The popular song “Od Yoter Tov” has stirred sharp criticism from one of the most respected figures in authentic Jewish music. Renowned composer and marbitz Torah Rav Hillel Paley, known for penning many classic niggunim that have become staples in the world of Yiddishe music, delivered a scathing critique of the hit, comparing it unfavorably to the controversial “Bishilton HaKoifrim.”
In a special Yom Tov interview with Uri Cohen on the Kol Play radio station, Rav Paley spoke out against what he described as a troubling trend in wedding music and the broader state of Jewish musical culture. “If weddings were still filled with songs that carried meaning and depth, songs focused on the simchas chosson v’kallah, and then suddenly someone introduced Bishilton HaKoifrim, I would say something’s off. We weren’t raised on this. This isn’t something yeshivos ever spoke about. It was never meant to be the main message. Torah is the ikkar,” he said.
Lamenting the spiritual decline in wedding atmospheres, Rav Paley added, “So what happened to our community? How did we end up with Bishilton HaKoifrim? Unfortunately, and painfully, today’s weddings feature very little of the joy of chosson v’kallah, and a lot of whatever happens to be trending. The thing that sits on top of the garbage heap is what becomes the song of the night. It could be Umeianiach B’kedusha with a dance, one singer performs it and everyone follows. It’s shallowness. It’s katnus hamochin—a diminished mindset.”
Turning his attention to “Od Yoter Tov”, Rav Paley didn’t hold back. “Before Bishilton HaKoifrim, there was this bizarre hit called Od Yoter Tov—which, by the way, I believe is far worse. This whole language—once we said, ‘Hashem, we love You,’ and now we’ve upgraded: ‘You love us!’ Are you speaking in the name of the Ribbono Shel Olam? This is a type of expression we’ve never heard before. I understand if baalei teshuvah want to sing it, but what does that have to do with a ben Torah? When was this ever our language? I have strong criticism of this song. In my view, it has no place in the beis midrash and no place among those who are lomdei Torah. And if everyone’s singing it? That’s just a trend.”
Rav Paley concluded with a sobering observation and a note of hope. “Od Yoter Tov ended—it was a plastic shelf song, and with Hashem’s help, we’ll soon forget it ever existed. Then came Bishilton HaKoifrim. This isn’t about zealotry or extremism. It’s about a serious problem of shallowness. But with every descent, there’s hope. Maybe we’ll emerge into great light and return to true songs—songs of kedushah, hallel, and hoda’ah.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
He’s right. The ruchnius of “Jewish” music has declined so much (to say nothing of the loss of any real musicality. It’s just loud sounds with a deafening bass line)
His issue is not the music but the beautiful words of Od Yoter Tov and amazing words of Beshilton Hakofrim.
He wrong!
All of נך
Hashim does love us!
Yeah? What about all the mussar? Did you skip the whole book of Jeremiah?
click- bait
beshilton hakofrim is not new at all ,toldos aaron sung this 35 years ago as uncomfortable as it may be
mentioning katnus hamoichin from the alte rebbe , where the tanya clearly leaves plenty of makom to sing hashem loves us…
the vilde music, dj blasting.. i think every dor suffers from this … when yiden came out, … hentelach.. every tekufa has its yerida in music in some ways there has been an aliya as well
thats why he said it was never the focus of YESHIVOS. SO he’s right
He should be gebentched, but Bshilton Hakofrim has been around waaaaay before od yoter tov…
Nothing wrong with saying we don’t believe in a heretical government!
Not exactly. He noted that a wedding is not the place for “BiShilton haKofrim”, while blasting “Od yoter tov” as inherently inappropriate. Not exactly a subtle difference.
What was this article meant to accomplish?
That people vacationing in Orlando shouldn’t be singing hallel wearing short pants and tank tops, with no jacket, with some famous performer strumming his guitar during shachris.
That’s not the point of the article, it’s your pet peeve that you are cramming into the article. I don’t necessarily disagree with your thought in general (minus the sina and vitriol) but it has nothing to do with the article
ב”ה, a breath of fresh air, someone actually thinking instead of going along with a herd stampede.
Thanks Matzav for sharing this important insight for those who really care and think deeply.
