OMG (Mah Tovu)

A storytelling setting of Mah Tovu, the prayer traditionally sung as we enter a place of worship. Mah tovu ohalecha Ya'akov, mishk'notecha Yisrael: how good are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel.

The chorus carries "Oh my God, your work is great, these tents of Jacob's, they are first rate." The verses tell the biblical story behind the prayer: King Balak, the sorcerer Balaam, his talking donkey, and the moment Balaam opens his mouth to curse the Jewish people and a blessing comes out instead. A perfect song to pair with the study of Parshat Balak.

What's included:

Lead sheet PDF with melody line, chord symbols, and lyrics in English and Hebrew transliteration. Original composition by Dr. Emily Aronoff, copyright 2012. Suitable for guitar, ukulele, or piano accompaniment.

Best fit:

Songleaders, music specialists, cantorial soloists, and music-reading grown ups working with kiddos roughly ages 5-10. Lands at religious school, Jewish day school, family services, b'nai mitzvah programming when Parshat Balak is the portion, and any morning prayer service where Mah Tovu opens the worship. Pairs well with a kiddo-illustration project: print the lyrics, ask each kiddo to illustrate a line, and bind the pages into a book that tells the story.

Delivery: Instant PDF download. Print-friendly.

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