Shuvah
Shuvah, Shuvah, Shuvah Adonai
Rivevot alfei Yisrael (x2)
Kumah, kumah Adonai limnuchatecha
Kumah, kumah atah v’aron uzecha
Kohanecha yilbeshu tzedek,
Vachasidecha yeraneinu (x2)
שׁוּבָה ה’ רִבְבוֹת
אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
(במדבר י:לו)
קוּמָה ה’ לִמְנוּחָתֶךָ
אַתָּה וַאֲרוֹן עֻזֶּךָ
(תהלים קלב:ח)
כֹּהֲנֶיךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ צֶדֶק
וַחֲסִידֶיךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ
(תהלים קלב:ט)
Translation
Return, O God
You who are Israel’s myriads of thousands!
Advance, O God, to Your resting-place,
You and Your mighty Ark!
Your priests are clothed in righteousness
Your loyal ones sing for joy.
Melody by Josh Warshawsky
Shuvah
Wearing Justice
These words sit buried at the end of the Torah service, right before the most famous lines that we sing every time we return the torah to the ark: Etz chayim hi lamachazikim ba, the Torah is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it. But we skip over these beautiful lines that come before it! How do we make the Torah into a tree of life? by heeding the words that come before: “Kohanecha yilbeshu tzedek v’chasidecha yeraneinu” – when priests are robed in justice, then those who love You will rejoice. It turns out that the robes and breastplates and uniforms that the priests are supposed to wear, covered in jewels and gold? Those don’t matter. What matters is for our priests to be robed in justice. What does it mean to wear justice? What would it look like if people could look at our leaders, look at us, and see justice on us? What could the world be like if we could look around and see justice on people’s bodies just as clearly as a pair of pants or a hat? How can each one of us take steps to make it clear that this is what we stand for? That is our aspiration and the hope of this song.
Executive Producers: Marc and Susan Sacks
With generous additional funding provided by Sacred Sounds Unbound: Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills and Temple Beth Am Los Angeles
Sponsored by Sponsored by Beth Tzedec Congregation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Produced and mixed by Jeremy Lawrence
Engineered by Patrick Kehrier and Tyler Karmen
Additional Audio Editing by Josh Kay and Patrick Rimterakul
Mastered by Mike White
Vocal arrangements and production by Ayo Awosika
Musical direction by Brock Pollock
Directed by Dustin Warren
Produced by The Matterworks
Edited by Josh Warshawsky
Cinematography by Dustin Warren and Ricky Sanchez
Recorded at 64 Sound in Highland Park, CA
Featuring the Chaverai Nevarech Band:
Josh Warshawsky (Guitar, Lead Vocals)
Brock Pollock (Music Producer, Bass)
Ayo Awosika (Vocal Producer, Vocals)
Coleen Dieker (Vocals)
Duvid Swirsky (Lead Guitar, Bouzouki, Banjo, Vocals)
Chava Mirel (Vocals)
Deborah Sacks Mintz (Vocals)
Jackson Vance Mercer (Vocals)
Lior Shragg (Percussion)
Jenni Asher (Violin)
Zack Lodmer (Clarinet on Riverdale Niggun)
Jason Gamer (Trumpet on Riverdale Niggun)
Copyright 2022 Rabbi Josh Warshawsky
Chaverai Nevarech Music
For resources, sheet music, videos, and more, visit www.joshwarshawsky.com
