Vehi Sheamda (Hebrew:וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה,lit. 'It Is This That Has Sustained [us]') is a Jewishpiyyut (liturgical poem) in theHaggadah ofPassover Seder that mention's God's promise of ending theexile of the Jews from the Land of Israel.
Vehi Sheamda is a short passage in theHaggadah ofPassover Seder that deals with saving thepeople of Israel by God, from all His enemies. It is customary to read the passage in a melody, and today it is also prevalent as apiyut on its own. It follows the previous paragraph of the text regarding God's promise of ending the exile[1] of the Jews and moreover, setting them free with much wealth.[2]
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Translation |
וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָנוּ | V'hi she-am'dah la-avoteinu v'lanu. Shelo echad bilvad, amad aleinu l'chaloteinu. Ela sheb'chol dor vador, om'dim aleinu l'chaloteinu, v'HaKadosh Baruch Hu matzileinu mi-yadam. | And it is this (the promise) that has stood by our ancestors and for us. For not only one (enemy) has risen up against us to destroy us, but in every generation they rise up to destroy us. But the Holy One, Blessed be He, delivers us from their hands.[1][2] |
Orthodox singerYonatan Razel, who sets Jewish liturgical poems and prayers into song, gained fame in 2009 for setting "Vehi Sheamda" to music forYaakov Shwekey. IsraeliHaredi radio stationKol Chai named the song its "Song of the Decade" as the song became popular with both secular and religious listeners, becoming an anthem for the holiday of Passover in Israel.[3]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic in Israel, Israeli singerEden Ben Zaken performed a cover of "Vehi Sheamda" on YouTube.[3]
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