by Shira Yehudit Djalilmand
Introduction
My name, Shira Yehudit, means either “song of thanks” or “Jewish song.” I chose it as a fitting name for me, as I both write poetry and play the violin. Music and song is for me a very important way to connect to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and so I decided to speak about something very close to my heart – the role of music in Creation.
Many of the ideas and concepts in this shiur are taken from the amazing book, The Mystical Power of Music, by Rabbi Avraham Ariel Trugman, and from the equally amazing book, Nature’s Song by Rabbi Nosson Slifkin, both of which draw from a wide variety of sources from both the Written and Oral Torah.
Music in Jewish Tradition
Throughout the history of the Jewish nation, we can see that music has always played a vital role. Very early on in Sefer Bereishit, the Book of Genesis, music is mentioned, in the verses, “And Lemech took two wives, the name of one was Ada and the name of the other Zilla. And Ada gave birth to Jabal, he was the father of those who dwell in tents and of such that have cattle. And his brother was Jubal, he was the father of all who handle the lyre and pipe…” (Bereishit 4:19-22)
Of course, the most famous musician in Jewish history has to be Dafyd Hamelech, who composed our beloved Book of Psalms (Tehillim), which have been both wept and rejoiced over by generation after generation of Jews. Today the psalms are read as verses, but Dafyd Hamelech originally wrote them as songs, to be accompanied by music from the many instruments that he was skilled in playing.
It was David Hamelch who wrote the fifteen Shir HaMaalot, songs of ascent, to correspond to the fifteen steps of the not-yet built Beit HaMikdash. Indeed, we have many accounts of the important role of music in theBeit HaMikdash. The Leviim had to train until the age of thirty before they were allowed to take their place amongst the musicians of the Beit HaMikdash, where they sang and played music that, it is written, touched a person’s neshamah, so that one only had to hear the music and he would repent all his sins.
We read in the Gemara about the great joy of Simchat Beit Hashoevah during the Succot festival. Every night the Sages would dance and sing to the accompaniment of the Leviim, and the music and singing were so inspired that Chazal wrote, –“Anyone who has not seen simchat beit hashoevah has never seen true joy.”
Also during the festival of Succot, when the people would bring their bikkurim, the first fruits, to Jerusalem, they were accompanied on their way by flutes, and as they arrived at the Beit Hamikdash the Leviim would greet them with joyous music and song.
Music, indeed, is so important in awakening spiritual feeling that on numerous occasions, it raised a Jew onto the level of prophecy. Shaul HaMelech, when chosen by Hashem to be king, met with a band of prophets “coming down from the high place with a lute and a timbrel and a pipe and a lyre.” Shaul began to prophesy, and the commentaries explain that the prophets used music to create the spiritual atmosphere necessary for the Divine spirit to rest upon them. When the prophet Elisha was asked by three kings to enquire of Hashem what to do, he asked that they bring him a minstrel (a traveling musician). The verse continues, “And it came to pass when the minstrel played, the hand of G-d came upon him.” It is written that a state of prophecy can only come through joy. And nothing awakens and expresses joy more than music.
Ten Archetypal Songs
According to Jewish tradition there are ten archetypal songs sung throughout our history. What makes these songs so special and what do they have in common? The answer is that they were all written and/or sung in a state of Divine inspiration or prophecy – a state of mind where all of life make sense, when Hashem’s Providence and our role in His creation is crystal clear. At such a time, the natural human response is to sing praises to Hashem our Creator.
- Adam HaRishon, after his expulsion from Gan Eden. According to the Midrash, when Adam saw that Hashem reduced Cain’s punishment for the murder of his brother after Cain repented (Cain would wander as a fugitive but find rest on Shabbat), he realized the power of repentance and immediately proclaimed “A psalm, a song for the day of Shabbat, it is good to thank Hashem and praise your name,” (Tehillim 92:1)
- Moshe and Bnei Israel sung this song after the miracle of crossing the Yam Suf (Az Yashir Moshe UBnei Israel et hashira ha ze…). We can understand the level of spirituality present then when we consider that according to Midrash, even the simplest handmaiden experienced a level of prophecy greater than the prophet Yekezkiel! That intense degree of revelation was transformed into spontaneous singing and dancing, including the women, led by Miriam the prophetess with her drum.
- Sung by all of Israel when they received water in the desert. It is written, in the form of a song, “Then Israel sang this song (az yashir Israel) “Spring up o well, sing to it, the well the princes dug out, that the nobles of the people excavated, with the scepter, with their staves,” (Bamidbar 21:17) Water is life, of course – especially in the desert, and additionally, we know that whenever water is mentioned, it is an allusion to the life-giving Torah. And so, in the joy of receiving water on both these levels of meaning, Israel burst into song.
