At the risk of sounding hackneyed, I think becoming a father has made me a better person in every way. It has also given me new insight into all the father figures I’ve known, and, especially at this time of year—to use appropriate prayer book parlance—into the notion of a Heavenly Father. The contemporary Israeli artist Eviatar Banai explores multiple layers of earthly and eternal fatherliness in this hit 2009 single, making for a lilting, introspective, and compelling musical experience.

Dad, I want to stand in front of you
Believe that you are a good father
Dad, I need to know you love me
Just like a good father

Dad, I want to be safe with all my heart
That this journey would be a happy ending
That everything I pass along the way
Will become a weakness for great power

Dad, I want to come back to me
Find you there with me
I’m really good at it, Dad
And there I believe in myself

*My dove on the sides of the rock
Let me hear your voice
Sing me a brand new song
Which will illuminate the very fibers of my heart.

*reference to Song of Songs 2:14