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Shirat
Haleviim: The Singing of the Leviim in the Temple
A
Darche Noam Source Guide
The
Gemara (Erkhin 11) asks what the Biblical source for the singing
of the Levites (Shirat Ha'Leviim) in the Temple is, and brings no
less than ten verses as prooftexts. We suggest that, in addition
to providing a biblical source for the singing of the Levites, the
Tannaim and Amoraim of this passage give us a glimpse at how they
understood the nature and function of the singing.
The ten sources:
|
Tanna
or Amora |
Verse |
Derivation |
| 1 |
Rav
Yehuda in the name of Shmuel |
"He
should serve in the Name of his G-d." (Devarim 18:7) |
What
is "service in the Name of G-d"? Singing in the Temple. |
| 2 |
Rav
Matana |
"Because
you did not serve G-d with joy and good-heartedness." (Devarim
28:47) |
What
service is "with joy and good-heartedness"? Singing. |
| 3 |
Chizkia |
"Khanania
the officer of the Leviim for bearing burdens, he instructs
for carrying, for he understands." (Divrei Hayamim 1 15:22) |
Do
not read it, "he instructs" ('yasor'), but "he sings" ('yashor'). |
| 4 |
Balavti
in the name of Rabbi Yochanan |
".
. . To serve a service of service." (Bemidbar 4:47) |
What
is a service that requires another service? Singing. |
| 5 |
Rabbi
Yitzchak |
"Raise
up song, give the drum, a pleasant harp with the violin." (Tehillim
81:3) |
|
| 6 |
Rabbi
Nachman bar Yitzchak |
"They
raise up their voices, sing out the greatness of G-d, rejoice
more than the sea." (Yishayahu 24:14) |
|
| 7 |
Baraita |
"He
did not give the family of Kehat for they carry on the shoulder."
(Bemidbar 7:9) |
They
"carry" ('yisa'u') is superfluous - rather, it refers to singing,
as in "raise up song." |
| 8 |
Chanania,
Rabbi Yehoshua's nephew |
"Moshe
spoke and G-d responded in a voice." (Shemot 19:19) |
"In
a voice" - means, on matters relating to voice. |
| 9 |
Rav
Ashi |
"It
was as one for the trumpeters and the singers to make a sound."
(Divrei Hayamim 2 5:13) |
|
| 10 |
Rabbi
Yonatan |
"Neither
you nor they should die." (Bemidbar 18:3) |
Just
as they (the Kohanim) do service of the altar, so you (the Leviim)
do service of the altar. |
Singing: Words & Feeling
The first two sources seem to form a unit. Both infer that a verse
in the Torah alludes to a type of service that is distinct from the
sacrifices. They differ, though, about its nature and purpose.
| 1 |
Rav
Yehuda in the name of Shmuel |
"He
should serve in the Name of his G-d." (Devarim 18:7) |
What
is "service in the Name of G-d"? Singing in the Temple. |
| 2 |
Rav
Matana |
"Because
you did not serve G-d with joy and good-heartedness." (Devarim
28:47) |
What
service is "with joy and good-heartedness"? Singing. |
Rav Yehuda/Shmuel's seems to view Shira as "service through the Divine
Name." The focus of Shira is the words themselves, specifically the
Name of G-d. His formulation recalls Avraham's "calling out in the
Name of G-d" (Bereishit 12:8, 13:4, 21:33). Rav Matana, on the other
hand, focuses on the emotional content of Shira. Shira is a joyous
type of service. Two possible readings of Rav Matana present themselves
- one, that Shira insures that the sacrifices will be offered with
joy; and another that Shira itself, independent of the sacrifices,
is service with joy. The second fits the words more closely: "What
is a service with joy and good-heartedness?" implies that the Shira
itself, not the sacrifices, is service with joy.
This discussion might have halakhic implications. Hagaon Rabbi Yosef
Chazan in his Chikrei Lev (Orach Chayim 34, 35), in a discussion about
whether the Leviim were required to sing in Hebrew, explores whether
Shira, on a biblical level, involves singing words or singing melody.
In our passage the Gemara does not speak of the chapters of Tehillim
the Leviim used to sing, but refers to singing with the mouth (b'feh).
Even when the Gemara relates which songs the Leviim would sing on
different days, they say, "This is the song that the Leviim used to
sing," using non-prescriptive language. On the other hand, Shmuel's
source, speaking of service through the Name of G-d, implies that
words were a crucial element of the Shira. He suggests that on a biblical
level what the Leviim were to sing was left open for the Sages of
subsequent generations to determine.