- Haazinu, sung by Moshe Rabbeinu at the end of his life (“Haazinu hashamayim v’edabara – Give ear O heavens and I will speak,” (Devarim 32:1-43 - last but one parasha in Chumash). According to many commentators, Haazinu contains many prophecies for the future right up until the time of Mashiach.
- Joshua when he miraculously stopped the sun and moon, saying, “Sun, stand still in Gibeon and moon, in the valley of Ayalon.” (Joshua 10:12). How did Joshua stop the sun and moon? Incredibly, according to tradition, he did it by actually singing their song! What does that mean? We’ll get back to that a little later….
- Devorah and Barak after Hashem delivered Sisera into their hands and they conquered Jabin, King of Canaan. Their song is recorded in Shoftim (Judges), chapter 5, also in the form of a song (Vetashar Devorah u’Barak).
- Hannah, mother of the prophet Shmuel. Hannah was childless for many years and prayed to Hashem for a son, promising to dedicate him to Hashem’s service if her prayer was answered. After she gave birth to Shmuel, Hannah sang a song of thanksgiving - V’heetpalel Hannah, and Hannah prayed (Shmuel 1 2:1-10), also written in the form of a song.
- David HaMelech after Hashem rescued him from the hands of Shaul. “And David spoke to Hashem the words of this song on the day that Hashem delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Shaul,” (Shmuel 2 22:1-51). Out of all the 150 songs that Dafyd HaMelech wrote which are recorded in the Book of Tehillim, this is the only one which has the status of one of the ten songs, and is also written in the Torah in the form of a song.
- Shir Hashirim, Song of Songs, written by Shlomo HaMelech. According to the Zohar, he was inspired to write it on the day he inaugurated the first Beit Hamikdash. Although on a superficial level it appears to be a passionate love story, it is truly to be understood as an allegory of the love between HaKadosh Baruch Hu and Israel, and as such, Rabbi Akiva declared it to be the most holy of all the holy books of Tanach.
- We have already heard the first nine songs, but we are still waiting - with longing - to hear the notes of the tenth song. For the tenth song is the Song of Redemption, the song of Mashiach, when all mankind will “sing a new song to Hashem.” This song, whose joy we cannot yet begin to comprehend, will express a sense of completeness with the world and an understanding of the total harmony of Hashem’s creation – a harmony that is best expressed in the harmony of song. We are waiting for it to come!
Music as the Source of Creation
We have seen how important the role of music is in creation. But why? Why is music considered to be on such a high level? And why is it such an integral part of our Jewish tradition of connecting with Hashem our Creator?
We can get a better understanding by looking a little deeper into the text of the Torah. One way to find hidden meanings in the Torah is by combining the letters of words in the text to give us new associations and connections. The Tikkunei Zohar, a classic Kabbalistic work, takes the first word of the Torah, “bereishit” and rearranges its letters to reveal profound secrets of creation.
One way to combine the letters is שירת אב – “the song of the father” or “the cardinal/essential song” (such as in “av melachot Shabbat”). The letters of אב, “father” are also the first two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, alef-beit. So, incredibly, these combinations of letters reveal the amazing insight that the Divine speech of our Father, Hashem, was in fact song – the song of the alef beit. Hashem, in effect, created the whole world through song made up of the Hebrew letters!
And this is how we can begin to understand the source of the mystical power of music. I quote Rabbi Trugman here, as it would be difficult to express this idea more beautifully; “The Divine creative process… produces what poets have called the harmony of the spheres. To be in tune with this celestial symphony is to be connected to the very fabric and pulse of creation, and here is where lies the power of music and its effect on the soul of man. For if God created the world through Divine speech and song, then it is this energy with which we come into contact via music.
“When we sing we come into contact with a force much greater than ourselves. When we listen to music it resonates within us because…music is not merely something we enjoy, but rather the essence of Divine creation and our own inner selves. Music opens us up to the myriad of physical and spiritual forces all around us, allowing us to become one with all creation and with its Source (Hakadosh Baruch Hu).”
Pereh Shirah – Song of Creation
Now that we learn that all of Creation was in fact created by song, we may find it easier to understand that there is in fact a Song of Creation, known as Perek Shirah (Chapter of Song). The authorship of this mysterious and beautiful Midrash is in doubt, although many sources attribute it to David HaMelech. It consists of six chapters, each one focusing on a different part of creation which each sings its own verse from the Torah. The first chapter notes the song of the earth, the seas, the rivers etc. The second chapter focuses on the elements of the heavens – the sun, moon, stars, clouds etc. The third chapter deals with the vegetable kingdom, attributing verses to trees, the vine, wheat, grass etc. The fourth chapter is the song of the various birds and fish, the fifth chapter highlights the songs of the animals, and the sixth and final chapter documents the song of the creeping creatures.
