As America moves from National Shabbat into Rededicate 250 weekend, Ishay Ribo’s Ochila LaKel calls us to wait for G‑d, guard our words, and begin the work of renewal

When a Song Becomes a Mirror

There are moments when a song becomes more than a melody. It becomes a mirror; reflecting back who we are, what we long for, and the kind of people G-d is calling us to be. This weekend, as America marked National Shabbat and stepped into the Rededicate 250 season, I found myself listening again to Ishay Ribo’s Ochila LaKel — “I Shall Await the Lord.”

The song opens with a simple, ancient plea: “I shall await the Lord, I shall entreat His favor; I shall ask Him to grant my tongue eloquence.” It echoes the Psalmist’s cry: “O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise” (Psalm 51:17). Hearing it, I felt something shift. The song is not only about waiting for G-d. It is about becoming worthy of being used by G-d. And that, perhaps, is the deepest message of this Rededicate 250 moment.

National Shabbat and the Courage to Wait

In Torah, waiting is never passive. Abraham waits for a child. Moses waits for redemption. Israel waits forty years in the wilderness. David waits to become king. Waiting is not weakness. Waiting is faith in motion.

When Ribo sings of awaiting G-d, he is giving voice to the same........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)