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Zeh Sefer Toledot Adam (​ז​ה ס​פ​ר ת​ו​ל​ד​ו​ת א​ד​ם​, "This is the Story of What it Means to Be Human")

from BeKhavod (With Dignity) - ב​כ​ב​ו​ד by Jonah Rank Liturgy

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about

I wrote this to give musical grounding to the big ideas we're going to discuss in the Kehilat Hanahar Shul School this year when we discuss the theme of Zeh Sefer Toledot Adam ("This is the story of what it means to be human")(from Genesis 5:1).

Almost 2,000 years ago, as Sifra Kedoshim 2:4 recalls, Rabbi Akiva and Ben Azzai argued over what the greatest principle of the Torah is. Rabbi Akiva contended that "You shall love your peer as you love yourself" (of Leviticus 19:18) was the greatest principle. Recognizing the exclusionary nature of this verse, Ben Azzai taught that the most important phrase in the Torah was from Genesis 5:1: "These are the generations of Adam"--the notion that all of humanity must originate from the same place and nobody could therefore be of greater ethnicity, race, ancestry, or genetics than another person.

Honoring that Adam's name means "humanity," I have opted for a more expansive interpretation/translation of Ben Azzai's words--that radical inclusivity, a profound understanding of diversity, a baseless love for all humans, is the ultimate purpose of the Torah.

This is the story of what it means to be human. And, yes, the rest is commentary.

lyrics

Zeh sefer toledot adam. | זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֺת אָדָם.
Zeh sefer toledot adam. | זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֺת אָדָם.
Zeh sefer toledot adam. | זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֺת אָדָם.
Zeh sefer toledot adam. | זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֺת אָדָם.

Every human has Godliness.
Every human has holiness.
Every human's owed righteousness.
Every human's story is this:

Zeh sefer toledot adam. | זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֺת אָדָם.
Zeh sefer toledot adam. | זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֺת אָדָם.
Zeh sefer toledot adam. | זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֺת אָדָם.
Zeh sefer toledot adam. | זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֺת אָדָם.

Every human has Godliness.
Every human has holiness.
Every human's owed righteousness.
Every human's story is this:

Zeh sefer toledot adam. | זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֺת אָדָם.
Zeh sefer toledot adam. | זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֺת אָדָם.
Zeh sefer toledot adam. | זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֺת אָדָם.
Zeh sefer toledot adam. | זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֺת אָדָם.

Every human has Godliness.
Every human has holiness.
Every human's owed righteousness.
Every human's story is this:

credits

from BeKhavod (With Dignity) - ב​כ​ב​ו​ד, released October 14, 2020
Vocals and instruments: Rabbi Jonah Rank
Music by Rabbi Jonah Rank.
Words borrowed and adapted from Genesis 5:1 by Rabbi Jonah Rank and music by Rabbi Jonah Rank.

Copyright 2020

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Jonah Rank Liturgy Natick, Massachusetts

Rabbi Jonah Rank is a musician, writer, and teacher. At JonahRankLiturgy, Rabbi Jonah Rank posts recordings of traditional tunes for educational purposes as well as original tunes for lesser-sung texts--and then the occasional something else.

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