In the Begining - Sample

Book I CLICK SONG TITLES TO PLAY THE MUSIC

Introduction Many years ago a woman sent me an email with a link to her site called Words of Wisdom. In it she had a list of various Reggae artists including myself and Biblical quotes directly related to their lyrics. I was very surprised how she connected many of my songs to various verses in the Torah and Tanach. Most of these verses I was not aware of. Maybe a few might have passed through my mind on a Shabbat years ago when I wrote some of my songs, for example ‘Bribes Blinds the Eyes of the Wise’ from Parsha Mishpatim. Most of the quotes however, I was not familiar with. I realized that I don’t really recall how and when I wrote many of my songs. As Rosh Hoshanna 2014 approached I thought it would be an interesting project to actually think about the Parsha and try and encapsulate some of the ideas in song. Although many of my songs have been inspired by ideas from the Torah they are generally personal in nature. I never thought to connect any songs directly to the Parsha or catalogue those that were related in any way. They say that every Rosh Hoshanna is a good time to add something new, turn a new leaf, or begin a new project. With this in mind I began this project on Rosh Hoshanna 2014. The idea was to find the connections in my songs to relevant ideas in the Parsha as well as think of new songs inspired by various concepts found in the weekly Parsha. The gift of a writer is to say the most with the least amount of words; to encapsulate larger ideas into a few phrases that can be put into a song. I have a long way to go to make my songs shorter and sweeter and more poetic however life is a work in progress and there is no better place to start than today. Each weekly section is part of a unified whole and every passage and letter is related one to the other. Just as the cells in the body work together so does the living Torah. It can be pondered and examined in sections but is part of a whole that we experience even though it is beyond our understanding. As a musician I have always been attracted to what is called ‘roots’ music, whether we are speaking about reggae, ska, blues, or many other forms. The more advanced musicians appreciate the simplicity of music; they listen well and leave space for others to enter. They are gentlemen with little ego, leaving room for the music to enter and play them, rather than be played. The Torah among many other things teaches this simplicity and balance between a healthy amount of ego and the nothingness that allows great things to flow through. Much of my perspective on the Torah comes from my viewpoint here in Israel where one sees the recurring themes and variations of the Torah climax in an ever changing reality. This unfolding prophecy began before my time and will continue long after it.

Many years ago in Toronto I spoke about this topic with Rabbi Shmuel Spero and Yehoshua Sharfe at the Minsker shul. Yehoshua remarked that the prophecies the Rabbi has studied for years he now sees unfolding before his eyes. We however who are baal teshuvas are on an even higher level. Why is that asked the Rav? Because we ‘are’ the prophecy. He answered. I added ‘that’s a great idea for a song’ and the song and ‘We Are The Prophecy’ was born. Indeed the G-d of Israel, the people of Israel, the Land of Israel and the Torah of Israel are all part of one thing. If you feel connected to any one of the above it will be well for you. If you feel connected to all of the above, then your experience will be all the more enriched and vibrant. Some of these songs were created long before I arrived at these ancient shores and even long before I was connected to my spiritual roots. In addition there are many new songs inspired by the Land and the accumulation of thoughts over the years that have aged like wine. With Hashems help, there will be many revisions in the future as each weekly question opens a new door to another question. One of the nice things about this book and b’h the four books to come is that not only can you read the book but you can also play it as a CD or playlist. If you own one of these books the playlist will be improved, refined and embellished each year so that your original copy will continue to grow. In fact it is such a huge undertaking that many of the songs here are not produced at the level I would like for lack of time and money. I hope to rectify some of these shortcomings in future editions. I hope you enjoy this compilation as much as I am enjoying putting it together. As my friend Rav Spero often says, ‘The best is yet to come’. I hope you enjoy the music and Shana Tova.

In The Beginning

Bereshit God made a Garden of Eden and placed man inside and told him one simple thing – Do not eat of the fruit of this tree or you will be thrown out of the Garden. So what did man do? He built his own garden and threw God out. (Avraham Heshel) ______ The building of Israel is the re-building of the Garden of Eden. To the extent that one supports or protests that building is the extent to which Gods glory is accepted in the world. ______

“God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because on it He abstained from all His work which God created to make.” (Bereshit 2:3) And on the seventh day – Yom HasShvii - It was the day of rest and meditation (Shabbat Shalom) ______ “So Hashem God banished him from the Garden of Eden, to work the soil from which he wastaken. And having driven out the man, He stationed at the east of the Garden of Eden the Cherubim and the flame of the ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the Tree of Life.” (Bereshit 2:3) First there was the Word And then there was the light And then He placed this darkness here between us. (The Word)

