Yismechu

Despite not being one of the most popular prayers, “Yismechu” has become one that feels especially meaningful in my relationship to Judaism and God.

The prayer itself emphasizes the joy that comes with the peace of Shabbat. It also highlights the importance of Shabbat as a time to find joy and fulfillment from one’s relationship with God.

My connection to this prayer didn’t originally come from its meaning, but rather from the context in which I learned it. At my older sister Stella’s bat mitzvah, around seven years ago, she allowed my younger sister Charlotte and me to come onto the bimah¹ on her special day and sing “Yismechu” with her. At first, it felt really overwhelming to have to learn to chant a prayer I only vaguely knew. While I was excited, the nervousness was also very consuming for me. I remember when she was in her room practicing, I kept barging in to ask her to help me with my one small part in the service, while she had to prepare for her whole bat mitzvah. But when the day finally came and I got to chant with my sisters, it was one of the most sacred experiences I have had in a synagogue.

My sisters and I were looking at each other and smiling, and in that moment, I definitely felt the joy that “Yismechu” embodies. For me, a part of that is the fun and upbeat melody we learned for the song. Most of all, “Yismechu” evokes the memory of my sisters and me together at such a landmark moment in our lives and being a part of Stella’s journey to becoming a bat mitzvah.

This experience really stuck with me, and I was able to continue this tradition of chanting “Yismechu” at my own bat mitzvah with some of my Jewish friends. These are some of my favorite bat mitzvah memories: the happiness, the giggles, and the feeling of closeness that arose from getting to be a part of someone else’s big day. It was something that made the whole bat mitzvah experience just a little more special for me.

Though I don’t think it was intentional when I sang “Yismechu” at Stella’s bat mitzvah, this small tradition also embodies the meaning of “Yismechu” and Judaism as a whole. The prayer represents finding fulfillment, and connection to our Jewish identity through prayer and worship to God. When I read the lyrics of the song in English, specifically, “And those who love Your Sabbath / Will delight in Your gift / The people who sanctify Your name all together,” I can see that connection even more. The lyrics reference delighting in God’s joy, all together, by those who “love your Sabbath.” What made the song special to us was singing it all together, on such a monumental Shabbat of our lives, and feeling the joy that came with being connected to our community and loved ones.

This also represents a core part of being Jewish for me: finding happiness from practicing our traditions together as a community and being a part of something bigger than myself. That feeling of connection and getting to pray together makes being Jewish feel so uniquely special to me, and it is something I never want to give up.

1. Dais ↩︎