Va'eira: Zemer of The Week - The Ramaz School
Source: http://www.ramaz.org/the-ramaz-difference/torah-mitzvot/zemeroftheweek/parshat-vaeira
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:13
Va'eira: Zemer of The Week - The Ramaz School
Skip To Main Content
my
Login
Va'eira: Zemer of The Week
עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ – “We Were Slaves”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JpUvn9DGgM
עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם,
We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, (From the Haggadah for Pesach)
Parshat Va’eira describes the beginning of the active redemption, which we relive at the Pesach Seder (and can preview this week!):
God reveals His covenantal promise to the Avot.
The first plagues strike Egypt.
Pharaoh’s power is challenged for the first time.
The Israelites begin to move from despair toward hope.
“
Avadim Hayinu
” captures this turning point:
It begins with the reality of slavery — “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt.”
It emphasizes that redemption is God-driven and purposeful — “God took us out with a strong hand and an outstretched arm.”
It highlights that the Exodus is not just a historical event, but the foundation of Jewish identity across generations.
If you want a traditional
zemer
:
The
zemer
for this week: דרור יקרא
Chazan Brian Baruch Shamash version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXyAgpzNW4k
Fun Maccabeats version (to tune of “Cups”):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckldVU9dGcc
This
zemer
was written more than 1,000 years ago by Donash ben Labrat, the father of Sephardic Hebrew poetry. A student of Rav Saadiah Gaon, he also wrote
Dvai Hasair
, the preface to
Birkat Hamazon
at weddings, and his work on word roots and definitions is often quoted by Rashi. (His first name is the acrostic formed by the first letters of the four lines of each of the first, second, third, and last stanzas of
Dror Yikra
.) The
zemer
begs Hashem to protect
Bnei Yisrael
, to destroy its enemies, and to bring peace and redemption to it.
Central elements of this parsha include Moshe and Ahron approaching Par’oh to perform Hashem’s signs and to demand the release of
Bnei Yisrael
, and Hashem’s performing the initial plagues.
Some of the connections to the
parsha
:
First two words (and
zemer
name): “דרור יקרא” (“freedom shall He proclaim”) – Hashem declared to Moshe – and asked him to declare to Par’oh – that He would take
Bnei Yisrael
out of Mitzrayim (Shemot 6:11).
Second line of second stanza: “ואות ישע עשה עמי ” (“and a sign of salvation perform for me”) – Hashem showed Moshe and Ahron signs, such as turning the staff to a snake, which would be the “אות” (sign) that salvation was on its way (Shemot 7:9).
Last line of second stanza: “שעה שועת בני עמי” (“turn to the outcry of the members of my people”) – In part, Hashem’s taking
Bnei Yisrael
from Mitzrayim was in response to their calling out to him amidst the hard work (initially in Shemot 2:23-24, in our parsha in Shemot 6:5).
Opening of fifth paragraph: “הדוך קמי ק־ל קנא, במוג לבב” (“Crush my foes, G-d Who is jealous, with melting of the heart”) – Each plague helped crush the Egyptians in a new way, and would have led to a premature softening of Par’oh’s heart if not for Hashem intervening to harden it.
Last line of fourth stanza: “כמי נהר” (“like the waters of the river”) – For instance, the first plague struck the waters of the Nile river (Shemot 7:17).
Skip To Main Content
my
Login
Va'eira: Zemer of The Week
עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ – “We Were Slaves”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JpUvn9DGgM
עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם,
We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, (From the Haggadah for Pesach)
Parshat Va’eira describes the beginning of the active redemption, which we relive at the Pesach Seder (and can preview this week!):
God reveals His covenantal promise to the Avot.
The first plagues strike Egypt.
Pharaoh’s power is challenged for the first time.
The Israelites begin to move from despair toward hope.
“
Avadim Hayinu
” captures this turning point:
It begins with the reality of slavery — “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt.”
It emphasizes that redemption is God-driven and purposeful — “God took us out with a strong hand and an outstretched arm.”
It highlights that the Exodus is not just a historical event, but the foundation of Jewish identity across generations.
If you want a traditional
zemer
:
The
zemer
for this week: דרור יקרא
Chazan Brian Baruch Shamash version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXyAgpzNW4k
Fun Maccabeats version (to tune of “Cups”):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckldVU9dGcc
This
zemer
was written more than 1,000 years ago by Donash ben Labrat, the father of Sephardic Hebrew poetry. A student of Rav Saadiah Gaon, he also wrote
Dvai Hasair
, the preface to
Birkat Hamazon
at weddings, and his work on word roots and definitions is often quoted by Rashi. (His first name is the acrostic formed by the first letters of the four lines of each of the first, second, third, and last stanzas of
Dror Yikra
.) The
zemer
begs Hashem to protect
Bnei Yisrael
, to destroy its enemies, and to bring peace and redemption to it.
Central elements of this parsha include Moshe and Ahron approaching Par’oh to perform Hashem’s signs and to demand the release of
Bnei Yisrael
, and Hashem’s performing the initial plagues.
Some of the connections to the
parsha
:
First two words (and
zemer
name): “דרור יקרא” (“freedom shall He proclaim”) – Hashem declared to Moshe – and asked him to declare to Par’oh – that He would take
Bnei Yisrael
out of Mitzrayim (Shemot 6:11).
Second line of second stanza: “ואות ישע עשה עמי ” (“and a sign of salvation perform for me”) – Hashem showed Moshe and Ahron signs, such as turning the staff to a snake, which would be the “אות” (sign) that salvation was on its way (Shemot 7:9).
Last line of second stanza: “שעה שועת בני עמי” (“turn to the outcry of the members of my people”) – In part, Hashem’s taking
Bnei Yisrael
from Mitzrayim was in response to their calling out to him amidst the hard work (initially in Shemot 2:23-24, in our parsha in Shemot 6:5).
Opening of fifth paragraph: “הדוך קמי ק־ל קנא, במוג לבב” (“Crush my foes, G-d Who is jealous, with melting of the heart”) – Each plague helped crush the Egyptians in a new way, and would have led to a premature softening of Par’oh’s heart if not for Hashem intervening to harden it.
Last line of fourth stanza: “כמי נהר” (“like the waters of the river”) – For instance, the first plague struck the waters of the Nile river (Shemot 7:17).