What’s your favorite Motzaei Shabbos niggun?

While Shabbos day is slowly getting longer, we’re still making the most of those long Motzaei Shabbos nights when the workweek hasn’t yet begun. As the Havdalah candle is extinguished in a pool of wine and the table readied for a fourth holy meal, even leftover challah is a feast when sending off the Shabbos Queen.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MOTZAEI SHABBOS NIGGUN?

Beri Weber

A SONG FOR DOVID HAMELECH

My song about Dovid Hamelech — “Lomir zingen a lidele farn Melech Duvid,” composed by Cheskie Weiss — is really a perfect Melaveh Malkah song, as this is Dovid Hamelech’s seudah. In general, I go for the traditional zemiros, like the Berditchever’s “G-tt fun Avraham.”

Rabbi Shloime Taussig

A TUNE FOR ALL OCCASIONS

I personally love Reb Benzion Shenker’s famous “Hamavdil.” It’s not just a classic, it’s a gorgeous tune, which I actually use a lot in davening, too. I’ve found that it works well for parts of davening such as “Mimkomcha” in Shabbos morning Kedushah and “Pischu Li” in Hallel.

Menachem Herman

A NIGGUN FOR COMMUNAL HAVDALAH

There’s a certain crowd who do a communal Havdalah, and Carlebach songs will always work best there. They are a good fit for Melaveh Malkah, too.

Hershy Rotenberg

AT HOME, WE STICK WITH THE OLD

When I’m at a sheva brachos or a kumzitz on Motzaei Shabbos, I automatically reach for Carlebach and MBD — their melodies invite everyone in and lift the room with simchah, and I’ll often sing both their versions of “Gam ki Eileich.” But at home, with my family, Motzaei Shabbos sounds a little different — a little more chassidish. I like to sing an old “G-tt fun Avraham” that I learned from my mother, who learned it from her mother.

Leib Yaakov Rigler

A NEW LIGHT EVERY WEEK

When it comes to Motzaei Shabbos, I generally sing the traditional version of “Shavua Tov,” which I grew up with. There’s also a really nice “Shavua Tov” composed years ago by Chaim Dovid Saracik, a neighbor here in the Old City. He recorded it on his very first 1986 album Ohr Chodosh — A New Light, which was rereleased in digital mode a few years ago.

Rivie Schwebel

BACk TO TRADITION

I always sing a certain traditional “Eliyahu Hanavi” niggun that my father used to sing. Then there’s “Hamavdil,” and I add the “Omar Hashem LeYaakov” that Ali Scharf composed for our Schwebel Scharf Levine album Mi Yaaleh — (The Lost Album).

Eitan Katz

POST-SHABBOS WITH BRESLOV 

My go-to would always be the Breslov niggun to “B’motzaei Yom Menuchah." I learned this niggun when I was young, and the hauntingly beautiful melody brings out the words of the Motzai Shabbos tefillos.

Dovy Meisels

START THE WEEK RIGHT

I like to start the week by singing the “G-tt fun Avraham” tefillah from the holy Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. I sing it with Yehuda Green’s tune, and then I sing a Carlebach-style Havdalah.

Ari Hill

EVERY WORD IS A PRAYER

I love to sing the Motzaei Shabbos zemer “Adir Ayom Venorah.” There is a slow, evocative Breslover niggun that I really connect to. It’s a piyut where every word seems to be full of requests and prayers for a good week.

Moshe Chavusha

MAY ELIYAHU’S BRACHAH FALL HERE 

We sing the traditional “Eliyahu Hanavi” and “Amar Hashem LeYaakov,” and we also have a song from the Iraqi mesorah, written by Rabbeinu Yosef Chaim, author of the Ben Ish Chai — “Al bayit zeh veyoshvaihu, tehi birkat Eliyahu…” This is generally sung on Motzaei Shabbat, and sometimes at a Chanukat Habayit event, too.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1094)