Singer Yuda Releases New Song Inspired by Song of Songs, Featuring Rabbi's Voice

Israeli singer and songwriter Yuda has released a new single titled "Tagal," drawing inspiration from the biblical "Song of Songs." The song reimagines the narrative of the lover and beloved from the biblical text, infusing it with a yearning for redemption.

Yuda explained in an interview that the song incorporates verses from the "Song of Songs," which he adapted and supplemented with his own lyrics and rhymes. He specifically referenced the passage "The voice of my beloved is knocking," describing the lover's persistent knocking and the beloved's eventual, delayed response, mirroring the biblical story. The song follows key moments from chapter five of the "Song of Songs," starting with "I sleep, but my heart is awake" and including the lover's plea, "Open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one," culminating in the beloved's discovery that her lover has departed.

Central to the song is Yuda's repeated refrain "Tagal oti" (Redeem me), which transforms the romantic longing between the lovers into a prayer for spiritual redemption. The single also features poignant, recorded excerpts of Yuda's late mentor, Rabbi Benjamin Rosenzweig, which are integrated at the beginning and end of the track. Yuda described these recordings as "trembling" and significant to the song's emotional depth.