Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Songwriter Yuval Dayan was hosted yesterday by the "Nifgashot" workshop. Here are some of her thoughts as expressed to hundreds of girls in Israel and around the world.:
- "When I began to keep Shabbat, I understood why not to use a cell phone, but not the prohibition on playing a guitar. Today I understand. On Saturday night, I have electricity in my fingers when I return to the guitar. The Shabbat song I love most is 'I yearn for Hashem,' which speaks of yearnings and longings. In my opinion yearning is the strongest motivating force in the universe. In the word ga'agua (yearning), the word 'ga' (touch) appears twice. It touches and it doesn't; it comes close and drifts away. That is me and music. In my opinion, my most beautiful tunes were written on Saturday night."
- "In Megilat Esther, Haman tells Ahasuerus: 'There is a certain people scattered and separate among the nations.' This is how the genocidal decree begins, from the fact that we are weak and not united. In such a situation, Haman can wipe us out, heaven forbid. Unfortunately, I feel this today as well, especially with the elections. But the situation outside is just a mirror, a reflection, of the situation inside my soul. This is a personal fact of life for all of us. If I smile at a neighbor who took my parking space -- I draw a small circle of light that will glow and reverberate beyond. Ultimately, what happens depends on every one of us."
- "Judaism repairs me. I feel that I have begun an infinite journey towards precision and improvement. We are accustomed to say that spiritual people do not understand business or the bottom line, but on Shabbat I realized this is not correct. Spiritual people make the best investment. They invest in what is eternal and not in what is fleeting."
