Hanan Ben Ari Reveals Hesitation to Use God's Name in Songs
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Singer Hanan Ben Ari revealed he avoided using the divine name "Hashem" in his songs, preferring "Elokim," fearing the former was too religiously imposing. He shared this at a memorial for Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach in Efrat. Ben Ari felt the events of October 7th, which "broke the heart," also opened people to deeper messages, making him feel it was finally the right time to release his song "Hashivenu."
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hanan Ben Ari avoided using "Hashem" in songs, preferring "Elokim" due to perceived religious imposition.
- Ben Ari shared his reflections on faith and his song "Hashivenu" at a Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach memorial.
- He felt disillusioned by religious study that seemed detached from nature and simple life.
- Ben Ari feared the Israeli public's reaction to the direct religious message of "Hashivenu."
- He believes the events of October 7th opened hearts to deeper, faith-based messages.
Israeli singer and songwriter Hanan Ben Ari shared personal reflections on faith and his connection to Judaism during a memorial event for Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach in the settlement of Efrat. Speaking at the event, hosted by singer Shlomo Katz, Ben Ari discussed his song "Hashivenu" and his past reluctance to use the divine name "Hashem" (The Name) in his performances, preferring "Elokim" (God).
Ben Ari explained that he found "Elokim" to be more accessible and natural for audiences, while "Hashem" felt more imposing and associated with religious indoctrination. He described a personal journey where he felt disillusioned by aspects of religious study that seemed detached from everyday life, leading him to seek a more grounded approach to faith. He stated, "I felt that I, too, was looking for something natural in my adult life, perhaps because I was a little disappointed by the world of Torah that tried to speak in lofty terms, above nature, and didn't even achieve nature." He added, "Torah that tried to be higher than the simplest things, didn't achieve even the simple things."
He revealed that he hesitated for a long time to release "Hashivenu" due to concerns about how the Israeli public would react to its direct religious message. Ben Ari mentioned that the melody circulated for a long time before he felt ready to release it, noting that people in Efrat sang it for two years before he felt the time was right. He feared the audience would be startled by the song's overt faith-based themes.
However, Ben Ari believes the events of October 7th created a shift in perspective. He suggested that the profound heartbreak experienced on that day opened hearts to deeper messages. "Something on October 7th, I think, broke the heart so much, when the heart breaks, it also opens, it opens to listen to deeper things," he stated.