Another possible practical ramification of the melody vs. words issue
is whether a Levi whose has trouble with proper pronunciation of words
would be disqualified from service. The Rambam (Hilkhot Klei Hamikdash
3:8) rules that the only way a Levi can be disqualified from service
is if his voice is ruined. He does not specify whether this refers
to the pleasantness of his voice or his ability to pronounce words.
This might depend on whether melody or words are the essence of the
Shira. [The Rambam (Hilkhot Klei Hamikdash 3:4) quotes "serves in
the Name of G-d," the word-centered verse as the source of Shirat
Ha'Leviim.]
Sources 4 and 10 also have something in common.
| 4 |
Balavti
in the name of Rabbi Yochanan |
".
. . To serve a service of service." (Bemidbar 4:47) |
What
is a service that requires another service? Singing. |
| 10 |
Rabbi
Yonatan |
"Neither
you nor they should die." (Bemidbar 18:3) |
Just
as they (the Kohanim) do service of the altar, so you (the Leviim)
do service of the altar. |
Rabbi Yochanan clearly sees Shira as subservient and dependent on
the sacrifices. The singing of the Leviim accompanies the sacrifices,
embellishes them, adds another dimension to them, but is secondary
and dependent on them. The same approach seems to come out of how
Rabbi Yonatan's source is explained in the Gemara. The Shira is
called "service of the altar." This formulation is only possible
if the Shira is intrinsically connected to the sacrifices brought
on the altar.
This issue might also have practical ramifications. Can Leviim sing
even when no sacrifice is being offered and is a sacrifice valid
even if the Leviim did not sing with it? This would seem to depend
on how closely the singing and the sacrifices are tied together
and what kind of a tie it is.
Reish Lakish (Erkhin 12a) holds that the Leviim can sing in the
Temple even when a sacrifice is not begin offered. Rabbi Yochanan,
on the other hand, said, "Shira is only done over wine (the libations
of the sacrifices)." Rabbi Yochanan is consistent. The source he
quotes refers to Shira as a service that is totally dependent on
another service (the sacrifices = libations), and in practice he
held that the Leviim only sang while a sacrifice was being offered.
Reish Lakish, perhaps, views the Shira as a service that also stands
independent of the sacrifices.
Whereas the argument between Rabbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish deals
with how much the Shira is dependent on the sacrifices, Rabbi Meir
and the other Sages (Erkhin 11a) argue about how much the sacrifice
is dependent on the Shira. According to Rabbi Meir a sacrifice (specifically,
its wine libation - Tosafot) not accompanied by song is invalid,
and the Sages argue that it still is. [See Chikrei Lev Orach Chayim
35 for a long discussion of how we rule.]
Summary
The ten different sources offered by the Gemara to prove that the
Shirat Haleviim is a biblical command can be seen as reflecting
different understandings of the Shira. We related to four of the
sources. They split into two groups.
The first two sources highlight the independent side of Shira, either
its words (Shmuel's source -- #1) or the feeling it evokes or expresses
(Rav Matana's source -- #2).
There might be two practical ramifications of the above.
- Must the
Shira be sung in Hebrew or can it legitimately be sung in a different
language? A word-centered Shira approach (Shmuel) might require
Hebrew.
- Does the
Halakha invalidate a Levi that does not pronounce words properly
but still sings well? A word-centered approach might invalidate
a Levi without proper pronunciation.
Two other sources
(4 & 10) see the Shira as a subordinate to the sacrifice being offered.
Again, there seem to be halakhic ramifications, both of them disputes
presented in the Gemara.
- Can the Leviim
sing at a time when a sacrifice is not being offered? (dispute
between Rabbi Yochanan - no - and Reish Lakish - yes)
- Is a sacrifice
(libation) offered without Shira invalid? (Rabbi Meir - yes -
and the Sages - no)
Rabbi Yochanan's
approach in the first argument and Rabbi Meir's in the second both
assume the Shira-sacrifice connection. However, Rabbi Yochanan sees
the Shira as dependent on the sacrifices and Rabbi Meir sees the
sacrifice's validity as dependent on the Shira. Rabbi Yochanan and
Rabbi Meir both presume the Shira-sacrifice connection, but one
could hold like Rabbi Yochanan that Shira was only done with sacrifices
but not like Rabbi Meir that the sacrifice is invalid without Shira.
One could also hold like Rabbi Meir that a sacrifice without Shira
is invalid but not like Rabbi Yochanan that Shira can only be done
with a sacrifice.
prepared by Eliezer Kwass
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