shehecheyanu (sa)
- Catalog ID: S-479
- First Line: Baruch ata Adonai
- Composer: Valerie Shields
- Voicing: a, S
- Accompaniment: piano, violin
- Language: English, Hebrew
- Country: Usa
- Other: new 2022
- Score: View Score
- Sound: Listen
Description
The Shehecheyanu prayer is invoked by Jews at times of celebration and joy. It affirms our appreciation for experiencingunqualified blessing and goodness. So often expressions of gratitude are limited to the transactional—a reciprocatedresponse for an immediate gift. One of the most profound insights offered by faith is the linking of blessings of the momentto a wider context in time and space. Thus, times of joyous celebration and deepest sorrow (which can also be occasions forgratitude for the lives of those we have lost) are inextricably bound to the chains of tradition bequeathed by our ancestors,the power of the present, and our sense of obligation to future generations. The Shehecheyanu prayer transcendentallytelescopes the treasury of life and living into the bounty of the imminent.
Rabbi Daniel A. Weiner, Temple De Hirsch Sinai
TRANSLATION:
Blessed are You, Adonai.
Our God, Ruler of the Universe,who has kept us alive,
and sustained us,
and allowed us to arrive
at this time of celebration!
A virtual choir performance of this piece is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOFhOdggYAs&t=33s
Published: 2022