[ April 23, 2024 ]
As Yom Kippur approaches, what could be more appropriate?
Leonard Cohen’s famous song “Who by fire” is his personal version of the Hebrew Yom Kippur prayer Unetanneh Tokef.
Who By Fire
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Leonard Cohen
And who by fire, who by water
Who in the sunshine, who in the night time
Who by high ordeal, who by common trial
Who in your merry merry month of may
Who by very slow decay
And who shall I say is calling?
And who in her lonely slip, who by barbiturate
Who in these realms of love, who by something blunt
Who by avalanche, who by powder
Who for his greed, who for his hunger
And who shall I say is calling?
And who by brave assent, who by accident
Who in solitude, who in this mirror
Who by his lady’s command, who by his own hand
Who in mortal chains, who in power
And who shall I say is calling?
From the liturgy of the Day of Atonement, there is this prayer.
Rosh Hashanah is the New Year in the Jewish liturgy. The Book of Life
contents the fate of every sinner. Ten days later, at Yom Kippur,
depending on whether the sinner repents or not, his fate is sealed
On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed
And on Yom Kippur it is sealed
How many shall die and how many shall be born
Who shall live and who shall die
Who at the measure of days and who before
Who by fire and who by water
Who by the sword and who by wild beasts
Who by hunger and who by thirst
Who by earthquake and who by plague
Who by strangling and who by stoning
Who shall have rest and who shall go wandering
Who will be tranquil and who shall be harassed
Who shall be at ease and who shall be afflicted
Who shall become poor and who shall become rich
Who shall be brought low and who shall be raised high.
The existence of a Book Of life (Book of Living) first appears
in Exodus Chap. 32. Moses asking God atonement for his people.
Lord said him “Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot
out of my book”. In Psalm 69 (verse 28)David prays the Lord for
the sinners : “..Let them be blotted out of the book of life”.
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3 Comments
4 years ago
He’s been amazing. RIP.
4 years ago
A beautiful ballad that never fails to raise one’s understanding of the meaning of life.
4 years ago
I wanted to thank you for all you do Pamela, and for inspiring us all with this amazing work by Leonard Cohen, which inspired me to write this:
The Who & Why (Prayer for Yom Kippur & tribute to Leonard Cohen)
Perched up on this garden wall, with skies above the hills below…
Who sees the common ebb and flow, the who that come, and where they go?
Who brought the rain and summer train to steam across the western plain…
for eastern gain who looks above to thank the dove for songs that bring the morning love?
Who feels our children’s yearning cry, starved for the answer to the question why…
Who minds the reap, and fields the sow before each winter’s coming snow…
Who by Fire and Who by Rain to live and die, and live again, and never know…
…The Who and Why? ~ CM 10/5
