Back in 1973, a young man named Mordechai Werdyger slipped on to the Jewish music scene with a little-known album called Original Chassidic Melodies. While that early album never took off, listeners sat up when they heard Mordechai Ben David’s next album, Hineni, the following year. The magic of his new-old musical style and the sheer power of his voice soon won a place right at the heart of the frum soundtrack.

For over four decades, we’ve sung and danced, swayed and prayed, to hundreds of iconic MBD songs, the ones he wrote himself and those collaborations he made famous. And now we’ve asked our readers:

Which one of Mordechai Ben David’s songs has touched your life?

N.L., Brooklyn, NY | “Yaaleh” (Tze’aka, 2017)

I would like to share one impact of MBD’s recent “Yaaleh.” I am the teacher of five-year-old Esty, who suffers from developmental delays and a severe speech disorder. This beautiful little girl has a life replete with frustrations and misery because of her inability to care for her own needs. It’s heart-wrenching to watch her sobbing when she cannot express or communicate her desires, without any means of calming her down. That was until I turned on the song “Yaaleh.” The song’s soft and gentle tone has the power to comfort the inconsolable. The soothing words are calming and reassuring even to a child who cannot express her pain. This song acts as a magic pain reliever for Esty, who has learned to articulate the word “Yaaleh” when she feels she needs to calm down.

MBD'S TAKE

“Wow, very touching story. In fact, this song has touched so many hearts, especially during the Yamim Noraim, as it was being sung in many shuls throughout the Jewish world on Kol Nidre night.”

 (Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 738)