This simple, repetitive tune for Shalom Aleichem is performed by Ehud Banai, one of the most influential artists in Israel. According to this Hebrew article, Banai, who is from a famous musical family of Persian descent, learned this tune as a young boy in his grandparents home, and he came to appreciate its modest nature. The addition of the phrase malachei rachamim» (angels of mercy) throughout the song is a rare custom that appears in very few prayerbooks, but Banai is insistent on honoring his grandfather’s tradition.
Ehud Banai’s Shalom Aleichem
After a long musical introduction, Banai’s fast-paced yet solemn Shalom Aleichem begins, reflecting the chanting style common in Mizrahi communities. His version includes many other Sephardic and Mizrahi customs, including reciting the verse beginning with «b’shivtechem l’shalom» (rest in peace), concluding with several verses from Psalms, and saying «b’tzeitchem l’shalom» instead of «tzeitchem l’shalom.»
This minor adjustment changes the meaning from «go in peace» to «when you go in peace.» Banai once heard former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Rav Mordechai Eliyahu explain that Sephardic recite this version so that it does not appear that the family is kicking the angels out of their home, but rather saying «stay with us as long as you can, but when it is time for you to go – perhaps after Shabbat, or when Jews elsewhere in the world are returning home from synagogue – you should go in peace.»
Banai’s rendition of Shalom Aleichem is from his album, «New Song,» where most of the tracks are based on traditional Jewish liturgical songs and prayers. The tunes reflect multiple customs and musical influences, including Banai’s family traditions, the Yemenite and Ashkenazi synagogues of his diverse Jerusalem neighborhood, and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, «The Singing Rabbi.»