Each and every part of creation has its own song, as we have explained how Hashem created the entire world with song. But what exactly does it mean to say that every part of creation “sings?” Certainly we can understand the concept of birds singing, and perhaps even other creatures such as frogs, but what can it mean to say that a blade of grass sings, or an inanimate object like a cloud?
To help us answer this question, we have four differing opinions on who is singing. And although each opinion is very different, they do not contradict each other but rather complement each other, so that they are all true on their own level;
1. According to the Arizal, all four levels of creation – human, animal, vegetable, and mineral – has its own life force and consciousness and so the creations themselves are singing their own unique song on whatever level of consciousness they have.
2. A guiding angel above is singing the song of each creation. We know from the Talmud that every creation has its own guiding angel - “No blade of grass grows until its angel above strikes it and says ‘Grow!’ (Bereishit Rabbah). Similarly, each person and each nation has its own angel.
3. Man himself is singing. How so? As we observe the world around us and learn from the various parts of creation, we are inspired by the deep insights we gain and these are translated into the various songs of creation.
4. Hashem Himself is singing the song of each creation. This fits the idea that Hashem sings the world into existence, and therefore that original energy of song exists in each and every part of the creation.
Each of these four concepts is beautiful in itself. But perhaps even more beautiful is the way in which they correspond to the four rising levels in our morning prayers. The first level of the prayers, Pesukei D’Zimrah, is full of verses about the natural world praising and singing to Hashem, which corresponds to the first opinion, that each part of creation sings its own song in Perek Shirah. The second level of our prayers is the blessings before the Shema, which describes how the angels on high praise Hashem daily – which exactly fits the second opinion as to who is singing in Perek Shirah. In the third level of our prayers, the Shema, man proclaims “Shema Israel Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad!” When man declares and understands the unity of Hashem with His creation, then man is able to join in the song of that creation and sing his own unique song. The highest level of our prayers is the silent Amidah, followed by Tachanun, where we relate the shloshesra middot, the thirteen attributes of Hashem’s mercy. According to the Talmud, Hashem, as it were, covered Himself with a tallit and showed Moshe Rabbeinu how to pray! This, then, connects to the fourth opinion – that Hashem Himself is singing the song of creation!
Finding Our Own Song
We’ve heard a lot now about the song of creation and how we are all a part of it. So now, all we have to do is to “find our own song.” But what does that really mean? And more importantly, how can we do it?
Finding our own song means gaining an awareness of our own unique role in Hashem’s creation, and fulfilling that role to the best of our abilities. Each of us has his or her special skills and talents, given to us by Hashem, and He wants us to discover those abilities and use them to enhance His creation. If we take the analogy of a large orchestra, some of us might feel an urge to pluck the strings of a violin and make it sing, another might feel drawn to the haunting melody of the clarinet, while yet another might feel a connection to the powerful beat of the drums. All the instruments are needed in an orchestra. None are more or less important than another, and if one is missing – even the tiny dling! of the triangle – the symphony is incomplete.
How can we find our own song in Hashem’s creation? There are many ways that can help. Prayer, learning Torah, meditation, spending time in nature, are all paths that can show us the way to finding our unique role in Creation and so connecting to Hashem through our own unique song. The letters of “Israel”ישראל - - can be written as ישר אל – directly to Hashem. Alternately, they can be written as שיר אל - a song to Hashem. And so, through finding our song, we can find our path directly to our Creator.
We are all a part of the same Divine orchestra. If we play the wrong notes, at the wrong time, a terrible cacophony results. But if we all play in harmony together, seeking and finding the perfect notes to each fulfil our own unique role, the most wondrous symphony results – the symphony of all Creation.
Final Blessing
To end, I would like to bless you all with one of the most beautiful blessings I have ever heard. Taken from “the Mystical Power of Music” by Rabbi Avraham Ariel Trugman; “May we all be blessed to hear the song of creation and integrate it into every fiber of our beings, until we become the music itself. Through this we come to realize our potential and accomplish our purpose in life, expressed through our own unique song. May we always strive to rectify and heal, fulfill and reveal the oneness of G-d, with the great joy that comes from serving Him. May our efforts be directed to redemption and the sounds of the tenth song, a new song to Hashem, waiting to be revealed, quickly and in our days, Amen.”