Ahavah Rabbah
Ahavah rabbah ahavtanu Havaya…
Chemla g’dola viteirah chamalta aleinu
V’ha’eir eineinu b’toratecha
v’dabeik libeinu b’mitzvotecha
אַהֲבָה רַבָּה אֲהַבְתָּנוּ הויה
חֶמְלָה גְּדוֹלָה וִיתֵרָה חָמַלְתָּ עָלֵינוּ
וְהָאֵר עֵינֵינוּ בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ
וְדַבֵּק לִבֵּנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶיךָ
Translation
You have loved us, Our Holy Divine One, with everlasting love… With a great and overarching/neverending love you have loved us…
Give our hearts comprehension to understand and to be intellectually creative, to listen, to learn, and to teach, to preserve, to practice, and to fulfill all the words of instruction in Your Torah with love. Enlighten our eyes in Your Torah, and cause our hearts to hold fast to Your commandments.
Melody by Coleen Dieker and Josh Warshawsky
Ahavah Rabbah
More Love
Our morning liturgy (Shacharit service) is divided into three main themes: Creation, Revelation, and Redemption. Why these three themes. First Creation: Before anything else, we acknowledge the miraculousness of our own existence, the fact that we are even here in the first place. Then Revelation (of Torah): We are loved by a great big love. We aren’t just created, we are loved and held and wanted here in this world, so much so that we got the greatest gift ever: the Torah (!) to teach us and guide us as we walk on this earth. And finally Redemption: Now that we realize we are here and are loved, what do we do with that knowledge? Go out in the world and live these teachings!
Each morning when we wake up, our original liturgists realized that we need to be reminded of these core ideas, reminded that we are loved, reminded that we are worthy of being loved and are capable of loving in return. We need that love and that knowledge to go out and be the best versions of ourselves in this world.
The core emotions of this entire album are joy, hope, and love. We need more radical joy, we need more audacious hope, we need more unflinching love.
There is an implicit connection between love and teaching here. If G!d loves Israel, this means that G!d also teaches Israel. A loving G!d is a teaching G!d. The Torah is a gift of love.
There is a way to create intentionally in the world, and that is if we illuminate our creations and base our actions in this world in Torah! We should reciprocate G!d’s love by acting and creating in the world using the Torah and commandments as our guide
Executive Producers: Susan and Marc Sacks and the Beck Family Charitable Foundation
Chaverai Nevarech Album Sponsors: The Neshamah Project (neshamah.org)
Chaverai Nevarech Album Sponsors: Janna and Keith Berk
C-Saw Niggun, Ahavah Rabbah, Yevi’uni, Hamalach, and Sh’mor co-written by Coleen Dieker and Josh Warshawsky
Produced by Jeremy Lawrence
Engineered and Mixed by Patrick Kehrier
2nd Engineer Joey Musselman
Mastered by Mike White
Vocal arrangements and production by Ayo Awosika
Musical direction by Brock Pollock
Ye’erav Na written by Noah Tennenbaum, Eva Spiro, and Josh Warshawsky
Ein Kamocha originally commissioned by Shoresh Halev Center for Jewish Music at Beth El Synagogue Center
Halleluyah originally commissioned by Anshe Emet Synagogue in honor of Cantor Rachel Brook
Musaf Kedushah written with congregants at Adas Israel in Washington, D.C.
Album art by Rabbi Bec Richman
Recorded at Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles, CA
Featuring the Chaverai Nevarech Band:
Josh Warshawsky (Guitar, Lead Vocals)
Coleen Dieker (Co-Writer, Vocals, Violin)
Brock Pollock (Music Producer, Bass)
Ayo Awosika (Vocal Producer, Vocals)
Duvid Swirsky (Lead Guitar, Bouzouki, Banjo, Vocals)
Noah Diamondstein (Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin)
Chava Mirel (Vocals)
Mayta Cohen (Vocals)
Kiel Feher (Percussion)
Copyright 2025 Rabbi Josh Warshawsky
Chaverai Nevarech Music
For resources, sheet music, videos, and more, visit www.joshwarshawsky.com
