- The Power of Music: Wisdom, Spirituality, Prophecy
- What role has music played in the Jewish tradition?
Music is the least physical element in the world.
The wisdom of music is the key to incredible depths.
Pesukei D’Zimra: "Warm Up" Prayer
Music can "save" the soul!
(א) הֶחָלִיל חֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁשָּׁה. זֶהוּ הֶחָלִיל שֶׁל בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה, שֶׁאֵינָה דּוֹחָה לֹא אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת וְלֹא אֶת יוֹם טוֹב. אָמְרוּ, כָּל מִי שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה שִׂמְחַת בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה, לֹא רָאָה שִׂמְחָה מִיָּמָיו:
(1) The flute is played on the festival of Sukkot for five or six days. This is the flute of the Place of the Drawing of the Water, whose playing overrides neither Shabbat nor the Festival. Therefore, if the first Festival day occurred on Shabbat, they would play the flute for six days that year. However, if Shabbat coincided with one of the intermediate days of the Festival, they would play the flute for only five days. One who did not see the Celebration of the Place of the Drawing of the Water never saw celebration in his days.
Talmud Yerushalmi Sukkah 22b: One must be in a state of joy to receive prophecy.
(1) David and the officers of the army set apart for service the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The list of men who performed this work, according to their service, was:
Shir Shel Yam, The Song At the Sea
The Torah refers to itself as a song.
Joyous Devotion: in the Temple, in the Synagogue