a reason
Oh Father I seem far, my journey just began
To help my brothers from where I am
Hashem’s plan you can’t see
But for you I will be
In a foreign land, awaiting…
Tragically, in our times,
A sweet boy of nine,
Decides to leave his mother’s side.
His first journey alone
Away from his home
Leaving, his future is unknown
As the day passes on, they await his return
For Leiby, oh my son I cannot mourn!
Feeling a loss so strong
Desperately we long
For an answer, for a reason
Yidden I may be far, my soul up on high
To beseech our father in heaven
Hashem’s plan you can’t see,
But with you I will be,
The geula, demanding!
Yosef Hatzadik in Our Times
Rabbi Chay Amar
On July 12 2011, Leiby Kletzky (OBM) was tragically taken from our world. Since that dark day, it has been simply impossible to carry on “business as usual.” Though time passes, our souls are restless as we try to find a reason and comfort for Leiby’s death. As a rabbi, I grapple with the questions of how to approach and console the family that actually lived through this event and what message I must give my community.
As these questions consumed my mind, it struck me that this event parallels what happened to Yosef Hatzadik at age 17, when his father, Yaakov Avinu, sent him on a mission to inquire about his brothers. Yaakov sent Yosef on his journey with a deep feeling that his son had to fulfill G-d’s decree (as Rashi explains on this verse)
Like Leiby, Yosef wandered in the fields and never returned home, and Yaakov was presented with “ketones Yosef,” his son’s fur coat, torn to pieces. To which he answered “tarof toraf Yossef” an evil beast has taken my beloved son.
During Yosef’s entire absence, however, Yaakov, “va yimaen,” refused to accept consolation for his son’s death.He never Gave up on Yossef.
The last topic that Yaakov and his son learned together was that of the “eglah arufah,” the laws that describe how a calf must be slaughtered when a corpse is found on the borders of two cities. It is explained that the rabbis would come down from Jerusalem to measure the distance between the two cities, and would spill the blood of a calf saying, “Our hands haven’t spilled this blood.” For us, the message is clear: just as the rabbis were made to accept responsibility for an unknown death, so too must we all take responsibility for one another.
For two days we, and how much more so Leiby’s parents, lived in horror of not knowing where Leiby was. Yaakov lived this nightmare of uncertainty for 22 years!
For this period far from his beloved Father and any Jewish environment Yosef was able to resist the seductions of Egypt ” the nakedness of the land” and the advances of Potiphar’s wife. A chassidic masters explain that Yosef’s ability to resist,“va yimaen”. came from Yaakov’s resistance to be consoled.
The story of Leiby is a story of our own children roaming the streets of this dark world, prey to the it’s challenges as well as it’s physical and spiritual dangers.
Our duty together, regardless of religious beliefs or level of observance, is to look out for that lost, wandering child and extend a helping hand to him or her.
The circumstances in which Leiby was taken away from us are insane and below any sense of logic whatsoever.
We need to answer this tragedy proportionatly , in terms of our connection with G-d and our fellow brothers, by doing unwarranted acts of goodness, kindness and love that simply surpass logic and reason. In these times there is no place for false modesty we must leave our comfort zone to reach out, help, and care for one another whatever our denomination or spiritual level.
Years ago, after a tragedy happened in the community, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, said that we should not find comfort in this exile.
The only comfort we will accept is the gueula Shelema !
Yosef’s story ended on a much more positive note than Leiby’s. He was reunited with his father and brothers. Yaakov, however, was in disbelief that his son was still alive and well. As a testament to his father, Yosef sent his brothers back to Yaakov land with “agalot” (wagons) filled with goods. The “agalot” indicated to Yaakov that his son remembered that last lesson they had learned together, because it is connected with the word, “agalah.” This served as a testament to Yosef’s physical and spiritual well being, and revived Yaakov. After the reunion, Yosef explained to his father and brothers that the entire circumstance—whose end result was to prepare for the nourishing of the Jewish people during their stay in Egypt—was G-d’s master plan, and therefore impossible to fully understand.
Leiby too has left us in the most tragic unanswerable way and certainly stands before the Kiseh HaKavod to prepare the ground for the revelation and coming of Moshiach. This time, however, let him not be alone in his cry; let’s cry to Hashem with him. Let’s cry that He finally redeem us and put an end to this bitter exile by revealing Moshiach Now!
it seems like the idea of yosef and yaacov in this video is to strengthen and bring to the front that incredible connection that exists between every father and child, that NEVER GIVE UP feeling, which we learn so well from today the ninth of av, where we know of the greatest destruction for our people but nevertheless we know that Mashiach and hope are at the door and will reveal themselves any moment. eternity is what i felt when i watched the video, thank you for all those involved in making it, your dedication and love is clear, may… Read more »
True, Leiby could have been the Yosef of the generation but he also could have been the Yitzhak, Moshe, Akiva, or someone else of the generation or none of those. To say that he was one or the other is to claim to understand the mind of G-d. Which we don’t.
children who are lost
we need to treat each one as our own
that is what i am taking from this
thank you Rabbi Amar
thank you…
amazing, touching and inspiring song
yashar coach
may we never forger leibby zl and the unity in am isroel that he brought. achdus isroel will bring leibby zl back
I think lei by was like Yosef because even at 8 or9 he was a tzadik
Yisroel didn’t write it but he has a beautiful voice!!!!!!!
