Lyrics
זְכֹר־רַחֲמֶיךָ וַחֲסָדֶיךָ כִּי מֵעוֹלָם הֵמָּה
Z-khor raḥamekha, vaḥasadekha
Ki me-olam hemah
Remember your compassion, remember your kindness
They’ve always been there, they are part of who you are
Remember your compassion, remember your kindness
They’ve always been there, they are part of your soul
Middot
Kindness חסד Ḥesed
Compassion רחמים Raḥamim
Forgiveness סליחה Sliḥah
Friendship חברוּת Ḥaverut
Love אהבה Ahavah
Source
Ps 25:6
Transliteration
In lyrics and text, ḥ (underdot-h) designates ḥet. However, in URLs and filenames ch designates ḥet instead, because it is easier for most people to type.
Kh designates khaf, to distinguish it from ch or ḥ for ḥet.
Vocalized shva tranliterates as - (hyphen), because ' (apostrophe), is a special character in URLs and filenames.
Reflections
Kindness and compassion are at the foundations of the world. For the world to endure, its foundations have to be eternal—me-olam—from the beginning of time, through the here and now, and continuing forever.
In the context of Psalm 25, David addressed these words to the One Above, requesting forgiveness and seeking the right way to live—gifts rooted in Divine compassion and kindness.
David’s plea still resonates for us today: Holy One, lead us home. Then guide our way forward. Do it because You are compassionate and kind.
Yet we can also address these words to our own souls. We can remember our own innate kindness and compassion—gifts from birth, aspects of the divine image that we are. We can further develop our kindness and compassion among nurturing family and community. They are crucial to leading lives of goodness.
Our complicated needs, desires, and circumstances can sometimes distract us from our inner core of kindness; they can obscure the compassionate path we intend to walk. To bring ourselves back to that path, we can remind ourselves that we are made of love, kindness, and compassion, with eyes to see the needs of the other, and a giving spirit that urges us to respond.
Compassion and kindness are not only me-olam, eternal, they are also me-olam, worldly, of this world. Opportunities stand right before us, right now—just look around. Our acts of compassion and kindness are concrete expressions of our divine essence—they reveal our inner goodness, so it becomes visible and tangible in the outer world. Godly seeds planted deep within us have the power to repair and beautify the world, when they blossom into kind actions.
When we turn ourselves toward others with compassion and kindness, we can melt anger, sadness, and frustration. We can be a supportive foundation. We can turn our world around, and bring it back to where we always wanted it to be—a place of love.
Remember, only in this world do we have the ability to act kindly—let’s not miss the opportunity.
When you see this...
[Remember to use your compassion when an opportunity arises]
Remember this...
[Remember what compassion can look like]
And do this
[Compassion—you already know how]Background vocals: Hannah Druckman, Ted Alper
Production and mixing: Saul Kaye
Cover photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Photo by Matt Collamer on Unsplash
Photo by Liane Metzler on Unsplash