Rabbi Akiva reminds us how lucky we are, as human beings, to have been created בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים. Guided by Rabbi Akiva’s teachings, let us recognize the divine essence within ourselves and others. The world was created for us – בשבילי נברא העולם and as we enrich ourselves, we enrich the world around us. אם אין אני לי מי לי True unity requires diversity. True strength requires vulnerability. As the lyrics and melody of this song shift, change, and transform, I am reminded of our interconnectedness as reflections of the one above. We must honor the unity that binds us, leave our differences behind, transcending linguistic differences to embrace our shared essence. This song was inspired by a conversation I had with Shai a few years ago. We were having fresh tea in the garden outside Shai’s home near Yerushalayim and reflecting on the power, nuance, and beauty of language, as well as the unified connections between selfishness and selflessness, care for ourselves and for others, seemingly opposite but complementary to each other. We developed these concepts right then into the seedlings for a song. The idea, and the music Shai and I wrote, blossomed after I had the privilege to connect with the incredible and talented songwriter Miriam Israeli while she was visiting New York. I explained the concept, and Miriam wrote incredible, sophisticated lyrics that capture these concepts perfectly. I love how the final result came out. The fun, linguistic nuance and the upbeat melody interconnect into a unified, deeply meaningful message. I hope you find as much joy in this melodic interplay as I do. ♥️Bracha