We say “Ahava Rabah Ahavtanu”. Other tfilos also mention Hashems love for us.
The real answer to your question is the context and tone of the entire “ahava rabbah” tefilla.
Very different than the fleetingly emotional, self-aggrandizing “Hashem ohev oti”.
As an aside, notice the time/tense of the words “ahavtanu” and “ohev”. And you’ll be able to understand that the messages are completely different.
Thanks for the great response. Keep up on speaking out when there is such great confusion out there.
a Baal teshuva is not a Ben torah??
What a dumb statement! Have you forgotten Rabi Akiva?
thats not what he meant.
He meant that some have a previous penchant for that style of music, so he understands that it would be a kosher form of that style, but it would not be part of the ben torah style.
Exactly. H’ Yirachem Alenu, I hope this was misreported or something lost in translation.
Seriously, “baalei teshuva should sing it?”
With all due respect, there or yiden who feel and know in their hearts and minds that hashem loves them, and they sing about it, what’s wrong with that, even a ben torah isn’t someone who serves a creator that despises him, or has no love or affection for him, there’s no mikor for that in Torah, from an intellectual point of view, hashem did not have to create it this world or us, yet he did anyway, and the ramchal writes in the very beginning of derech hashem that hashem created this world to be meitiv us, and from an emotional point of view ,what creator would do that if it wasn’t a creator who loves us, by giving us everything we need,life, torah and the endless meaning that comes with it, food clothing shelter,family, spouses , children, salvation, growth, healing, or even rebukes us when necessary etc…the list just goes on, open your heart to that and let it sink in, see how you feel for a moment, and and then tell me hashem doesn’t love us or you at all, otherwise we risk letting hashem in being perceived as a dictator in our eyes who just wants us to do everything in this world for him as if he he couldn’t do it himself, and not a our king, a loving father, who gives us a chance to earn olam haba, and be partners with him in sustaining the world with Torah thus elevating it.
Kol tuv be gebenched. and a guten moed.
a lot to unpack here.
I will leave it at this. WHat a person feels in his heart means nothing. Many people have all sorts of feelings.
One who feels Hashem despises them is also correct?!
Hashem gave us ONE medium by which to understand his relationship to us. That is the Torah. All other cheshbonos are no better than any other religion making their claims based on whet they ‘feel’ is right.
The Torah tells us Hashem has love for the yidden, and lists many actions or inactions that caneffect the relationship.
To make a one- dimensional ‘religion of love’ is more aligned with christianity than Judaism.
I’m happy to see that someone gets it here.
Who?
I’m sure they won’t mind if you play Beshilton Hakofrim at your Kerem b’Yavneh kumzitz next time.
For us oldies ירידת הדורות is very real and sad to see, but we have to accept that every generation needs something else, and the youth today is going through נסיונות that we never had…
We just finished davening Yom Tov davening: אתה בחרתנו… אהבת אותנו ורצית בנו
Indeed, Hashem loves us, and we love Him. This is true for a Baal Teshuva and for a Ben Torah. So what is wrong with saying that Hashem loves us?!
What’s the problem?!
HASHEM NOT ONLY LOVES US BUT HE IS UTTERLY INFATUATED WITH US. THIS IS A MASSIVE YESOD THROUGHOUT CHUMASH, MIDRASHIM AND SHAS. HE IS MADLY IN LOVE WITH US.
You are forgetting that all these expressions of HaShem loving us are metaphors. They are not meant to be taken literally. Read the Rambam.
I don’t know either song, but it is an absolute shanda how many times in the last several years I’ve heard lazy chasuna bands set lyrics with kedusha to wildly inappropriate secular tunes
Often followed by my texting my husband “you would NOT believe what they used this time!!”
It’s a relief that the FFBs are having the wool pulled over their eyes on this, because if they knew the original lyrics, there would be a stampede out the door
That is exactly what the whole שיר השירים is all about. That Hashem loves us and we love him it’s a Moshel of a bride and a groom.
i think so too.
Hashems love is so so clear to us and i think that this song is being mechazeik so many people- hashem loves us and we must spread his love to us to the whole entire world!