One of my favorite singers is Dedi Graucher, z”l. When I was in yeshiva high school, we used to sing and dance to his hit “Hu Yigal” from his album Omnon, released in 1994, which I think was his best. “Hu Yigal” was the ultimate dancing song. It used to be played at many parties and events. So why was I reminded of Dedi now? Because this week’s parsha, Lech Lecha, and also the haftarah, contain the lyrics for four (!) of his songs. (Bonus: There are also the lyrics for one of Avraham Fried’s hits in the haftarah.)
Oded (Dedi) Graucher was a singer and a businessman. He grew up in Giv’atayim, went to Yeshivat Bnei Akiva in Kfar Haroeh for high school, and later studied in Yeshivat Beit El. Already as a kid, and later in high school, he sang in choirs. Over the course of his career, Dedi released several albums. He also performed a few times at the HASC concert, “A Time For Music.” In general, Dedi did a lot of chesed. While he was considered a “chasidic” singer, some of his songs are very Zionist and patriotic and talk about our zechus (right) to be in Eretz Yisrael – something we find less among other classical chasidic singers.
In Parshat Lech Lecha, Hashem promises Avraham the land of Israel. He tells Avraham to leave his homeland and go to Eretz Yisrael. He then tells Avraham to tour the land. Touring the land by foot became, over the years, one of the central ideas in the Zionist movement. In the first years of the modern state of Israel, being a sayar – one who walks and tours the land – was one of the most admired things one could do. One of the most famous of the sayarim is perhaps Meir Har-Zion, z”l, who was one of the members of the legendary commando unit, Unit 101.
One of Dedi Graucher’s most famous and popular songs is “Lecho Etein” – also from the album Omnon – and the lyrics are from our parsha, Lech Lecha.
The song opens with the pasuk from the parsha to introduce it: “Lecha etein et haaretz hazot, et haaretz, haaretz hazot, u’varech kol minei t’vuata letova vetein bracha al pnei haadama” – To you [Avraham] I will give this land, and bless its many different crops, and give a blessing over the land itself.
Then, after the famous saxophone intro, the first verse: “Ki et kol haaretz asher ata roeh, lecha etnena u’l’zaracha ad olam” – Because this entire land that you see, I will give to you and to your descendants forever.
In these words of the parsha, Hashem promises Avraham that He’ll give this land – the Land of Israel – to Avraham and his descendants. Unfortunately, over the years some Jews have “forgotten” that this land belongs to us. Not only Jews, sometimes even our best friends among the nations forget this simple fact – that the whole land belongs to us. From north to south, east to west. So, if a very good friend, for example, remembers that in the north the Golan Heights belong to us, and recognizes that Jerusalem belongs to us, we should remind them that in the south, also Gaza belongs to Am Israel, and in the east, Judea and Samaria belong to Am Israel. Even very good friends sometimes need reminders about this.
Another song whose lyrics are from the parsha and which also talks about our rights in Eretz Yisrael is “Lo Nazuz” from the album Adon Hashalom which was released in 1999.
The song begins with an electric guitar intro: “Lo lo lo, lo nazuz mi’po” – No, no, no, we will not move from here.
After the brass and strings intro, the first verse begins with the pasuk from the parsha: “Kum hithalech le’orka ul’rochba, el haaretz asher areka” – Get up and walk the length and width of the land, the land that I will show you.
“Lech lecha, lech lecha me’artzecha u’mimoladetecha, lech lecha mibeit avicha el haaretz asher areka” – Go from your homeland to the land that I will show you, go from your father’s home to the land I will show you.
“Lo lo lo, lo nazuz mipo, shelanu Eretz Israel. Lo lo lo, lo nazuz mipo, kakatuv beTorat Yisrael” – No no no, we will not move from here, Israel belongs to us. No no no, we will not move from here, as it is written in the Torah.
And Dedi keeps singing and repeating this paragraph in the song, as if saying to all our enemies: We will not move out from Israel. This is our land.
In the haftarah of the parsha, we also have lyrics to two other popular songs of Dedi’s. One is “V’kovei Hashem” from his album V’Ohavto, which was composed by Ishay Lapidot. It’s the opening song on the album and also one of Dedi’s most popular songs. The song begins with an electric guitar solo and strings in the background; then Dedi enters slowly with the first verse, until the song becomes upbeat.
“V’kovei Hashem yachalifu ko’ach, yaalu ever ka’n’sharim. Yelchu velo yi’afu…” – Those who trust in Hashem will renew their strength, will rise like eagles, they will go forward and not tire…
The other Dedi song whose lyrics are from this week’s haftarah is a less famous one – “Al Tira.” If you search for this song among Dedi’s albums, you won’t find it. While writing this column, I remembered this song which I always thought I knew from one of Dedi’s albums, so I opened my music library and searched for it. (I usually listen to the songs I write about before including them – it’s also a good opportunity to listen again to songs I like.) But I couldn’t find it. OK, let’s try Google and YouTube, I thought. Couldn’t find the song. But I remember it – I’m sure it’s one of the songs that Dedi used to sing. I used to listen to it when I was younger. It’s very upbeat, with a good rhythm. And I also want you to enjoy it. I had to find it!
A few more searches on Google, and the mystery was solved. The song was composed by the talented composer Avi Fishoff and is the eighth song in his album Solid Gold, Vol. 1, released in 1995, which features Dedi Graucher performing this song.
It turns out that Solid Gold, Vol. 1 is part of a series of three albums on which Avi Fishoff cooperated with all the big names in chasidic music. (Sometimes I also learn something new.)
The last song I’d like to review today, whose lyrics are also from the haftarah, is “Chazak!” by Avraham Fried, from his album of the same name which was released in 1998. Today, I’m not sure at how many weddings Chazak! is still played, but it used to be a big hit. I like this song because it’s very upbeat and also fun to play. If you go to my YouTube channel, you can even hear me playing it.
The album also has some other hits such as “Didoh Bei,” “Modeh Ani,” and “Le’Binyomin.” While today I have it on my HiFi music player, take one guess as to how I used to listen to this album when I was younger… You’re right, it was on my old Walkman.
The song starts with an upbeat intro of electric guitar, drums, and brass, and then it continues with a great rhythm. “Ish et reehu yaazoru u’le’achiv yomar chazak. Oy yoy yoy yoy yoy, Nashir beyachad, oy yoy yoy yoy yoy, Chazak” – A man will help his fellow and will say to his brother, ‘Be strong! We’ll sing together… Be strong. “Chazak chazak v’nitchazek, chazak, chazak… Ad biyat Go’el oy yoy yoy yoy yoy, chazak – strong, strong, and we’ll get stronger…until Moshiach comes.
Shabbat Shalom.