This deeply spiritual and poetic song by AYEKA (literally, “Where Are You”), entitled “Eshes Chayil,” is about the search for the Divine Presence in the world. Known in Hebrew as the “Shechinah” (literally, “dwelling”), the Divine Presence is the feminine aspect of God, which was sent into exile in Creation. According to Kabbalah, much of the purpose of the Jewish people is to elevate the fallen sparks of the Divine Presence, thereby reuniting the feminine and masculine aspects of God in order to bring about cosmic healing. Although Eishet Chayil is often taken literally, as the praise of a husband to his wife, it is also understood allegorically as an ode to the Sabbath Queen or the Divine Presence. The poetic lyrics, posted below, describe the paradoxical nature of an endless search for something that is inherently hidden, exploring the revealed beauty of that which cannot be seen. The closing words to the song confirm that the Divine Presence will forever dwell in a place called “Who Will Find,” yet our eternal purpose is to search for this place.
Lyrics
Where are you, a tent is where shes found
her beauty’s beyond bound it cant be on display
Just like Him, her honor lies within
secrets just begin,
revealed behind her face
I find you
when I close my eyes
where two unifies
as the truth collides
I find you,
where darkness doesn’t reign
Abel lives with Cain
good comes with no pain
Eshes Chayil
The more you know the less you show
the more you hide the more I find
Its in you I can confide
Eshes Chayil
The more you shine the more I’m blind
The less of you the more I see
Its in you where Gd resides
I find you, letters on a page
belief in a sage
In ink that never fades
Just like Him, lies a mystery
the real reality
the light of seven days
Just like Him, she is free from sin
her kindness has no end
Its what she does not say
Eshes Chayil
The more you know the less you show
the more you hide the more I find
Its in you I can confide
Eshes Chayil
The more you shine the more I’m blind
The less of you the more I see
Its in you where Gd resides
AYEKA
Where are you?
I search Mt. Nevo
how can I not know
his final resting place
Behind You, words cannot describe
the paradox to high
for silence to explain
Without You, who can I beseech
For distance beyond reach
Where there’s no you and me
Can you smell the myrtle when I hide My face
Do you see all the colors when I conceal My race
Eshes Chayil
You are where you’re supposed to be
an eternal discovering
A place called Mee Yimtza