Rabbi Joe Kappara

by Kobi Oz and Danny Recht

℗&© Anana Ltd

Between the mountains and the rocks A righteous angel lives well A car and two houses The holy spiritis a business for him A long line of the whole clan Requesting a blessing or two For health and for work(1)Rabbi Joe Kappara Agonay megiman hu (2)Tu tu you calledFrom dust he’ll raise up a king Tu tu you called Od avinu alive or dead? Tu tu you called There’s no one greater,no one like you Every blind man now can see Where the money flows Every sheep needs a herder Who speaks so fluently He asks and there is an answer Calls the heavens on the phone He gives you hopeThe Holy Joe Kappara  Agonay megiman hu Tu tu you called From dust he’ll raise up a king Tu tu you called Od avinu mah nishma? Tu tu you called There’s no one great,no one like you Who is the Torah Great? Rabbi Joe Kappara Who heals all the barren? Holy Joe Kappara He saved many people From demons and the evil eye He is an expert in kabbala (3) Rabbi Joe Kappara  Agonay megiman hoo Tu tu you called…

בֵּין הָרִים וּבֵּין סְלָעִיםחַי צַדִּיק מַלְאָךְ בְּחֶסֶדמְכוֹנִית וּשְנֵי בָּתִיםהַשְכִינָה אֶצְלוֹ זֶה עֵסֶקתּוֹר אָרוֹךְ כָּל הָעֵדָהמְבַקְשִׁים בְּרָכָה אוֹ שְׁתַּיִיםגַם בְּרִיאוּת גַם עֲבוֹדָה הָרַבִּי ג’וֹ כַּפָּרָהאֲגוֹנָי מָגִינָם הוּאטוּ טוּ קָרָאתָמֵעָפָר יָרִים מֶלֶךְ טוּטוּ קָרָאתָ עוֹד אָבִינוּ חַי אוֹ מֵתטוּטוּ קָרָאתָ אֵין גָדוֹל אֵין כָּמוֹךָ טוּטוּ קָרָאתָ  כָּל עִיוֵור עַכְשָׁיו רוֹאֶהלְהֵיכָן זוֹרֵם הַכֶּסֶףכָּל כִּבְשָׂה צְרִיכָה רוֹעֶהשֶנוֹאֵם יָפֶה בְּרֶצֶף הוּא שׁוֹאֵל וְיֵש תְשוּבָה מְטַלְפֵּן אֶל הַשָמַיִיםהוּא נוֹתֵן לְךָ תִקְוָוההַקָדוֹשׁ ג’וֹ כַּפָּרָה  אֲגוֹנָי מָגִינָם הוּאטוּ טוּ קָרָאתָ מֵעָפָר יָרִים מֶלֶךְ טוּטוּ קָרָאתָ עוֹד אָבִינוּ מַה נִשְמָע? טוּטוּ קָרָאתָ אֵין גָדוֹל אֵין כָּמוֹךָטוּ טוּ קָרָאתָ   מִי הַגָּדוֹל שֶבַּתּוֹרָה? הָרַבִּי ג’וֹ כַּפָּרָהמִי מְרַפֵּא כָּל עֲקָרָה? הַקָדוֹש ג’וֹ כַּפָּרָה הוּא הִצִיל אֲנָשִים רַבִּים מִשֵדִים וְעַיִן הָרַע הוּא מוּמְחֶה בְּקַבָּלָה הָרַבִּי ג’וֹ כַּפָּרָהאֲגוֹנָי מָגִינָם הוּא טוּ טוּ קָרָאתָ….

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To follow the guiding questions online, please click here.

1. This song was the first hit of Kobi’s earlier band Teapacks in 1992. 18 years on, the song has the same satirical sting, and is as relevant as ever. He sings of the Israeli phenomenon of Rabbis, Kabbalists, and Holy Men who make their fortune selling their spiritual/magical services to believers.
2. The word ‘agonai’ is used, instead of the word for God that is used in the R. Shlomo Carlebach song that is being referred to.
3. Kabbalah, the Jewish spiritual practice, is also the Hebrew word for a receipt, and for ‘receiving’…

Guiding questions for Rabbi Joe Cappara

“Every sheep needs a shepherd”

While this is difficult to question with regards livestock, do you believe this is the case when talking about humans? Do we all need a leader?

“He gives you hope”

Is there anything wrong with offering hope to those in need?

• What do you see as the ideal qualities of a leader?
• Have you ever been in a situation where a leader has disappointed, or even cheated his or her followers? Did the responsibility lie solely with the leader, or also with those being led?
• Would you say that your community is well-led? Or does it lack leaders? Or does it lack those willing to be led?