T

he rarefied atmosphere of the Yamim Noraim, a blend of awe and longing and intense prayer, is closely tied to the solemn tunes and the stirring words. The power of a niggun to awaken our hearts is a blessing which comes into its own at this auspicious time of year.

Which song or niggun creates that special Yamim Noraim feeling for you?

Agudah Executive Vice President Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel

The niggun I most enjoy singing around our Rosh Hashanah seudah table is “Mechalkeil Chayim,” which I learned as a young boy listening to Modzitzer Favorites Volume 2, and which I had the zechus to sing alongside Reb Ben Zion Shenker a”h in the presence of the Modzitzer Rebbe at a gathering hosted a few years ago by my friend Reb Shmuel Dovid Spira. The niggun is intricate, beautiful, majestic, and inspiring. We say this tefillah three times a day, but Klal Yisrael has a special minhag to sing “Mechalkeil Chayim” on the Yamim Noraim, reflecting our acknowledgement at these critical moments of Hashem’s awesome power and loving-kindness. Singing the remarkable words of our daily Shemoneh Esreh to this particular niggun brings out the grandeur of the Yamim Noraim like no other niggun I can think of.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 726)