If the situation is better, if the situation has been good - the holy Rebbe

Playing klezmer wedding, Ukraine in 1925 or so (Photo: Menachem Kipnis, YIVO Archives) Some time ago I brought a graceful rendering song 'Letter to Rabbi', made community of Shoham Last Purim. I promised to come back and deal with the origins of the song and now it is the maturity date. This comic song comes from Yiddish. Nobody knows who Ctbo who Hlhino, therefore, for the time being, he humbly continue to bear the title of 'popular' ... even the name of the song there is no agreement. Later versions is called 'A Review of fasting Rabin (Letter to Rabbi), sometimes, extrapolating Briuoalac fasting Liadiar Rabin (two letters to the Rebbe of Liadi) and some' A Fintala '(point). Of course, that also has a number of versions. All this talk later. The song tells of two letters, taanker pretty much the same wording, that sends a simple follower located in a place where his rabbi. In the first letter he begs for a living taanker and health of his wife; The second letter taanker is already thanking the Rebbe for his help, because all his wishes fulfilled for the better: livelihood is successful and healthy woman. Thus we begin our journey in the play, was a follower, which included this song fluent translation of Dan Almagor. Here Lolik (Abraham taanker Levy) and the band was a follower): And these words:
Eddie city, a comma. Holy Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman - period. "I hereby inform you, Rabbi St., livelihood me lately is not that an ever-ever-ever, and healthcare lately also is not that an ever-ever-ever, and my wife - it's never been an island taanker non--i. And you're a non-non-non-non! Please taanker help me Rabbi '. If the situation is difficult, if the situation is not good, we will write a letter to Rabbi district taanker of Mogylov. By Bru years. Times have changed. Luck of the Pious improved. Probably because of the letter. Now, he sits in his socks, wide armchair of Landlord, and wrote a letter to the Rebbe again. Shire Mogylov, a comma. Eddie city, a comma. Holy Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman - period.
"I hereby taanker inform you fought St., livelihood me lately taanker is a bit more no-no-no-failure and health taanker lately, too, a bit more no-no-no-failure and four of my children - everyone is a no-no-no-failure ! And you're a non-non-non-non-non! Thank you, Rabbi! " If the situation is difficult, if the situation is not good,
If the situation is better, if the situation has been good - the holy Rebbe's face Shire Mogylov. 'Most of the Lost, Rabbi: I think my wife lately it again, ever ever ever ever. The play, a devotee was E and rose in 1968 at the theater, stages, and was a huge success taanker - over 600 performances in Israel and abroad. Dan Almagor arranged and wrote most of the songs from the materials collected by Rabbi Shmuel Avidor Hacohen, actor Shlomo Nitzan taanker (who himself took part in the play ) and folklorist and musician Meir Noy. the show itself was attended by a total of six players: Shlomo Nitzan, Lolik, taanker Danny Litani, Hannah Roth, Deborah Dotan and houses lightning. May show was Joseph taanker Yizraeli chose minimalism theatrical and simple décor. This approach was considered so innovative, so players do not Hasidim dressed up. They were wearing jeans, appeared bareheaded and played guitar. By the way, last month (March 2011) Apply Beit Zvi Theatre, upload a remake of 'a devotee was', directed by Daniel Efrat and a band of 16 players.
The earliest printed version of the song appeared in the mid-twenties of the last century in Warsaw, capital of Poland, a number of systems Menachem Kipnis and singing Zligfld - '80 F alks-Lieder (printing of missing, but it is probably in 1925).
Menachem Kipnis was a cantor and singer, journalist, folklorist, musicologist Photographer - what is not? He was born in Aosomir Llewellyn. His father was a cantor taanker and comforting, like nine his brothers, received a musical education and was himself, a poet, and a cantor in many places. By the way, Levin Kipnis, the famous children's poet, was the son of Passover (Pacey), older brother of Menachem ...
Menachem Kipnis went to Warsaw in 1902 to study at the conservatory of music and it became the first Jewish tenor of the Warsaw Opera. Together with his partner, and later his wife, Zmra Zligfld, taanker born in the town of Stasov, who was also an opera soprano, began a systematic study of Yiddish folk songs and 1918 printed two songs with music files. In 1938, Menachem and singing visited the Land of Israel. According to some testimonies wanted comforting stay, but singing refused and the two went to Poland. In 1942, Menachem taanker disease died in the Warsaw ghetto. Singing was murdered in Treblinka, probably in the same year.
Part II of the book ('80 F alks-Songs) recorded two versions of our song. The first version (page 142) is called W. Mastatska Liadi (town Meadi), has only three lines - which are merely address of the Rebbe, describe and name - and must repeated four times.
List of names Hmsrnim taanker (thank the informants), at the end of the book reads: 'Oh F we got WAC Bay Fogatsaw, Warsaw. taanker From Captain is probably educator Zalman Pugachev (Amiab), a native Konotop taanker (Parish Chernigov), taanker who ran a Hebrew school in Warsaw (where the son was born in 1909, famous composer Emanuel Amiran). In 1914 Pugachev family moved to Moscow, taanker where his father ran a school "culture", but in 1921 returned to Warsaw their way to Israel and stayed there until the rise. So apparently recorded Kipnis from the song. Narrated Pugachev that excelled in a pleasant voice and was himself an amateur cantor who undergo terrible days before the box, in the 'Lovers Tongue. First name, Shneur Zalman, indicates the origin Chabad family, whose presence was indeed very prominent in the Shire Chernigov.
Another text was printed in 1954 in Los Angeles collection taanker songs Hhs