Shabbat Shalom ~ Parashat Parashat Matot-Masei 2026

Shalom WJC Family,

Our parashah this week, Matot-Masei, includes one of the Torah’s discussions of the City of Refuge—a designated place where someone who had accidentally caused another person’s death could flee to escape the vengeance of the victim’s family. The appearance of the City of Refuge in this week’s Torah reading gives me the perfect excuse to introduce you to one of the greatest songs in Israeli rock—and one of Israel’s most influential singer-songwriters. Ehud Banai (born 1953) has been a major force in Israeli music since his breakthrough in 1986. His self-titled debut album is widely regarded as one of the finest and most influential albums in Israeli rock, blending new wave guitar music with melodies, rhythms, and musical traditions from across the Middle East. Banai’s songs are deeply rooted in Jewish texts and Israeli culture, often weaving biblical imagery into contemporary stories of love, longing, and spiritual searching. One of the album’s signature songs is “Ir Miklat” (“City of Refuge”). As you read the lyrics below, you’ll notice how Banai transforms the Torah’s ancient image of the City of Refuge into a powerful metaphor for finding shelter from life’s storms. Song link: “City of Refuge” Ehud Banai

 

The song captures the universal longing for a place of safety and the need to find refuge in another person when life becomes overwhelming. Banai weaves together contemporary imagery with rich biblical and rabbinic allusions. (Banai himself comes from a distinguished religious family and has long drawn upon Jewish tradition in his songwriting.)

The “unlocked gate” evokes the imagery of the Gates of Repentance, which tradition teaches begin to close at the conclusion of Yom Kippur during the Ne’ilah (“locking”) service. The second verse echoes the journey of the accidental killer described in this week’s parashah, racing to reach a City of Refuge before being overtaken by the blood avenger.

The line, “Take me to the altar,” recalls another biblical sanctuary. In the Torah, someone who grasped the horns of the Temple altar could, under certain circumstances, seek temporary protection there. In Banai’s song, however, the pursuer is not another person but the “blues”—despair, anxiety, or emotional turmoil. The beloved becomes both altar and City of Refuge: a place of shelter while waiting for the truth to emerge, the storm to pass, and healing to begin.

This song is a beautiful example of how the Torah’s ancient images continue to inspire contemporary Israeli artists. The language of the Bible does not remain confined to the synagogue or the study hall; it lives on in poetry, music, and the search for meaning in our own lives.

May each of us find our own city of refuge this Shabbat—a place of peace, renewal, and welcome. Perhaps you’ll find it here at WJC: Friday evening at 6:30 p.m., Shabbat morning at 9:15 a.m., or Shabbat evening at 8:15 p.m. We would love to welcome you.

Shabbat Shalom,

Cantor Goldberg