Depeche Mode's "Enjoy The Silence" And Holding Ones Tongue

י"ב לחודש האחד עשר תשע"ג

The lyrics to Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" are found below after the video box.  Many have called this song one of Depeche Mode's trademark songs.

I suggest that there are hints to the Laws of Guarding the Tongue.

I believe that these hints are in the form of hakhmah (wisdom), hakhmah worthy of our attention.

I did not go through any body of halakhah (Jewish Law) vis-a-vis the lyrics, which records the Laws of Guarding the Tongue such as the Hofetz Hayim or the Mishneh Torah of the Ramba"m.  When going through the lyrics, I only made a few common sense notes here and there.

I believe that you will get the idea.

Warning: This video was filmed on top of one of the World Trade Center towers.  So, if you find this to be kind of creepy, or if this bothers you in any other way, you can easily find another version on your favorite video hosting site.

Dave Gahan-Lead Vocals, Martin Gore-Guitar,  
Andy Fletcher-Keyboards (short hair), Alan Wilder-Keyboards (long hair)

ENJOY THE SILENCE

Martin Gore, 1989

Words like violence 

Break the silence 

Come crashing in 

Into my little world 

Painful to me 

Pierce right through me 

Can't you understand 

Oh my little girl 

All I ever wanted 

All I ever needed 

Is here in my arms 

Words are very unnecessary 

They can only do harm 

Vows are spoken 

To be broken 

Feelings are intense 

Words are trivial 

Pleasures remain 

So does the pain 

Words are meaningless 

And forgettable 

All I ever wanted 

All I ever needed 

Is here in my arms 

Words are very unnecessary 

They can only do harm

Enjoy the silence 

*Lyrics obtained from Lyrics Freak

Words like violence...painful to me, pierce right through me
Words can be hurtful...  "Sticks and stone make break my bones, but names can kill me."

Vows are spoken, to be broken,...words are trivial
Talk is cheap.  It is more important to walk the walk, than to talk the talk. (See below)

Words are meaningless, and forgettable
Actions speak louder than words.

Words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm

And something else comes to mind...

 משנה אבות א,טז  [יז] שמעון בנו אומר, כל ימיי גדלתי בין החכמים, ולא מצאתי לגוף טוב אלא שתיקה; ולא המדרש הוא העיקר, אלא המעשה; וכל המרבה דברים, מביא חטא

Minshnah Avoth 1:16 [17] Shimon his son says: All my days I have been raised among the Sages, and I found nothing better for oneself than silence; not study, but practice is the main thing; and one who talks excessively brings on sin.

Just my Esser Agaroth (2¢)....

The Power Of Love

11 of the Second Month 5769

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door

Feels like fire
I'm so in love with you
Dreams are like angels
They keep bad at bay-bad at bay
Love is the light
Scaring darkness away-yeah

I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

[1]-The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down I'll be around
With my undying, death-defying
Love for you

Envy will hurt itself
Let yourself be beautiful
Sparkling love, flowers
And pearls and pretty girls
Love is like an energy
Rushin' rushin' inside of me

[Repeat 1]

This time we go sublime
Lovers entwine-divine divine
Love is danger, love is pleasure
Love is pure-the only treasure

I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
The power of love
A force from above
A sky-scraping dove

Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door

A beautiful poem, no?

These words are also the lyrics to one of my favorite, slow songs, "The Power Of Love," by Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1983), not the first musical group which comes to mind when reading the content of Esser Agaroth. In fact, many of you will cower when you see this group's photos and read its bio.

So is it hakhmath hagoyim (non-Jewish wisdom)? Or is it a foreign influence from which we must withdraw.

I don't exactly struggle with this question, but I do go back and forth on the proper approach to it constantly.

Would I say to some kid from the Me'ah She'arim neighborhood, "Hey, come with me to a concert." No, of course not.

Would I share song lyrics as poetry with a 30-year-old, hassidishe friend in B'nei Braq who has an interest in music. Yeah, I might. Is that bad?

Not only would I be careful about sharing the music, but also the content of the lyrics. But would that lead him to investigate Western culture and popular music further? And, then where would that lead him?

Maybe it's just OK for someone like me who was already exposed to such music in Southern California (and for my frum friends from New York, London and Antwerp who were exposed to the same), and survived relatively unscathed. Or is it?

Just how powerful is the power of love?

Please opine below.

Shmagged!

Hanukkah Day 5/Erev Rosh Hodesh Ha'Asiri 5768

There is an expression of sorts:

"Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it."

Well, I happened to have mentioned to Jacob Da Jew, and a few other bloggers that I would not actually mind being "tagged" to do a meme.

Jacob took me up on that, and "shmagged" me, which I suppose is something like being "tagged." Well, that's how I intend to interpret it.

Of course, knowing MY luck, I get tagged for a very loooooooong meme, you know the "Number 8" one that's been going around.

Why 8, and not 5 or 10? I don't know.

But, here are some interesting notes on the number 8:

I was born on the 8th day of the Sixth Month (Ellul).

The gematriah qetanah of my full name is 8.

As 7 in the number of Shabbath, 8 is the number of Mossa'ei Shabbath (Saturday night), as well as HaOlam HaBa (The World To Come).

And, of course, this post is written during Hanukkah, which has 8 days.

