Entering Jewish Prayer - Rabbi Reuven Hammer
The chanting of the Torah follows notations which were applied by the classical tenth-century Masoretes (those who carefully preserved the text of the Torah). Each sign (trop–actually from a Greek word, tropos, meaning "manner") indicates a musical phrase. There are various melodies for this chanting, differing among the ethnic groups that make up the Jewish people, but there are similarities between them, and all of them help to clarify the way in which the Hebrew words are to be put together. They indicate where a phrase begins or ends, and actually aid in interpreting the meaning of the text.
These same signs are applied to all the books of the Bible, but they have different musical values depending on which book is being chanted: the Torah, the Prophets, or different books of the Writings. One must learn to read not only a particular sign but to know how it is sung when found in different texts.
Since there was music in the Temple (the choir of Levites who sang the appropriate psalms accompanied by musical instruments), it is likely that this practice would have been taken over when psalms and other prayers came to be recited in synagogues.
In regard to prayer itself, there are no musical notations in the printed Siddur, but there is a musical tradition called nusah which has been transmitted from generation to generation. Nusah refers to the musical motifs that are utilized in various combinations when chanting the prayers. The nusah sets a pattern for a particular service, much as a leitmotif does for a character in an opera.
These musical modes differentiate between one service and another. Weekday nusah has one set of tones, the Sabbath another, the holidays yet another, and the High Holy Days a completely different one. There is one tune for the Sabbath day and another for the conclusion of the Sabbath. These tunes reflect the mood of the time. We begin the Sabbath, for example, with exaltation and joy. We conclude with nostalgia and the sadness of parting. The melody creates the mood and reflects the appropriate feeling that should accompany the words. Here too the musical traditions differ from one ethnic division of Judaism to another and reflect the music of the place where each group lived.
When properly understood, nusah is a great aid to prayer. A worshiper hears the leader use a certain melody appropriate to Rosh Hashanah, for example, and this helps set the mood for that day. Obviously this depends also on the knowledge that the worshiper brings or the memories he or she has acquired over a lifetime.
The Hasidic practice of emphasizing song was part of their method of attaining true prayer. The wordless melody-the niggun–was a brilliant method of demonstrating the extrasemantic dimension of prayer. We may even go so far as to say that words can be impediments to the deepest communication, for what words can adequately express our feelings about God? Nor can they truly capture the depths of our emotions at times of grief or of overwhelming joy. In the words of the Hasidic master R. Dov Baer, "The ecstasy produced by melody … is in the category of spontaneous ecstasy alone, without any choice or intellectual will whatsoever."
Words can become idols. They concretize that which cannot be concretized. Ideas can intellectualize experience. Melody is pure soul.
(1) Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto Adonai, and spoke, saying: I will sing unto Adonai, for God is highly exalted; The horse and his rider God has thrown into the sea. (2) Adonai is my strength and song, And God has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will glorify God; My father’s God, and I will exalt God.
Then Moses sang- Then when he saw the miracle, it rose in his heart that he should sing a song.
(5) After that you shall come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines; and it shall come to pass, when you come there, to the city, that you shall meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they will be prophesying.
(20) And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. (21) And Miriam sang unto them: Sing unto Adonai, for God is highly exalted: The horse and his rider God has thrown into the sea.
(16) And from thence to Beer; that is the well where Adonai said unto Moses: ‘Gather the people together, and I will give them water.’ (17) Then sang Israel this song: Spring up, O well—sing ye unto it—
(יט) וְעַתָּ֗ה כִּתְב֤וּ לָכֶם֙ אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את וְלַמְּדָ֥הּ אֶת־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שִׂימָ֣הּ בְּפִיהֶ֑ם לְמַ֨עַן תִּהְיֶה־לִּ֜י הַשִּׁירָ֥ה הַזֹּ֛את לְעֵ֖ד בִּבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(19) Now therefore write this song for yourself, and teach it the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me for the children of Israel.
(1) On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang: (2) When locks go untrimmed in Israel, When people dedicate themselves— Bless Adonai! (3) Hear, O kings! Give ear, O potentates! I will sing, will sing to Adonai, will sing a hymn to Adonai, the God of Israel... Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, strike up the chant! Arise, O Barak; Take your captives, O son of Abinoam!
(5) After that you shall come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines; and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that you shalt meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they will be prophesying.
(כג) וְהָיָה בִּהְיוֹת רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים אֶל שָׁאוּל וְלָקַח דָּוִד אֶת הַכִּנּוֹר וְנִגֵּן בְּיָדוֹ וְרָוַח לְשָׁאוּל וְטוֹב לוֹ וְסָרָה מֵעָלָיו רוּחַ הָרָעָה.
(23) And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; so Saul found relief, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.
(6) And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments.
(5) And David and all the house of Israel played before Adonai with all manner of instruments made of cypress-wood, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with stringed-instruments, and with cymbals.
(14) And Elisha said: ‘As Adonai of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. (15) But now bring me a minstrel.’ And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of Adonai came upon him.
(א) לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ עַל־שֹׁ֭שַׁנִּים לִבְנֵי־קֹ֑רַח מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל שִׁ֣יר יְדִידֹֽת׃
(1) For the leader; on shoshannim [possibly an instrument] Of the Korahites. A maskil. A love song.
(א) לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ עַל־שׁוּשַׁ֣ן עֵד֑וּת מִכְתָּ֖ם לְדָוִ֣ד לְלַמֵּֽד׃
(1) For the leader; on shushan edut [an instrument or a melody] An inscription of David (to be taught),
(א) לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ עַֽל־הַגִּתִּ֬ית לְאָסָֽף׃
(1) For the leader; on the gittit [zither] Of Asaph.
