My Friend Leonard Cohen: Darkness and Praise
For The New York Times, Leon Wieseltier writes about his friend Leonard Cohen, the Jewish musician and poet who died last Monday. Cohen was perhaps best known for creating the somber song “Hallelujah.” When Wieseltier’s son asked Cohen in an email what inspired him to create the song, he replied, “I wanted to stand with those who clearly see G-d’s holy broken world for what it is, and still find the courage or the heart to praise it. You don’t always get what you want. You’re not always up for the challenge. But in this case — it was given to me. For which I am deeply grateful.”