8 passions in my life:

• Authentic Judaism
• Correspondence
• Communication
• Writing
• The Beach
• Meeting New People
• Science Fiction/Fantasy
• Coffee

8 Things to do before I die:

• Get married
• Have children
• Write a book
• Publish said book
• Complete the Ramba"m's Mishnah Torah with Rav Yosef Qafah's ztz"l perush
• Achieve spiritual maturity
• Own my own home
• Write another book

8 Things that I say often:

• Right (alla Dr. Evil in "Austin Powers")
• What's up?
• By the way...
• Um,..'K (alla Kyle from "South Park")
• Mah Nishma'? (Heb.: "What's up?")
• Slihah (Heb.: "Please, get out of my way.")
• Nu. b'Emet! (Heb.: "Oh, puh-lease!")
• K'ilu (Heb.: "like")

8 books I read recently:
(The answer to this can be found in my cool, "Good Reads" widget. It actually lists 20 books. In the event the widget is being insolent, you can view the 8 most recent books I read in the comments section.)

I thought Jacob might be interested in Good Reads. He [and you] can click on my Good Reads Profile above, join in, and add me as a friend.


8 Songs that mean something to me:

• Roam - The B-52's, 1990
• Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode, 1990 (video)
• Never Let Me Down - Depeche Mode, 1987
• It's A Wonderful Life - Black, 1987
• Shake The Disease - Depeche Mode, 1985
• The Power Of Love - Frankie Goes To Hollywood, 1984
• The Look Of Love - ABC, 1982
• Poison Arrow - ABC, 1982

8 things I look for in a friend:

• Listens
• Loyalty
• Hold a decent and intelligent conversation
• Have something in common with me
• Doesn't take my inventory (heshbon nefesh)
• Doesn't use the word "should" with me
• Doesn't take crap from me
• Is a Virgo, Capricorn, or Pisces (not a hard & fast rule)

I think I'll just let others "shmag" themselves.

Lyrics: "Let My People Go"

Mossa'ei Shabbath HaGadol 5766

I don't know how many of you sang this as a kid growing up in Galuth (I never did.), or even heard of it. But, every year a friend of mine, a Rav In Me'ah She'arim of all people, asks me or another friend to look up the lyrics for him. Even though he and his wife have lived in Israel for almost forty years, and their Seder Leil HaPesah is conducted in Yiddish and Hebrew, they don't feel "yoetzei min hahovah" without the singing of this song.

To each his own....


(Negro Spiritual/X-ian stanza removed - Author Unknown)

When Israel was in Egypt's Land,
Let my people go,
Oppressed so hard they could not stand,
Let my people go.

CHORUS:
Go down Moses
Way down in egypt land
Tell ol' Pharoh
Let my people go!

Thus saith the Lord, bold Moses said,
Let my people go,
If not, I'll smite your first-born dead,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

No more shall they in bondage toil,
Let my people go,
Let them come out with Egypt's spoil,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

The Lord told Moses what to do,
Let my people go,
To lead the Hebrew children through,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

O come along Moses, you'll not get lost,
Let my people go,
Stretch out your rod and come across,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

As Israel stood by the waterside,
Let my people go,
At God's command it did divide,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

When they reached the other shore,
Let my people go,
They sang a song of triumph o'er,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

Pharaoh said he'd go across,
Let my people go,
But Pharaoh and his host were lost,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

Jordan shall stand up like a wall,
Let my people go,
And the walls of Jericho shall fall,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

Your foes shall not before you stand,
Let my people go,
And you'll possess fair Canaan's land,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

We need not always weep and mourn,
Let my people go,
And wear these slavery chains forlorn,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

Lyrics: "Oh, Once There Was A Wicked, Wicked Man..."

Purim d'Muqafin 5766

Esser Agaroth
in Purim costume

Yeah, I know this tardy, but I was asked to put this up on my blog. Perhaps some of you who have decided to continue your Purim "festivities," whatever that means, will find it useful. Otherwise, I'll just keep it stored here, so I don't have to go tracking it down again next year.

I would, of course, NEVER suggest replacing "Haman" with the name of your favorite Israeli politician, for that might be considered hasatah (incitement), which is illegal in Israel. Sorry to ruin your Purim with the news that freedom of speech doesn't really exist in Israel....

Anyway, the words were uncovered in the WWG (World Wide Genizah) by the Kalashnikover Rebbe, who also provides the "Hallachic" commentary below.

OH ONCE THERE WAS A WICKED, WICKED MAN...

Traditional Purim Song, Composer Unknown

Oh once there was a wicked wicked man,
And Haman was his name, Sir.
He would have murdered all the Jews,
Tho they were not to blame, Sir.


CHORUS:
Oh today we'll merry merry be
Oh today we'll merry merry be
Oh today we'll merry merry be
And nosh some hamentashen.


And Esther was the lovely queen of King Ahashveyrosh
When Haman said he'd kill us all,
Oh my how he did scare us.

CHORUS

But Mordechai her cousin bold
Said: "What a dreadful chutzpah
If guns were but invented now,
This Haman I would shoot, Sir."

CHORUS

The Kalashnikover Rebbe: There is a machloichis (disagreement) whether or not this verse (*) really belongs in the girsa (version). A vast majority of posqim (Jewish legal authorities) leave it out.

*When Esther speaking to the King
Of Haman's plot made mention
"Ha, ha," said he, "Oh, no he won't!
I'll spoil his bad intention."*

CHORUS

The guest of honor he shall be,
This clever Mr. Smarty
And high above us he shall swing
At a little hanging party.

CHORUS

Of all his cruel and unkind ways
This little joke did cure him
And don't forget we owe him thanks
For this jolly feast of Purim.

*********************************

This song can be found on Zemerl, a great source for Jewish song lyrics in Hebrew, English, Yiddish, and Ladino.

*********************************

See this, and other Jewish and Israel-oriented blog posts at Haveil Havelim #62.