V'yaakov Halach L'darko | ויעקב הלך לדרכו - (Moshe Storch)

In honor of ז׳ חשון enjoy this song and be inspired by the Rebbe's Torah to bring forth the inspiration of Tishrei into the upcoming winter months. Let the album cover be an inspiration modeling this idea and be the Yid Yaakov Avinu meant for all of us to be. Composed and Sung by: Moshe Storch With much thanks to: - Rabbi Yekusiel Kalmenson for sharing this idea Motzei Simchas Torah at our shul in LA, BMH and the inspiration should be an Iluy Neshama for his father Harav Yosef Yitzchak ben Yekusiel Dovber Zatzal. - Rabbi Yossi Klein from YOEC in LA who tapped into the Hashgacha and spoke up asking for a song with these words. - Dovi Hershberg for allowing the song to be resurfaced Motzei Simchas Torah at his home and the inspiration and growth shall hurry/smoothen the complete recovery of his Shver Harav Levi Halevi ben Leah, Amen! - Aron Niasoff for dropping everything to make this ready for the right time. - Hakadosh Baruch Hu for telling me what to do. ________________________________________________ The Story Behind The Song About 15 years ago I was sitting in Nekuda Tova on Rechov Nachum Blecher in the Meah Shearim Quarter of Yerushalayim and I realized that in the Nussach Sefard Siddur there is alot more to Tefilas Haderech than the Classic Yehi Ratzon we all know so well. I was reading the Lyrics: ויעקב הלך לדרכו ויפגעו בו מלאכי אלוקים, ויאמר יעקב כאשר ראה מחנה אלוקים זה ויקרא שם המקום ההוא מחנים כי מלאכיו יצוה לך לשמרך בכל דרכך And I felt connected right away so I pulled out a guitar at the front left table of the kollel and started playing some chords and within 10 minutes the song was born and crawling. I say crawling because it didn't learn to walk for 15 plus years... I never sang it publicly and maybe hummed it to 2 or 3 people over the 15 plus years until this past Motzei Simchas Torah when our Rav at BMH in LA shared the Vort from the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He says that we need to go on the path of the winter filled with the pearls we gathered from Tishrei, filled with the Torah we learned, the Tefilos we prayed and use that strong army of experiences to help us be warm in the cold, find the positive in the challenge and as Reb Shlomo Carlebach says flip Mar Cheshvan (Bitter Month) to Ram Cheshvan (Exalted Month). The Rebbe summed up this idea as "ויעקב הלך לדרכו" as this was what Yaakov was carrying with him when he went on the road. When I heard this it immediately brought me back to that day in Nekuda Tova and this song that had been crawling around somewhere but never learned to walk let alone run. An hour later I got together with a few chevra and sang the song again and again. The next morning at Shacharis I couldn't stop thinking that I must record this right away at least for the Chabad Chassidim. As I was lost in my thoughts, a friend of mine, Reb Yossi Klein comes over to me and randomly says: "You know no-one ever put out a song with the words ויעקב הלך לדרכו and you really should do something". Of course I told him what was already on my mind at that time and as you can imagine it was a deep moment as we got to watch Hashem's clear sign. But that just got the song walking... The next couple of weeks I kept thinking about it but no clear path to production was emerging. Until it was Zayin Cheshvan, the day the Rebbe Farbrenged about this Vort alot as it's the day the last of the Yidden made it home from being Oleh Regel. Reb Yossi reached out to tell me that he farbenged with his students and told them our little story so it was time to run with it. I called Aron Niassof and said if I send you a recording of a song can you make me simple music with an hour and get it out on zayin Cheshvan... You can guess his answer was yes, he got tasked with a Shlichus from the Rebbe on that day and made it happen exceeding all my expectations for a last minute rushed recording. May we be Zocheh to Moshiach Now and have summer all year! _________________________________________________ Available on all streaming platforms 24Six: https://24six.app/app/music/collection/16204 Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/album/id1849975467?at=10l4B8&ct=dash&app=music Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0eZKHY2Kdsmd9W50gmvNZL Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0FYRGDBGG/?tag=artistlink-20