Atah V’chartanu (229)

This melody is composed of two distinct, yet related, melodies. The full text of the prayer is sung with the first melody and then repeated with the second melody.

The soft, tranquil tones at the beginning express the unburdened way of life of the righteous, who live a full existence in the holy service of G‑d, governed by a serene moral sense and spiritual satisfaction.

In contrast, the stormy, raging tones of the second melody express the deep feelings of remorse of the repentant one, who, returning to G‑d, stormily casts off the shackles of his previous mode of living. He grasps the rungs of the Heavenly Ladder with all his might, thereby transcending into boundless ecstasy.

Each phase of the second part of the song is repeated, for the returnee is not secure in his new way of life and strives to solidify his bonds with G‑d. The song has no final ending, just as the returnee is never content, and seeks to go higher and higher in his perpetual striving for spiritual perfection.

The Rebbe taught this song on Simchas Torah, 5721 (1960).