I believe all these masterpieces carry a special ingredient called holiness

Coming out of Simchas Torah, it seems the old classics are still the mainstays of the more yeshivish minyanim, although some shuls use popular niggunim from singers like Benny Friedman and Mordechai Shapiro, and this year were even hopping to “Od Yoter Tov” (although they rarely got the words right).

Then there’s the “Thank You Hashem” crowd, who have no problem dancing around the bimah to songs like “It’s Geshmak to be a Yid” and “We’re Mamish at the End.” I still haven’t figured out what “Chi Chi Wawa” has to do with Simchas Torah, but if it makes the kids happy...

But the more traditional among us shouldn’t worry — the most popular hakafos songs are still “Tzavei Yeshuos Yaakov,” “Toras Hashem Temimah, and “Ana Avda.” These songs will always be around.

During Kiddush on Simchas Torah in the Boyaner shtibel on the West Side where I daven, I was talking to my good friend Dr. Michael Zelefsky, a well-known radiation oncologist who also happens to be a maven in Jewish music, about the origins of so many classic niggunim — the ones we sing on Simchas Torah and all year round. Indeed, as he mentioned, many were actually composed by great, holy rebbes and rabbanim, and will probably be sung forever.

Everyone knows that Rav Yitzchak Hutner ztz”l wrote the words to “Bilvavi,” but he was also the composer of “Neshamah Shenasata Bi,” which he wrote as a wedding gift to his talmid Rav Shlomo Freifeld. This still-enduring song was originally recorded in 1960 on what was known as the “Chaim Berlin” album (officially, Torah Lives and Sings).

And who knows that the second Modzhitzer Rebbe and baal menagen, Rav Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub ztz”l, composed the classic “P’roik,” which so many families sing on Friday night? Suki and I had Mordechai Ben David record it on the 1982 Just One Shabbos album, and that’s how many people know this holy niggun.

Rav Meir Shapiro, rosh yeshivah of Chachmei Lublin and founder of Daf Yomi in the 1920s, composed many niggunim over 100 years ago that are still sung today (think “Utzu Eitzah,” “Ashrei Ish Shelo Yishkacheka,” and “Yiboneh Hamikdash… gevalt gevalt gevalt”), but one of his favorites was “Becha Bat’chu,” which he instructed his talmidim to sing as his neshamah was returning to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Suki and I were very excited about the idea of creating a medley of Rav Meir Shapiro’s niggunim in honor of the tenth Siyum HaShas in 1997 on an album we called Siyum – A Musical Celebration.

The two Melitzer Rebbes ztz”l, brothers Rav Elimelech and Rav Yitzchak Horowitz, were both prolific composers. Rav Elimelech, who perished in the Holocaust, composed the classic “Eileh Chamdah Libi.” His brother Rav Yitzchak, who was the Melitzer Rebbe in America, recorded an album of his own songs with Dovid Werdyger, which included “Omdos Hayu,” one of his most famous niggunim.

Rabbi Dr. Avraham Twerski, the famed rav and psychiatrist who passed away in 2021, composed the beloved “Hoshia Es Amecha,” which he requested be sung at his levayah instead of a hesped. His brother, Rav Michel Twerski, a rebbe in Milwaukee, is a prolific composer whose “oldies” include “Ein Aroch Lecha” from the 1968 Pirchei Sings Ani Maamin and “Romemu Hashem” from the 1966 Mark 3 Orchestra album.

The Bobover Rebbe, Rav Shlomo Halberstam ztz”l, composed many niggunim that are still sung by the chassidim and all over the Jewish world (“Boruch Hu Elokeinu,” “Chazak Yemalei,” “Veseigoleh” and others), a dozen of them recorded on Dovid Wergyger’s 1963 New Bobover Niggunim album — and the child soloist on that album is none other than today’s Bobover Rebbe.

The Skulener Rebbe, Rav Eliezer Zusia Portugal ztz”l, composed hundreds of songs, some of which you’re surely still hearing during hakafos, no matter which shul you daven in.

Rebbe Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Baal HaTanya ztz”l, was a prolific composer, especially famed for his “10 Niggunim.” One of those is “Keili Ata,” which is sung as frequently now as it was 200 years ago. It’s still such a Hallel classic that we incorporated it into our Hallel album way back when.

And then there’s “Kad Yasfin Yisrael,” sung in many shuls during Simchas Torah. I learned it as a kid in Camp Kol Ree Nah, and I heard from Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Greenwald a”h, Kol Ree Nah’s owner, that the song was written by the Chazon Ish, with whom Dr. Greenwald was very close, the words taken from the writings of the Vilna Gaon (although some people assume they’re from the Zohar).

I believe all these masterpieces carry a special ingredient called holiness. That’s why these niggunim have been around for so many years, and still remain fresh and vibrant. I have no doubt they will be around to greet Mashiach.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1083)