What is the most narrow place in the entire World? Galus is. Being in exile is. Feeling lost without a destination and without a home. But as long as I know that I am in exile, I know that I can leave. The moment that I forget, will be the moment our Maetzar begins. We all go through ups and downs, difficult times and painful ones. We must remember in times of pain, that happiness is what we want, we are not OK with being sad or depressed.
Remembering that ‘I am a Jew’ means remembering that I am truly a happy person, even if I feel sad right now.
That I am a confident person even if I feel insecure.
Galus, like depression and anxiety, makes us forget all that?
However, what happens when our reflections stop reflecting us all together? When we don’t remember what we look like in the first place. We then must throw away all our misconceptions, and view ourselves with Godly eyes.
The way that we truly are, beyond any feelings, and beyond our own memory of ourselves. Pnei Alay Vchonani, means “turn your face to me, and grant me favor’’.
But we can understand that ‘My Face’, means the ability that you’ve given me to do things in the world, and it comes from your
unlimited favor you show towards me.
The only way to leave Galus, is through challenging what it means to be in Galus in the first place. We then Daven to Hashem from the lowest place imaginable, not even feeling that we are in exile, and Hashem turns to us, shows us our face, and we remember that we are Yidden in exile, but we are living with a constant urgency for Geulah.
CREDITS:
Composed and Performed by Rabbi Elisha Klatzko
Percussion and Guitar by Rabbi Elisha Klatzko
Shlomo Mehlman recorded and mixed the music as well as produced the cinematography and editing at Kumzits Everywhere Studio.
Contact him at 301-785-7159
[email protected]
Song Lyrics
Do you know how strong-
Oh how strong Golus is”
So so strong
It can make me forget that
I’m a Yid
Oh, that I’m a Yid
מִן־הַמֵּצַר קָרָֽאתִי יָהּ עָנָֽנִי בַמֶּרְחָב יָהּ
אלהים הסתכל על הלב שלי.
תן לי עיניים לראות את עצמי
כל הטוב שאתה רואה בי
כמה אתה באמת אוהב אותי.
פְּנֵ֥ה אֵלַ֗י וְחָ֫נֵּ֥נִי