Recently I came across a song about the famous sage Rabbi Ben Bag Bag. It is written by somebody called Jeff Klepper and from what I understand it is a reasonably popular sing-along number at American Jewish summer camps. Sort of an American Jewish equivalent of Gin Gan Goolie or John Brown’s Baby.
Here is a link to the lyrics:
http://www.ruachcd.com/music/5763/rabbi_ben_bagbag.htm
And here is a YouTube Recording:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaRFcy768u8
So if you have bothered to look at either of these links, I hope you will draw the same conclusion as myself – great concept, cool tune, rubbish lyrics!
The latter issue I have decided to remedy by creating my own version in Yiddish.
Please be aware that this is not a translation of the original song; this is a whole new version...much like Aviv Geffen’s version of Bob Dylan’s ‘Hard Rain’.
As usual, the transliteration is YIVO. You may notice that I have transliterated ‘Rabbi’ as ‘rebe’. Please note that I have not given him a promotion; upon consultation of Yitskhok Niborski’s Yidish-Frantseyzish Verterbukh I can state definitively that the Yiddish pronunciation of the Hebrew/Aramaic title when used in reference to the Sages of Antiquity is indeed ‘rebe’.
Before we get on with the song, I would like to cover two points quickly:
1. What did Rabbi Ben Bag Bag mean by ‘turn it around’? One explanation is that Ben Bag Bag is suggesting we should process the Torah with the revolving wheels and cogs of our minds. Another is that we should examine the words from all angles, rotating them so that we can see different aspects of them. The matter may be likened to a king who buys a new crown (or whatever kings like to buy these days) and then examines the crown from every angle. However, the Hebrew words הפוך בה והפוך בה suggest that we should flip it over 180 degrees and flip it over 180 degrees again. Maybe this means that we should do exactly the opposite of what Torah tells us? Or maybe it means that we should consider doing exactly the opposite and then do the opposite of that?
2. The link I gave earlier suggests that Ben Bag Bag’s name is derived from the fact that he is the son of a ger (convert), the logic being that Bag is an acronym of ‘ben ger’.
Consider this, however: if he was the son of a ger, then why would he not just be called Ben Ger? A proposal: perhaps he was the grandson of a ger... but this makes no sense! For then his name would simply be Ben Bag. There is a third possibility: perhaps his grandfather, was the son of a ger...
This is what the mishna is coming to teach us: Rabbi Ben Bag Bag was the great-grandson of a ger. Glad we got that one sorted out! On with the song. I have generously supplied an English translation (below).
rebe ben bag bag
er iz geven a talmid khokhem
er hot gehat a topl nomen
s’iz geven zayn tatns shuld
rebe ben bag bag
er hot take lib di toyre
er zogt, ‘es iz di beste skhoyre!’
un er lernt di gantse nakht
me muz es dreyen, dreyen, arum un arum
arum un arum in dem kop
me muz es dreyen, dreyen, arum un arum
punkt vi a tsholnt in a top
az es iz take zeyer shpet
un di rabonim geyen in bet
shloft keynmol nisht rebe ben bag bag
er shtudirt a gantse nakht
az ben bag bag hot a gripe
geyt er nisht tsu zen doktoyrim
zayn meditsim iz alte sforim
zey heyln ale krenk zeyer gikh
me muz es dreyen, dreyen, arum un arum
biz dos shtrayml falt arop
me muz es dreyen, dreyen, arum un arum
vi kashe in a top
English Translation
Rabbi Ben Bag Bag
He was a talmid khokhem
He had a double name
It was his Father's fault
Rabbi Ben Bag Bag
He really loves the Torah
He says 'it is the best treasure'
And he reads the whole night through
You have to spin, spin, spin it around (yes, dreyen comes from the same root as dreydl - which implies more of a spinning motion that a turning or flipping)
Around and around in your head
You have to spin, spin, spin it around
Just like cholent in a pot!
When it is really very late
And the Rabbis go to bed
Sleeps not Ben Bag Bag
He studies the whole night through!
When Ben Bag Bag has a cold
He goes not to the doctor...
His medicine is old seforim!
They heal so quickly!
You have to spin, spin, spin it around
Around and 'til your shtreimel falls off!
You have to spin, spin, spin it around
Just like porridge in a pot!
* * *
Oh, and if anyone is interested in a slightly more serious explanation of Rabbinic traditions concerning Ben Bag Bag, take a look at this:
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?letter=B&artid=626