Niggun Kol Dodi Dofek
The nigun Kol Dodi Dofek is one of the Ten Niggunim of the Alter Rebbe, appearing as Nigun No. 5 in Sefer HaNiggunim.
Statements from the Rebbes About This Nigun
The Frierdiker Rebbe would instruct that this nigun be sung at farbrengens of Anash. On one occasion he said of it: "It cleanses the neshama and removes from it the sirechah — the impurity — and by the final movement one can already notice this."[1]
The Mitteler Rebbe said of this nigun:
The father (the Alter Rebbe) could reach into the inner depths of a Chassid and tear out the unworthy through Chassidus or through a nigun — but this nigun also makes a demand of the Chassid. The words of the nigun are the Rebbe's answer to the Chassid as to why the urgent need for personal inner work.
Lyrics
Kol dodi dofek,
Pitchi li achosi
Ra'ayasi yonasi tamasi
— Song of Songs, 5:2
In Sefer HaNiggunim (Part II), a more precise additional version appears, with several extra passages. This is the version in which the Chassid R' Elchanan Dov Marozov would sing the nigun, and it continues to be sung at the Rebbe's farbrengens today.
This nigun is Nigun No. 5 in Sefer HaNiggunim (the additional version is Nigun No. 211).
In Russia, Chassidim would also sing this melody to Yiddish words expressing their longing and yearning to see the Rebbe again.[2]
Az der Eybershter vet gebn, gezunt un lebn, Veln mir zikh zen mit undzer Rebn.
Ay Rabbeynu, ay Rabbeynu, Rebbi, Rebbi, Rebbi...
Veln, veln, mir zikh zen, veln, veln, mir zikh zen, Oy, Rabbeynu!
See Also
- Nigun 25 — a nigun sharing identical movements with this nigun
Notes
External Links
- About the nigun
- R' Lev Leibman, Nigun "Kol Dodi" — at the Kir HaNiggunim website
- Performances and arrangements