https://www.nigunmusic.com/venigla-kvod-hashem.html
Here are the ‘words’ of my album. I really want people to derive the most from these songs, so, instead of a little card or small paper, this booklet was produced with all the lyrics clearly printed, בס״ד [with the help of Heaven], with translations, annotations – including the sources of quotes and phrases. In addition, where translation was insufficient, Kaviyochol Rashi (KR) and Kaviyochol Tos’fos (KT), accompany the songs. What’s that?
Rashi is of course, the ‘Rabban Shel Yisroel’, who, besides his commentary on all of Tanach, (the written Torah) is also the fundamental teacher of the ‘p’shat’ of the Talmud, the Gemara.
The p’shat means the plain and ‘simple’ meaning of the text. Tos’fos means ‘additional material’, and the great Ba’alei Tos’fos, deal with more involved questions and contradictions between texts, etc. (This feeble and deficient attempt to describe Rashi and Tos’fos and differentiate between them is, also, by no means definitive. Sometimes Rashi does what was just attributed to Tos’fos, and Tos’fos seems to just ‘give’ the p’shat, like Rashi.)
Kaviyochol – means: ‘as if it could be’; as if it could be possible as if it could be said.
Obviously, my little comments on these little songs cannot be spoken of in the same context as the real Rashi and Tos’fos, mega-giants in every way, upon whom the world’s existence stands. I’m only calling it KR and KT to signal the
nature of the comment.
About the translations: I take full responsibility for the choice of English; so no one need accord it excessive respect. Although I was tremendously aided by ArtScroll and Metsudah, and also others, I preferred, usually, to translate the Hebrew and Aramaic exactly as is written; what it actually says, not what I and ‘everyone’ ‘know’ it means to say. One example: ”’ ברוך הגבר אשר יבטח בה ““Blessed is the man who will trust in Hashem. Most would translate that as “who trusts in Hashem”. (Isn’t that really the point of the verse? Why, indeed, the future tense?) And, in fact, the great community of talmidei chachomim (Torah scholars), which is ArtScroll, and also Metzudah, do have the broad shoulders to translate regularly into sensible neat English that doesn’t leave confusing questions hanging. But I’m just me. I felt that I have to translate the words as they are. And if they sound funny, and questions are provoked – GREAT! Since that’s what Hashem said – He meant it! It’s for us to learn better the deeper implications of the Torah words. Learn! Learn the mefarshim [commentaries]! Learn! I wasn’t given any mandate to smooth things over and make them simple and
nice. On the other hand, I passionately want people to understand these fantastic quotes; I simply had to provide translation.
