There are very deep ideas contained in this song, which got me thinking about what had originally inspired me to put out this song. It was not something I planned. It actually just came to me.
I was sitting one day with my daughter on a swing. She almost fell off, and I caught her in midair. At that moment, it hit me so clearly. Just like I was watching her, catching her, Hashem is watching us all the time. Protecting us. Holding us even when we do not realize it. Internalizing this is so crucial to building our bitachon and achieving deveikus with Avinu Shebashamayim.
I felt a strong responsibility to put this song out because there is so much darkness in the world right now. I am exposed to so many painful stories. Endless stories of people giving up, people losing hope, people giving in to yiush.
I kept thinking about something fundamental. We have a living leader, Dovid Melech Yisroel chai v’kayam. In Dovid HaMelech, alive and real, we have a king who wrote songs that are not just a part of our history, but are a living testimony to what we believe in so deeply. These songs are alive in every neshama. They are here for us to connect to, to draw strength from, to scream, “Shomer Yisroel, Hashem, You are my protector, my guardian, my security!” One passuk here could mamash save a person’s life.
Imagine how dark life becomes when all you see is what is in front of your eyes and nothing more.
The ability to close our eyes and focus on this truth, to scream to ourselves and to the world, “We have a Shomer. We have Someone who is watching us, guarding us, protecting us, waiting for us, knowing us,” is so necessary right now. Especially in times of hester panim, when He feels hidden, when the pain feels overwhelming.
One night, recently, I could not fall asleep. After hearing another heartbreaking story it just made me think of the levels of pain people are living with. That is why it is so important to bring the light of this song into every place and every dimension of being.
That is why I am screaming out this song. “Shomer Yisroel” is not just a concept. We are not alone. We are connected. We are one.
In these times of Ikvisa D’Meshicha, as we feel the birth pangs of Moshiach, it is so integral that we cry out as one unit. Many individual souls, connected together across the world, building our connection to one another, ultimately gathering in strength to greet the coming of Moshiach.
Hold on. These are the moments before morning, and the light of Geulah is so very close.
B’ahava,
Rav Avshi
Song Name
Shomer Yisrael
singers
Rav Avshi Weingot & \ Chaim Ghoori
LYRICS
גם כי אלך בגיא צלמוות
לא אירא רע כי אתה עימדי
הנה לא ינום ולא יישן
שומר ישראל
Shomer Yisrael
We’re not afraid, He is with us
He’s watching me, He’s watching us
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 75.