"Vehi She'amda" - Niggun

Vehi She'amda is a niggun taught by the Rebbe in 5715 (1955). Its words are taken from the Passover Haggadah text. The first part of the melody expresses feelings of bitterness from the pressure and poverty of exile, while the second part expresses joy, courage, and confidence in victory over the enemies of Israel and those who blaspheme Hashem, and in the continued existence of the Jewish people.

Words of the Niggun

"Vehi she'amda la'avoseinu velanu shelo echad bilvad amad aleinu lechaloseinu ela shebechol dor vador omdim aleinu lechaloseinu veHakadosh Baruch Hu matzileinu miyadam."

History of the Niggun

This niggun was recorded as the Rebbe taught it at the farbrengen on the second night of Pesach 5715 (1955). After conducting the Seder, the Rebbe held a farbrengen - as in every year - and during it, he asked who knew the niggun 'Vehi She'amda'. When it became clear that the crowd did not know the niggun, the Rebbe sang it himself. Afterwards, when he saw that the crowd had not yet learned the niggun, the Rebbe said: "S'iz a feiner niggun" [=It is a beautiful niggun], and sang the niggun again several times to teach it to the crowd.

The niggun is number 190 in Sefer HaNiggunim.

A similar version of the niggun is sung in Karlin Chassidus and is attributed to Rabbi Aharon of Karlin.

Meaning of the Niggun

The words of the niggun reflect Jewish history in exile. On one hand, terrible persecutions and attempts to destroy the Jewish people, and on the other hand, its wondrous continued existence. The Jewish people facing their many enemies are "like a sheep among seventy wolves," and Hakadosh Baruch Hu saves us from their hands.

"Vehi She'amda" - The word "vehi" refers to the promise that Hashem gave to Avraham Avinu in the Covenant Between the Parts regarding the exodus from Egypt - "it is this that has stood for our fathers and for us" - in the Egyptian exile (and in its merit we were saved from those who "stood against us to destroy us").

Similarly, the word "vehi" refers to all the promises given to the Jewish people throughout the generations by the prophets - through which we held strong also in other exiles (after the exodus from Egypt) throughout all generations.

In Kabbalistic texts, it is explained that "vehi" refers to the sefirah of Malchus - the power of faith that the Jewish people are "believers, the children of believers." Through faith and trust in Hashem, our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt, and so too in every generation, it is faith that has stood for us, that the Jewish people withstood all trials and remained whole, only through the power of faith and mesirus nefesh.

The Rebbe connects between the two interpretations mentioned for the word "vehi," the attribute of faith and trust in Israel (interpretation 2) is what awakens the promise from above (interpretation 1). When a Jew, even if unworthy, trusts completely that Hashem will give him children, life, and sustenance, knowing that "all that the Merciful One does is for good" - then his trust awakens and draws down the promise from above.

So it was in Egypt and so it is in every generation, that the trust from below awakens the promise from above, which brings about the redemption from exile, through Moshiach Tzidkeinu.

External Links

Listen

• The niggun in the Rebbe's voice, 'Farbrengen Niggunim' Album 1, Disc 3 - A, Album 3 - B Album 5
• To hear the niggun from Nichoach 8
• From the album 'Niggunim the Rebbe Taught'
• To hear the niggun on the Heichal Negina website
• To hear the niggun sung by R' Dovid Horowitz
• Yossi Weiner and Avraham Bulti

The Rebbe's Explanations on the Niggun

• Talk from the second night of Pesach 5721 (1961). 'Toras Menachem - Hisvaaduyos' 5721 Part 2 (30) pages 230-233: PDF format on HebrewBooks site, Text format on Young Chabad site