Nigunim from Various Nations: Part 1

00:00 Good evening. With this installment, we begin a new series titled "Neguni HaMedinos: Am V'om Kilshenei Medino Medino V'Neguna," which is basically elaborating on various negunim which were sung at the Rebbe's farbrengen, and they were brought from guests from various countries, and the Rebbe asked that they should sing this nigun of theirs at the farbrengen. This is based on an article which was written by a Rav Leiv-- Leb- Leibman, who is very involved in Hasidic music in Eretz Yisrael. We find by the Rebbe on Chaggim Yechidus that when at a farbrengen of the Rebbe, there were guests there from various countries, the Rebbe would honor them with their nigun. Kimu Van understood that this is a nigun of Kedusha, traditional nigun, but not always a traditional Chabad Lubavitch nigun. But at times, Sfardi, Moroccan, Gruzini, Persian, or a nigun kodesh, a sacred nigun in the language of the guests. As it seems like, as we'll mention further from the Rebbe's words, this has a triple benefit. Number one, hachnasas orchim. It is well understood that when a echad is given an opportunity to express himself in his language, to sing one of his traditional negunim, this gives him a good feeling, a feeling of honor on the part of the host. This is the mitzvah of hachnasas orchim, which is based on Ahavas Yisroel. A second point is to be mashpia in a positive way on the Yidden of that country, to strengthen them in avodas Hashem, in their language, and to bring about that they

02:24 should be able to go out from the difficulties, spiritual as well as physical difficulties in their country, and this is the nigun of Yetzim Besheer, going out with a nigun from Galus. And the third point is to be mashpia on other nations through a nigun which relates to them, to accomplish in them a birur and a tikkun, as we will see further from the Rebbe's sichas. At the farbrengen, Yud Beis Tammuz, tav shin mem tes, the twelfth of Tammuz, nineteen eighty-nine, the Rebbe honored the guests who arrived from France to sing nigun shel hem. They should sing their nigun. And the Rebbe added, "Lehoir," we can also point out that this honor contains the concept of hachnasas orchim, hosting to the guests. Towards the end of the farbrengen, after the Rebbe distributed the mashke, the Rebbe asked in French, "Where are the guests from France?" The Rebbe instructed them to say l'chaim, and he began singing which is the nigun that the Rebbe taught during Hakafes tav shin lamed daled, late nineteen seventy-three, about over fifty years ago. And after that, the Rebbe continued and said, "Now we also have guests here who arrived from Eretz Yisrael. It would be appropriate that also they should say l'chaim and sing one of their nigunim, a nigun from Eretz Yisrael." as their heart will volunteer to sing. And the orchim sang the nigun, "Hashiyah Es Amecha." Now we go on to a nigun Chabad from Morocco. Rav Hosid Rab Nisan Pinson was one of the first shluchim

04:29 of the Rebbe sent to Morocco in the year tav shin Yud Gimmel, nineteen fifty-three. When he came back a few years later for a visit to the Rebbe, Rosh Hashanah tav shin tes zayin, late nineteen fifty-five, the Rebbe requested, honored Rab Nisan he should sing a nigun mezimras ha'aretz, a nigun of his country. Rab Nisan sang then the nigun, "Azreini Kel Choi," after the Yom Tov. The Rebbe asked him that he should write down for him the words of the nigun, which means that after Yom Tov, the Rebbe wanted that Rab Nisan should hand in to the Rebbe the nigun, the entire nigun as it is sung with, with the words beginning with, "Azreini Kel Choi." On the second night Pesach tav shin tes zayin, nineteen fifty-six, the Rebbe mentioned the custom of Sfardi communities that on the night of the Seder, one of the family members takes a bag and puts it on his shoulder, demonstrating, showing how the Yidden went out of Mitzrayim with the loads on their shoulders. And as a hemschech to this, the Rebbe requested they should sing again the Sfardishe nigun, "Azreini." it is at the fo-formal farbrengen of Yud Shevat, nineteen fifty-seven. Rabbi Avrom Tavil from Argentina sang the Ozreni, the nigun again, and the Rebbe escorted him singing along with him. And today, we can hear how the Rebbe is singing along with him the tune of Ozreni. During the farbrengen of Simchas Beis HaShoeiva, Chalmei Sukkes, Yutest Ishri Tov Shin Chof Alef, late 1960, the Rebbe

06:42 asked the Orchem from Morocco to sing a Moroccan nigun, saying that Rav Garidetski should be the one in charge. Rav Garidetski was the Rebbe's ambassador in many different countries in Europe and in North Africa. And they sang the nigun Ozreni Kel Choy. And after that, the Rebbe instructed they should sing the nigun Mipi Kel Yevorach Yisroel. Yevorach Yisroel, which is a nigun, a very traditional nigun song in many communities. At the end of the farbrengen, Simchas Beis HaShoeiva, Tov Shin Chof Gimel, late 1962, the Rebbe asked that the talmidim, the students from Argentina, should sing their nigun Ozreni Kel Choy. HaRav Yeshua Hadad, who was raised and educated in the Chabad institutions in Morocco, and he later became a shliach of the Rebbe to the Moroccan Swardik community in Milano, Italy. During the years that he was studying in 770, the Rebbe asked him many times to sing the nigun Ozreni Kel Choy during the farbrengen. The nigun Ozreni was composed by HaRav Refo Yitzchak Entebi Tabush. He lived from Tov Resh Yud Dalet, which is 1854, to Gimel Kislev Tov Resh Ayin Tes, 1919. He lived in Syria. He was well-versed in the revealed parts of Torah and the concealed parts of Torah, Beniglo Benister. And he was one of the great poets from Aram Seva, and he composed over 400 poems. He lost his sight in his youth, and he was nifted in Cairo in Egypt. Ozreni Kel Choy is a poem for Aseres HaMechituvah. And it is basically in the tune of

09:01 Arab music. And the nigun was included in the taklit of Necheach, Lubavitcher Records, number 11. It was published in 1973. Tfila Swardit, a Swardic Tfila in the Machze Vidi HaGorul, which is recited Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This is basically the description of this nigun and when it is recited. In the Negunei Hisvadiyes, which are basically the negunim which were recorded during the farbrengens over the years, how the Rebbe sings the negunim, there is also an audio how we hear the Rebbe is singing the tune of the nigun with a very special hatom and a very gishmaka way since singing this nigun in the background. We will im yirtzeh Hashem continue in the next installment.