Shabbat Shalom On the first day– Yom HaRishon It was the day of the dawning of creation. And on the second day – Yom HaSheni It was the birth of strife and tribulation Shabbat Shalom And on the third day– Yom HaShlishi It was the day of the earth’s revelation On the fourth day day – Yom RiVii There was the sun the moon and constellations Shabbat Shalom And on the fifth day – Yom Chamishi It was the day of the dawning of redemption And on the sixth day – Yom HasShishi It was the day He completed his creation Shabbat Shalom

Gates of Eden I’m standing at the edge of night Where everything returns to light I try to see beyond my site But nothing can pass through The Gates of Eden And every dawn must meet the dusk And all that lives must turn to dust Even you and me and all of us And nothing can pass through The Gates of Eden And lovers try but love gets lost And all the saints get double crossed While dreamers sail their ships get tossed And buried underneath - the Gates of Eden And visions fade and heroes fall And I wonder in the end If even any one of them Has seen beyond this wall And birds will sing but not for long A wind will come and they'll be gone And every paradise become a Babylon And nothing can reach beyond The Gates of Eden And all the promises we made The cornerstones that we both laid Are twisted now and then renamed But nothing can replace The Gates of Eden

First in Thought There is a time before Creation And there's a time to create There's a time before inception And there's a time to propagate A time of dedication A time of preparation A time to build And a time To carry the weight There's a time to remember And a time to forget A time when you feel Your just waiting And you haven't go the answer yet A time for revolution A time to be content A time where love seems eternal A time you wonder Where it all went First in thought last in deed From the sweetest flower To every weed Everything that grows From every seed First in thought last in deed

In the end the abandoned Will be sought And they'll be crowned While tyrants will be no more And men of violence Will no longer be found There's a time of imperfect From where all Great things are born A time where fugitives Become kings A time when kingdoms Are no more A time to enjoy your garden A time to stand Outside the gate A time to receive And a time to pass on A time to return Even though The hours late First in thought Last in deed From the sweetest flower To the lowest weed Everything that grows From every seed First in thought Last in deed

Noach “All you children will be students of Hashem, and abundant will be your children’s peace” (Yeshyahu 54:13) And the houses are filled with learning. And the six million souls are returning. (The Final Revolution) ______ “Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generations; Noah walked with God.” (Bereshit 6:9) They say Noah could have been a better man; well I’m doing the best I can. (Traveling on that Line) ______

“Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, went into the Ark because of the waters of the Flood.” (Bereshit 7:7) For the final flood already began To give a last chance to those who take a stand And to save only those who ever lent a hand (Dear World) Noah was a survivor. Like a survivor of the Shoa today he may have asked how God could have destroyed a whole world. He may have wondered whether he could have done more. And like the survivors of today who see a new flood approaching, he may have wondered how people could make the same mistakes all over again. The UN of his day The Tower of Babel tried to solve these issues and like today ended up in a confusion of languages.

The Final Revolution Oh the far off flashes of lightning Serve to warn of the doom that's approaching And the prophets return to inform them But they blame and defame and they scorn them And the winds of destruction are blowing But the candles resist them by glowing And as the cloaks of deception are lifted And the pearls in the sands are sifted And the houses are filled with learning And the six million souls are returning And it's the final revolution And it's the oldest one of all And it's the final evolution Between the mighty and the small And the battle will not be fought with flowers Nor by those who dwell in ivory towers But in the desert where the heat grows hotter

And the should reach out for water Between the hearts and the mind that it opposes Between the law of the land and the law of Moses Between Goliath and the sons of David Between what's sordid and what is sacred Between the seekers of truth and the heartless The holy sparks against a multitude of darkness (Chorus) And when the fire submits to the candle And the pot is as great as it's handle And when pride is not cherished as a virtue And when modesty is not seen as a curfew And when the rich are known as the faithful And the poor are seen as the ungrateful And the phantom refugees of falsehood Who demand their imaginary statehood From the soul of it's rightful ruler Who would have sold his birthright much sooner Had it not been for the fighters of the ghetto And for the oil that still burns in the temple But it's better to be divided in the battle Than to be slaughtered together like cattle And the victims who despise their own religion And who plead with the torturer to inflict them They will be lost in the battle to resist them And indifference is the gateway to extinction For they are starving in a land of plenty With foreign gods they feast and still their empty But the children of a lost generation Have returned to rebuild the Holy Nation (Chorus)

