A MELODY & SONG ON PSALMS 42 by R’ Gedaliah Aharon Kenig, zt”l

Recorded in the New York studios of WBAI Radio on March 4, 1979 (Yiddish / English)

Expression of yearning. When the world needs water, the gazelle (אילת) must yearn and cry out to God to bless the world with rain. Only she can succeed as she is the most “pious” of the animals. This is an allegory for the geula (redemption) and how the heart cries out to God to let it cleave to Him. The heart thirsts, crying, “When will I merit to come before You?”

This niggun (melody) was compsed by Reb Sender Terhovitze, a close student of Reb Noson. It expresses his own personal cry. The song ends with a more joyous niggun without words, expressing that God has heard and answered our prayer.