Welcome to Brothers and Sisters, the weekly meetup for prayer* and community at Daily Kos. We put an asterisk on pray* to acknowledge that not everyone uses conventional religious language, but may want to share joys and concerns, or simply take solace in a meditative atmosphere. Anyone who comes in the spirit of mutual respect, warmth and healing is welcome.
I am not Jewish but my wife and daughters are. Over the last almost twenty-seven years, I have attended quite a few Shabbat services and, yes, twenty-six and more services for Rosh Hashana, Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur.
Five years ago, my wife and I joined the Temple choir in time for the High Holy Days. I sing the bass line even though I was recruited as a baritone. I have been in the choir ever since; I am the unpaid "ringer" in the back row.
For years, the Hashkiveinu prayer was the province of the Cantor. She had her version of it and no one was going to change that (and no one was supposed to join in while she did it). This drove my eldest daughter to distraction because she desperately wanted her chance to sing it in front of the congregation. I think her urge began at age ten. With her big soprano voice coming out of her tiny body, it would have been something special.
Frankly, I didn't think much about it. I was quite familiar with the tune and the words were in Hebrew. I'm sad to say that I wasn't curious about its meaning. The way the Cantor sang it was pretty and not very challenging on the ears. When it was time for it, it was a time to just relax in a chair and let the music fill the room.
I looked into the Hashveinu prayer only after I joined the choir. It has many, many musical versions. But as a prayer, it says this:
הַשְׁכִּיבֵנוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וְהַעֲמִידֵנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ לְחַיִּים. וּפְרוֹשׂ עָלֵינוּ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ וְתַקְּנֵנוּ בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶיךָ וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ וְהָגֵן בַּעֲדֵנוּ. וְהָסֵר מֵעָלֵינוּ אוֹיֵב דֶּבֶר וְחֶרֶב וְרָעָב וְיָגוֹן וְהָסֵר שָׂטָן מִלְּפָנֵינוּ וּמֵאַחֲרֵינוּ וּבְצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ תַּסְתִּירֵנוּ כִּי אֵל שׁוֹמְרֵנוּ וּלְשָׁלוֹם מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ הַפּוֹרֵשׂ סֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל יְרוּשָׁלָיִם.
Grant that we may lie down in peace, Eternal God, and awaken us to life. Shelter us with Your tent of peace and guide us with Your good counsel. Shield us from hatred, plague and destruction. Keep us from warm famine and anguish. Help us to deny our inclination to evil. God of peace, may we always feel protected because You are our Guardian and Helper. Give us refuge in the shadow of Your wings. Guard our going forth and our coming in and bless us with life and peace. Blessed are You, Eternal God, whose shelter of peace is spread over us, over all Your people Israel, and over Jerusalem.
The song is a lullaby.
Interestingly, the musical prayer was used in something famous:
The new Cantor at Temple seems to like this version best (by Craig Taubman) and plays her guitar while leading it (BIG change; the choir sings along in four parts, and in a round, and the congregation is implicitly invited to join in on the melody):
However, before the Cantor was hired, the choir had just learned the following version by Danny Maseng:
http://www.davidbravoentertainment.com/...
Click on the 2. Hashkiveinu
I miss it and I've allowed myself one, just one and only one, whine about it to the choir director.
I mean, hey, some deep-voiced fellow got to show his chops.
It would drive my eldest daughter nuts.