Tail of a Lion They say a messenger has no name Only his mission They say a servant is like a king Well I’ve searched among the shadows of giants I’ve been carried under eagles wings In this world they praise pirates who pillage And hunters who capture shepherds And their flocks But it’s better to be the tail of lion Than to be the head of a fox They say the wall that remains from the builders Is the one attached to the cornerstone Only the deeds of a man are his fortune That he takes with him to the great unknown In this world they praise wealth and power That buys beauty with her long curly locks But it’s better to be the tail of a lion Than to be the head of a fox Well the servant is like a king For he knows the important things All that glitters to him is not gold He can’t be bought or sold In this world truth lies buried and hidden While thieves give motivational talks But it’s better to be the tail of a lion Than to be the head of a fox Oh the measure of a man is dedication To place the banner upon the hill To struggle bringing light from darkness To further his father’s will In this world the winner reaps the glory And the loser he walks But it’s better to be the tail of a lion Than to be the head of a fox

Heaven’s Door When the stones come alive And are gathered to one place From where they were scattered once before Then the dreamers in the night Will build a city made of light And we will walk hand in hand Through heaven’s door When the stones come alive And are gathered to one place And a ladder to the sky Is seen once more And angels will descend And we’ll climb on it again And we will walk hand in hand Through heaven’s door Yes we’ll walk hand in hand From every distant land Returning what was lost with so much more And Heaven will descend And we’ll be counted once again When we walk hand in hand Through Heavens door When every heart of stone Becomes a heart of flesh And we look back at the weight That we once bore And we see the road we laid And the stairway that we made As we walk hand in hand Through Heavens door

Sweet Angel Sweet Angel you rescued me in the night I saw you from a distance You drew me into your light It was you who gave me shelter And led me to the place Where the fountain springs eternal And beauty has no face Sweet angel you renewed me with your breath You reached into my inner being And saved me from my death And though the mountains crumble beneath my feet I will not tremble no I will not weep For what you have given me today I can't forget No, I'm forever in your debt Sweet Angel with your kisses like prayers And your coat of many colors And your beauty beyond compare How did you find me how did this come to be I didn't even know I was looking for you Or you were looking for me Sweet Angel you put our the raging fire That blinded me and separated me From my true desire Sweet Angel with the rope braids in your hair And the beams of light a shining From the silver star you wear How can I repay you for the riches you bestow I have nothing here of value Compared to the jewels you hold Sweet Angel you unlocked the heavenly gate My soul flies up into your arms where The angels congregate

In The Beginning Play Ebook For live shows and more info write to: [email protected]

Album Notes and Credits Shabbat Shalom Guitar: Neil Gertler Drums: Michael Paoli Sax: Richard Howse (akaIsaacs) Clarinet: Bob Stevenson Gates of Eden Guitar: Yehuda Ziv Kichon/Vocals: Michal Katzir Bass: Or Dayan Guitar: Arie Yariv Gzanda Drums: Amos Maroz First in Thought Guitar: Yehuda Ziv Vocals: Shachar Dawn Traveling on this Line Guitar/Dobro: Yair Fine Vocals: Shachar Dawn Dear World Guitar: Barak Before The Flood Guitar: Yehuda Zis Time To Come Home Guitar: Noah Zacharin Oud : Joshua Benchetrit Time To Come Home Guitar: Noah Zacharin Oud : Joshua Benchetrit Waiting For A Miracle Guitar Rhythm: Neil Gertler Percussion: Kofi Ackah Guitar Solo: Gerry Markman Backup Vocals: Marcia Douglas Backup Vocals: Lorraine Douglas Drums: Michael Goodridge (Marshmellow Records)

Tail of a Lion Harmonica/Guitar: Bar Vocals : Shachar Dawn Nothingness Guitar: Bar Jealousy Guitar: Yehuda Ziv Increasing Wisdom Guitar: Noah Zacharin Oud/Vocals : Joshua Benchetrit Heavens Door Guitar: Barak Zakar Guitar: Arie Yariv Gzanda Voice of the Timid Guitar: Noah Zacharin Oud : Joshua Benchetrit Bears Guitar: Neil Gertler Breach In Your Heart Guitar: Noah Zacharin Oud : Joshua Benchetrit This is the Holocaust Guitar: Noah Zacharin Heart of Stone Drums: Erez Bass: Alon Wisdom of Your Ways Guitar: Noah Zacharin Mause Guitar: Neil Gertler Drums: Neil Gertler Yehuda V’Shomron Guitar: Barak

Brick By Brick Guitar: Noah Zacharin Oud/Guitar/Vocals : Joshua Benchetrit Alone Again Band: JFK and the Conspirators Tail of a Lion - Live Guitar: Yehuda Ziv Kichon/Vocals: Michal Katzir Bass: Or Dayan All other instruments played by Ron Wiseman including drum tracks that were either recorded on electronic drums or edited Studio Drum Tracks. (Completed Bereshit 2015)