Y Not I

I thought it might be nice to highlight a song each week for the coming Shabbat. To start off I decided to choose a song I enjoy playing, and have been fortunate enough to be able to play it with the author of the song. The song is “Let The Heavens Rejoice” by HaShir

Ascribe to the L-RD
O families of nations,
Seek the L-RD in glory and strength
Humbly come with an offering, worship Him,
His wonder and His Holiness

Chorus:
Let the heavens rejoice,
Let the earth be glad and joyful
Let the sea resound, stand and say,
“The L-RD He Reigns”

The trees of the earth will sing with gladness,
They will praise His precious name
Give Him thanks, His goodness endures,
Praise to Him, the G-d of Israel

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Save us, O G-d our Redeemer,
Deliver us from all the nations
We proclaim Your sweet salvation,
Praise to You, O Everlasting Love

(Chorus)

The song is based upon 1 Chronicles 16 and David’s Psalm of thanks. It comes at a great time for David and for Israel. The Philistines were just defeated and the ark was just brought to Jerusalem. So the words of this song (and the Psalm of David) call out in great joy the good things G-d had done. It is a wondeful song with a klezmer feel.

When reading the Bible verses and the surrounding verses I was taken by a passage a few chapters prior, 1 Chronicles 13:9-11.

When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

Then David was angry because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.

I am always blown away by how far short we fall before G-d and how absolutely Holy He is. Doing things our own way is never a good idea, especially when G-d has instructed us on how to do it. I was fascinated by this verse and how Uzzah could just be struck down for trying to steady the ark and to keep it from falling off the cart it was on. However G-d gave instruction in the Torah for how to transport the ark and the people that need to be involved with the transport. Everyone was happy and praising G-d as they were bringing the ark, but disaster struck, because they were not obedient to the Word of G-d. It is so easy to think that it is not a big deal, and that I am trying to glorify G-d in what I am doing. I think we need to be in the Word, know the Word and through that we will know how to handle situations, being careful to follow what G-d commands and not the commands of man. Here is an excellent article on the subject.

Shabbat Shalom everyone.