Rebbe’s Request For a Music Composition is Fulfilled

By COLlive reporter

Chassidic singer Simche Friedman released a new song titled “Levadecha” from his recent debut album, accompanied by a lyrics clip.

The words were written by the late Zvi Yair, the pen-name of the Hebrew poet and Lubavitcher chossid, Rabbi Zvi Meir Steinmetz OBM (1915–2005).

Frideman set the words to an Israeli-style melody and only later discovered the significance of the composition:

“I first came across the work of the Chabad poet Zvi Yair at the age of 15. I was fascinated by his uncanny ability to convey deep ideas in short modern prose, all in rhyme. Of all his poems, Levadecha touched me in a special way.

“The melody went through many incarnations, but the wordless melody between the stanzas was there from the beginning. I imagined a holy soul dancing with her Creator and becoming absorbed in His unity. Levadecha – There Is Only You.

“When I met with Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, who is a grandson of Zvi Yair, I shared that I was going to release one of his grandfather’s poems.

“He informed me that the Lubavitcher Rebbe once asked his grandfather to set his poems to music. Yair sent some poems to a famous composer, but in the end, nothing came of it. So with Levadecha, I am privileged to fulfill the Rebbe’s wish!”

VIDEO:

Composer: Simcha Friedman | Lyrics: Zvi Yair (Zvi Meir Steinmetz) | Arranged by: Ami Cohen | Art: Mendi Yeruslavsky | Graphics and Design: Yossi Weisfish | Lyrics clip: Menachem Goldstein.

Lyrics:

בִּנְעוּרַי, רָאוּ עֵינַי

דְּבָרִים לִרְבָבוֹת –

בָּאָה תְבוּנָתִי

וְעַל שְׁלֹשָׁה הֶעֱמִידָתַם:

אֲנִי, אַתָּה וְהָעוֹלָם.

עוֹדֶנִּי מִתְבּוֹנֵן

וָאֶרְאֶה: הָעוֹלָם

מֵאוֹרְךָ רַק קַרְנַיִם –

וַיִּשָּׁאֲרוּ אַךְ שְׁנַיִם:

אֲנִי וְאַתָּה.

חָקַרְתִּי מוֹרְשֵׁי לְבָבִי

וְהִנֵּה חַיַּי

רְסִיס מִמְּקוֹרֶךָ –

וְהִנֵּה:

אַתָּה הוּא לְבַדֶּךָ.