Here are some of the most popular melodies for Givurot (M'chal-keil Cha-yim b'Che-sed):

• This is a popular congregational sing-along tune for the "M'chal-keil Cha-yim b'Chesed" portion of Givurot.
• Here is a cantorial rendition of the same "M'chal-keil Cha-yim b'Chesed" portion of Givurot.
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Givurot: M'chal-keil Cha-yim b'Che-sed

The second benediction [of the Amidah] is traditionally called Givurot.[i] Givurot means "mighty deeds." It begins: "You are mighty universally, eternally, boundlessly..." Givurot recounts the greatest manifestations of divine power. One might have expected such a list to describe the flood, the parting of the sea; the ten plagues, or the creation of the sun, moon, and stars. But in Jewish tradition the epitome of "mighty deeds" is God's intimate, nurturing involvement in human lives. Givurot cites "sustaining the living with kindness,...supporting the fallen, healing the sick, loosening the bound, and remaining faithful to those that sleep in the dust." The last expression is a reference to the dead, resurrection being the climactic example of the divine quality that Givurot celebrates.

Thus, Givurot can be used to evoke appreciation for the performance of deeds animated by love, without hope for or possibility of reward. For none are less able to repay a kindness than the dead. Givurot can also be recited as an appreciation of all forms of deliver­ance. This prayer aligns Jewish tradition with the side of the weak. And Givurot recounts the omnipotence of that which ani­mates all kindness. Thus Givurot also evokes the idea that, no matter how bad a desperate situation may be, one should never give up hope.[ii] As with all prayers, there are many other messages that can be extracted and made cen­tral.

--- adapted from "The Synagogue Survival Kit" by Jordan Lee Wagner, publ. by Rowman & Littlefield. 1997.