Chabad Nigunim - Part I

00:01 Behem she to the earlier installments when it get to the Rebbe's father Simchat Torah reading, we will now, im yirtzeh Hashem, begin a new series on the Inyan of Nigunah, music and song as the Rebbe elaborated on this topic over the years. In a sicha of the second day, Chaya Shua's Tosaf Shovual of nineteen sixty-one, the Rebbe speaks about Dovid HaMelech, whose yartzheit is on Shuas, the benegeir to the recital of praises that Dovid HaMelech said in Tehillim. The Talmud tells us that there was a harp that would be hanging over the bed of Dovid HaMelech, and when midnight came, the north wind would blow, and the harp would be playing on its own. And that is when Dovid HaMelech would wake up and occupy himself with songs and praises to Hashem. From the words of the Gemara benegeir to the harp, it is understood that this is not just a, an expression which doesn't have any substance, but on the contrary, there-- it was a literal harp. And from this, we see the unique quality of nigunah, of music, not only with the mouth, but also with musical instruments. And as it is also understood from the lengthy discussion in Gemara, in the Talmud benegeir to the various musical instruments that were used in the Beis Hamikdash. And since the ultimate goal of the Beis Hamikdash is that from there, from the Beis Hamikdash, it should be drawn out in the whole world, which therefore the windows were also made in such a manner

01:59 that it should be primarily for the outside, which means to make from the whole world a Beis Hamikdash. But maybe it's understood also benegeir to nigunah in the Beis Hamikdash that has to be drawn out into the whole world. And when we fulfill it and utilize it in an appropriate manner, not just for pleasure, to have a good time, as the Rebbe says, it is then that it could reach to very great heights. The Inyan of nigunah, the Rebbe says, is also in the Ze'ah, as we find the difference of expressions benegeir to Tehillim. Sometimes it says, "Ledavid Mizmer," sometimes it says, "Mizmer Ledavid." Other times it says, "Mizmer Shir," "Shir Mizmer." So it's explained that Ledavid Mizmer means that first he said a shirah, a song, and after that, a ruach kodshah, a spiritual wind hovered over him. And on the other hand, Mizmer Ledavid means that first the spiritual wind hovered over him, and then he said the shirah. So the Rebbe explains that both hold true. Sometimes it is from below to above. First comes the shirah, and that prompts the Ruach HaKodesh, and sometimes it is the other way. First, the Ruach HaKodesh, and then comes the shirah. The difference between music with a, an instrument or music with the mouth is, uh, the, uh, similar to what is explained in Chassidus, the difference between the shirah, the song of Malachim, and the song of Neshamas. Malachim's source in the spiritual realms are from spiritual vessels, godly vessels, and the Neshamas

03:59 come from revelations. And therefore, Shirat HaMalachim are considered a shir, a song which they say on a daily basis, a song related to a vessel. Shir be'keili, musical instrument, sort of. And the Shirat HaNeshamas are shir by mouth, with the mouth. And because of the unique quality in nigunah, we find that the Raboseinu Nesiyenu cherished it very much to the extent that even before delivering a ma'amar Chassidus, they would sing a nigun prior to the ma'amar. And this uniqueness benegeir to nigunah is not only benegeir to nigunah with the mouth, but also with musical instruments, as it is known that by the Mitteler Rebbe there was an orchestra that they would sing not only by mouth, but also play with musical instruments. As the previous Rebbe once said that in his childhood, he saw one of the instruments that they used in the orchestra of the Mitteler Rebbe. Benegeir inyanenu, benegeir to our inyan, the Rebbe says that mitzad the unique quality of nigunah, the previous Rebbe founded a group of Hasidim and named this Mesiv Necheich. Necheich is an abbreviation, Nigunei Chassidei Chabad, and their aim is to gather all the nigunei Chassidei Chabad from also the earlier times, nigunim of the Rabbeim, nigunim of Hasidim, nigunim that were traditionally passed on to us, that they should sing it in the appropriate manner without any errors, and they should also write it up in musical notes. And as the Rebbe mentions that the inyan of musical notes we find already earlier as the previous

06:05 Rebbe said that the Baal Mishnas Chassidim A Kabbalist about whom the Tzemach Tzedek writes in the name of the Alter Rebbe that everything that is recorded in the Sefer Mishnas Chassidim he probably saw in the writings of the Arizal. So he also wrote a nigun in musical notes, and he also included that at the end of his Sefer known as Hein Osher. It is known the Pisgam of Rab Hillel MeParich, that his whole effort in being mahader, doing a mitzvah in the most auspicious way, is in order that he should be able to absorb a word of Chassidus. So the Rebbe says, likewise, when he get to the kvutze of Necheach, the kvutze of group of Chassidim that will sing nigunim, is the matola, the aim is in order to use all this, the nigunim that they will be publishing in musical notes and the nigunim that they will be singing, and also the singing with musical instruments for the sake of spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus to the outside, to spread Chassidus and to illuminate the whole world through niguna, which is something that reaches and penetrates to the core of the soul. Therefore, when they will really put themselves into it in an appropriate place and they will fulfill it as the intention is, so eventually it will accomplish that by a nigun a person will be able to understand, absorb an inyan Chassidus to the extent that they will flood the whole outside to the ex- to the, to the point that

08:03 the chutza, the outside will become wells. The wellsprings of Chassidus will flood the whole surrounding and the surrounding will become part of the wells. And the Rebbe concluded the sicha that the Aibister should help, that the inyan of Necheach should be in a way of constantly accelerating to a higher level and accelerating also in illum-illuminating the world and all the participants and the ones that are helping them should be successful in this matter and also in their personal needs. Whenever a new record came out from Necheach, the Rebbe would review the nigunim, would listen to the recording, and the Rebbe would comment occasionally on some aspects of these records. One heroah that we heard that the Rebbe advised those that are putting together the records that they should always conclude a record with a joyous nigun.