(א) הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ ׀ הַֽלְלוּ־אֵ֥ל בְּקָדְשׁ֑וֹ הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בִּרְקִ֥יעַ עֻזּֽוֹ׃ (ב) הַֽלְל֥וּהוּ בִגְבוּרֹתָ֑יו הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ כְּרֹ֣ב גֻּדְלֽוֹ׃ (ג) הַֽ֭לְלוּהוּ בְּתֵ֣קַע שׁוֹפָ֑ר הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בְּנֵ֣בֶל וְכִנּֽוֹר׃ (ד) הַֽ֭לְלוּהוּ בְתֹ֣ף וּמָח֑וֹל הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בְּמִנִּ֥ים וְעוּגָֽב׃ (ה) הַֽלְל֥וּהוּ בְצִלְצְלֵי־שָׁ֑מַע הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בְּֽצִלְצְלֵ֥י תְרוּעָֽה׃ (ו) כֹּ֣ל הַ֭נְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּ֥ל יָ֗הּ הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃
(1) Hallelujah. Praise God in God's sanctuary; praise God in the sky, God's stronghold. (2) Praise God for God's mighty acts; praise God for God's exceeding greatness. (3) Praise God with blasts of the shofar; praise God with harp and lyre. (4) Praise God with timbrel and dance; praise God with lute and pipe. (5) Praise God with resounding cymbals; praise God with loud-clashing cymbals. (6) Let all that breathes praise Adonai. Hallelujah.
(יג) וַיְהִ֣י כְ֠אֶחָד למחצצרים [לַמְחַצְּרִ֨ים] וְלַמְשֹֽׁרֲרִ֜ים לְהַשְׁמִ֣יעַ קוֹל־אֶחָ֗ד לְהַלֵּ֣ל וּלְהֹדוֹת֮ לַה' וּכְהָרִ֣ים ק֠וֹל בַּחֲצֹצְר֨וֹת וּבִמְצִלְתַּ֜יִם וּבִכְלֵ֣י הַשִּׁ֗יר וּבְהַלֵּ֤ל לַה' כִּ֣י ט֔וֹב כִּ֥י לְעוֹלָ֖ם חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְהַבַּ֛יִת מָלֵ֥א עָנָ֖ן בֵּ֥ית ה'
(13) The trumpeters and the singers joined in unison to praise and extol Adonai; and as the sound of the trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments, and the praise of Adonai, “For God is good, for God's steadfast love is eternal,” grew louder, the House, the House of Adonai, was filled with a cloud.
(י) וְיִסְּד֥וּ הַבֹּנִ֖ים אֶת־הֵיכַ֣ל ה' וַיַּעֲמִידוּ֩ הַכֹּהֲנִ֨ים מְלֻבָּשִׁ֜ים בַּחֲצֹֽצְר֗וֹת וְהַלְוִיִּ֤ם בְּנֵֽי־אָסָף֙ בַּֽמְצִלְתַּ֔יִם לְהַלֵּל֙ אֶת־ה' עַל־יְדֵ֖י דָּוִ֥יד מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(10) When the builders had laid the foundation of the Temple of Adonai, priests in their vestments with trumpets, and Levites sons of Asaph with cymbals were stationed to give praise to Adonai, as King David of Israel had ordained.
(כז) וּבַחֲנֻכַּ֞ת חוֹמַ֣ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם בִּקְשׁ֤וּ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּם֙ מִכָּל־מְק֣וֹמֹתָ֔ם לַהֲבִיאָ֖ם לִֽירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם לַעֲשֹׂ֨ת חֲנֻכָּ֤ה וְשִׂמְחָה֙ וּבְתוֹד֣וֹת וּבְשִׁ֔יר מְצִלְתַּ֖יִם נְבָלִ֥ים וּבְכִנֹּרֽוֹת׃
(27) At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites, wherever they lived, were sought out and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate a joyful dedication with thanksgiving and with song, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.
שע בן קרחה אומר,כל הלומד תורה ואינו חוזר עליה דומה לאדם שזורע ואינו קוצר,רבי יהושע אומר,כל הלומד תורה ומשכחה דומה לאשה שיולדת וקוברת רבי עקיבא אומר זמר בכל יום זמר בכל יום,
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha says," Anyone who learns Torah and forgets it is like a woman who gives birth and buries her child." Rabbi Akiva says, "a song every day, a song every day."
(ב והוא הדין מי שהתרגשה עליו מרה שחורה, ועמד והסירה בשמיעת הניגונים ובמיני הזמר, ובטיול בגינות ובבניינים נאים, ובישיבה עם צורות נאות וכיוצא בדברים שמרחיבים הנפש ומסירים הרהוריו הקודרים ממנה. והמכוון בכל זה, שיבריא גופו, ותכלית בריאות גופו: לקנות חכמה. והוא הדין מי שטרח והתעסק בקנות הממון, תהיה תכליתו בקיבוצו שיוציאו למעלות, ושימצאהו לקיום גופו והמשך מציאותו, עד שיציג וידע את השם יתברך, מה שאפשר לדעתו.
Rambam's Introduction to Pirkei Avot
One who suffers from melancholia may rid himself of it by listening to singing and all kinds of instrumental music, by strolling through beautiful gardens and splendid buildings, by gazing upon beautiful pictures, and other things that enliven the mind, and dissipate gloomy moods. The purpose of all this is to restore the healthful condition of the body, but the real object in maintaining the body in good health is to acquire wisdom.