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Concrete Wall

"Shofar" - English Translation - Motty Ilowitz - שופר



Video by: InSight Studio (845)276-0708 insightstudioofficial@gmail.com . . Lyrics: It’s Erev Rosh Hashanah, the holiness is felt The Minchas Elezar sits in his room deep in thought His machzor, his shofar, are prepared on the table The last Rosh Hashanah of his life His little grandson Hershele approaches him His gaze falls to the shofar on the table “Grandfather, I wish to hear it, blow the shofar” he begs But the tzaddik responds “today we do not blow” “Dearest, no”, he explains, “put the shofar down” We do indeed blow the entire month but today we refrain He tells the young one this is the tradition, Erev Rosh Hashanah we are silent Because we wish to confuse the malevolent Satan But Hershele weeps as he does not understand, “please blow one תקיעה I don’t want to wait till tomorrow, grandfather, why won’t you now, why?” Brimming with tenderness, the tzaddik takes the shofar to his mouth ‎וכל העם רואים את הקול ‎תקיעה, תרועה, אוי שברים The sounds break open all gates The שברים broken, the תרועה shattered A true sound of wailing He stands there with the shofar, he blows and blows and blows The tears of his eyes can fill a glass The child is appeased and withdraws from the room The tzaddik spreads his hands outwardly Father dear, you are the one who sees all I have transgressed an old tradition, I beg you forgive me I know it is not the time of shofar, I truly did not intend it But what wouldn’t a father do when his child cries? I ask of you, I know you’ll say that it’s not yet time Your children are crying, how can you stand aside? ‎תקע בשופר גדול, illuminate the world already Because what wouldn’t a father do when his child cries? ‎אבינו אב הרחמן המרחם רחם How can you endure the cries No father can witness in his own home His child crying when he’s hurting See how loudly we cry before you, you mustn’t turn away Father dear, do not close your door Every single day that you refrain from blowing the shofar Satan is appeased, we get confused broken and impoverished, just like שברים, with our last breath Hearts broken by so many struggles, shattered and fragmented Illnesses, problems, of all sorts, a torrential stream of tears How often must we hear the sound of שברים? Those seeking cures, those wailing תרועות, shattered, cut to pieces Those sick and ailing, תרועות in hospitals, young children bleeding Those struggling with child-rearing, those begging you for satiety and not scarcity How many שברים and תרועות are they bound to blow? ‎תקיעה, תרועה, אוי, שברים The sounds break open all gate We’re waiting to hear the one and only תקיעה The true sound of salvation Stand there with the shofar and blow and blow and blow Do it for your children and no longer ask “why” The greatest תקיעה of all תקיעות גדולות ‎וכל העם רואים את הקולות Father dear, you are the one who sees all I have transgressed an old tradition, I beg you forgive me I know it is not the time of shofar, I truly did not intend it But what wouldn’t a father do when his child cries? I ask of you though I know you will say the time has not yet come Your children are crying, how can you stand aside ‎תקע בשופר גדול, illuminate the world already Because what wouldn’t a father do when his child cries? . Video Credit: Insight Studio Official

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