The lyrics are so real, they bring out the tragic story from 2 diff perspectives.. the father and Leiby OBM really really well done!
Yes, Moshiach is now our only hope!
very moving. very proud of you israel!
This song is so soft, slow, etc. You get the picture.
Very moving, I almost started crying when the song was over.
The whole time during the video, I was just too ‘hypnotized’ to think about anything but this amazing, moving song that Yisroel Amar made.
this is amazing! listening, I felt it was a message from shomayim.
let us use our emotions to daven also for the safe return of Yosef ben Yaffa (American surfer Daniel Bobis who is missing in the waters of Indonesia),
We all need to help our new generation !!
Brigitte
moving
Notice it says in parenthesis accapella
im so impressed that a song came out so fast after this tragic event! it is amazing! moshiach now!
Great song and performance!
great lyrics
very moving
moshiach is coming today! who agrees? the rebbe said that if ten people truly believed moshiach is coming now then moshiach would come now.
So Beautiful & Emotional @ the same time….
MOSHIACH NOW!!!
stunning!!!!!!!!!
so sad!!
B”H
Gorgeous lyircs and a very nice voice, not digital. Very warm and well mixed. I also think that the forced acapella touch really hit the spot. Yashar koach
from DC
DC
wow!!! beautiful!!! amazing esti shemtov!!!!!!! amazing song writer!!!!!
Esti Shemtov DC
Which one? PA or DC?
this song is beutiful yisroel amar u have an amazing voice !!!!!
Dear G d….I beg of you to please send US redemption immediately…send the Moshiach to HEAL the world, to stop this senseless dying of children so young… yes, I know you have the answers but we remain bitter, filled with sorrow and tears… G d I beg you to please bring this world to a place of beauty and love…where we can all live once again with all of OUR loved ones who have been taken from US….G d I beg you to stop taking OUR children from US.. G d I beg you to cleanse the world of disasters… Read more »
AD MOSAI HASHEM???!!!!
It said acapella
Zoo sad…lei by was so cute
To Esty, Dina, Rabbi Chay and Isroel
This is absolutely stunning. The lyrics, the tune and the execution are so adequate and touching.
All we want to do after hearing this song is just listen to it at no end.
We all join you in your prayers that nothing like this should happen ever again.
WE ARE TEFILA THAT YOUR SONG ISROEL WILL GO DIRECTELY TO HEAVEN.
LOVE FROM CHARLES AND CLAUDINE
Mendel Amar is my favorite consultant!
-YDL
Another great thing we could do is take a gemara that u like learn it with Rashi & Tosfos with Reshonim delve in2 the concepts understand y Reshonim r arguing the halachic differences bet them and learn an amud a day leiluei nishmas Leiby that would really b great as well even to make a siyum 4 his 1st Yartzeit on all of shas being learned if can’t learn with Reshonim atleast GRT (Gemara Rashi Tosfos) in the Schism of our learning and this nice song everything together will bring an Aliyah 2 this Neshama. The whole world could do… Read more »
The lyrics….together with the video of the cctv and the posters…. ;(
this is extremely beautiful.
moshiach now.
Very proud of you, you did it tastefully and beautifully. What a sweet sweet boy!
so special!
absolutely amazing ………
What a GREAT talent.
very moving moving indeed. its so sad
Moshiach now, no more Tza’aros!
Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!
it’s a beautiful memory!
Farklempt! Nothing to say ….. but …. Ad Mosai!
This is really special
brought tears to my eyes
this made me cry. we really do need Moshiach now.
thank you Amars.
Very beautiful! May you be blessed to entertain us only for simchas!!!
litteraly impressed!!
I BELONG TO ASCAP,AND WARNER MUSIC. AND SGA,A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN LEARN TO WRITE SONGS AND MOVE FORWARD. I LIKE TO FORWARD THIS SONG TO WARNER MUSIC,AS I WAS STUNNED. IM SURE THEY WOULD RIGHT ME AS WE CAN GO FURTHER. HE IS TALENTED AND HAS A GREAT VOICE.
J TOBIAS MUSIC,ASCAP
very well done!
So beautiful!!!!
stunning song!! so much meaning!
Wow……
mamosh tears
Wow. what lyrics and waht beautiful production.
Blown away… 110 Points! Not needlessly emotional just very meaningful Sadly there is another aspect where Leiby’s story matches Yosefs… It was Yosef’s brothers who took him away… It’s a sad fact that we have to face… If you see something – Say something! No more sweeping things under the rug. I didn’t mean to take away from this beautiful song… If it hasn’t yet been sent to the family it should be. Yisroel Amar, Esty Shemtov, Dina Amar, Rabbi Chay Amar, Ron BenHaim, Mendel Amar – Kol Hakavod! May G-d finally make good on his promise and bring Moshiach… Read more »
I am deeply moved by this video and song.
This link (https://collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=15607&alias=leiby-yosef-hatzadik-in-our-times)
should be spread to your friends and neighbors…May you Rest In Peace Leiby.
Very touching! Very well done! Brings tears!
Ad Mosai???!!!!