I write the following assuming that it's news to you. If I'm telling you things you already know, I apologize.
The core of this song, which is explicitly Cohen talking to G-d, is "Hineni". In Hebrew, this is a special word, used only a handful of times in the Bible. Each time it's used, the speaker is someone central and they are speaking directly to G-d. Like, when Moses encounters the burning bush and G-d calls to Moses, the response is "Hineni".
I means, trivially, "I'm here" or "here I am" but that misses the import of it. Hineni is about being in a place totally, wholly, and in readiness. Hineni is something you say when you recognize you are at a turning point in your life.
There's a prayer written around it (*looks it up*) dating back to the 16th century that is said/sung on Yom Kippur. There's a lot to be said about that, too, and its use and meaning but I'm still not certain if I'm telling you things you already know or don't want to know so I'll stfu.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2019-01-31 10:05 pm (UTC)The core of this song, which is explicitly Cohen talking to G-d, is "Hineni". In Hebrew, this is a special word, used only a handful of times in the Bible. Each time it's used, the speaker is someone central and they are speaking directly to G-d. Like, when Moses encounters the burning bush and G-d calls to Moses, the response is "Hineni".
I means, trivially, "I'm here" or "here I am" but that misses the import of it. Hineni is about being in a place totally, wholly, and in readiness. Hineni is something you say when you recognize you are at a turning point in your life.
There's a prayer written around it (*looks it up*) dating back to the 16th century that is said/sung on Yom Kippur. There's a lot to be said about that, too, and its use and meaning but I'm still not certain if I'm telling you things you already know or don't want to know so I'll stfu.