Ruach Breath Of Life

Leah’s Song set to a traditional Welsh melody, The Ashgrove The despairing words of the original song tell of a lover wandering in an ash grove, mourning the loss of the love of his life who has been taken from him too soon. I have given this beautiful folk tune a new focus, however, by taking for its subject the potentially tragic biblical figure of Jacob’s first wife, Leah. Subtly substituted for her more flamboyant sister into Jacob’s tent on his wedding night, on the pretence that local custom required the eldest daughter to be married first, Leah would forever live with the shadow of knowing that her husband infinitely preferred Rachel. She could so easily have wasted away under their withering disregard, especially as it was increasingly aggravated by Rachel’s sharp thorns and darts of envy toward her fertile sister. As one who must have suffered much in terms of feeling unwanted and rejected, Leah represents many who feel disregarded and mistreated. To her credit, she learned to praise God, even in