It’s very pleasing, how this melody handles the couple of verses from Exodus 30 at the start of the Shabbat morning kiddush. Taking the opening line: “the Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath in every generation” and turning it into a repeated refrain (sung by us - the Children of Israel!) illustrates perfectly the idea of the eternal weekly recurrence of Shabbat. Each phrase then adds a little more detail. First, that Shabbat represents the connection between us and God; then that God made the world in six days; and finally that on the seventh day God rested. The refrain reiterates our place in this cosmic framework, whilst neatly emphasizing the regular return of Shabbat.

Shabbat Morning Kiddush

Shabbat Morning Kiddush 1

Shabbat Morning Kiddush - 2nd part (chanted)

This week we begin the Torah over again with Bereshit, Genesis.  Adam, the first human, was created on the sixth day, seemingly as the pinnacle of creation before the first Shabbat.  The eternal question is whether the creation of humanity was a good thing or not.

Shabbat Morning Kiddush - 2nd part (chanted)

NNLS Masorti

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