Making Music

On the pasuk “Then Moshe and the sons of Israel will sing …” (Shemot 15:1) the Midrash (Shemot Rabbah 23, 4) says “From the time G-d created the world until Am Yisrael sang after they saw the Egyptians drowning in the sea, nobody had ever sung shira (praise) to G-d. G-d created Adam and he never sang. When G-d saved Avraham from the furnace and from the war with the kings, Avraham never sang. When G-d saved Yitzchak from the Akeidah, Yitzchak never sang. When G-d saved Yaakov from the angel and from Eisav, Yaakov never sang.”

The words of the Midrash are very difficult to understand, because we have explicit sources that the list of people above did in fact sing.

The Yalkut Shimoni (Psalms 93) says that when G-d created Adam, he was so magnificent that the angels and the other creatures thought he was G-d and came to bow down to him. Adam said to them “Why are you bowing down to me, let us all bow down to the real G-d who created us all.” Adam proceeded to sing Psalm 93, that we sing every Friday morning and at the end of Kabbalat Shabbat.

Bereishit Rabbah (48a) says that the verse in Psalms 18:36 is referring to Avraham praising G-d for saving him from the furnace, the famine and the kings.

The Kedushat Levi (Chayei Sarah 25), quoting a Gemara (Arachin 11a), says that when Yitzchak “went out to ‘speak’ in the field” (Bereishit 24:63), he sang praise.

We know from the pasuk (Bereishit 32:11) that Yaakov sang praises to G-d. It has recently become a popular Chassidic hit tune.

Additionally, the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 78) says that the angels sing to G-d every day.

Even the animals have been singing to G-d every day, since Creation. Every time you hear a bird chirping, a rooster crowing, a donkey braying etc., they are singing praise to G-d. If you want to know what they are singing, refer to Sefer Perek Shira.

So, what does the Midrash above mean that Moshe and Am Yisrael at the Splitting of the Red Sea were the first to ever sing praise to G-d?

The Gemara (Sanhedrin 91b) says that the concept of resurrection (Techiyat Ha’Meitim) in the Torah is derived from the pasuk “Then Moshe and the sons of Israel will sing …” It speaks in the future tense, “Moshe will sing,” meaning that in the time of the Geulah, Moshe will be resurrected and will sing this song (a second time).

There are three types of music. “Shira” – vocals, singing with the mouth. “Niggun” – instrumentals, making sounds with an instrument. “Zimra” – vocal and instrumental combined.

Moshe Rabbeinu was a Levi and he was a singer. In fact, Moshe is called the “chief singer.” Moshe immortalized two songs, Shirat HaYam and Ha’azinu.

The chief instrumentalist was Elisha the prophet. Elisha evoked the power of prophecy through playing an instrument (Ari z”l, Kings II, 3:15).

The chief mezamer was David HaMelech. Sometimes David would sing, sometimes he would play on an instrument, and sometimes both together.

Actually, Moshe was also a mezamer. The Zohar (part 2, 114b) says that Moshe is called “the faithful shepherd,” because like a shepherd who plays the flute for his sheep, Moshe Rabbeinu, knew how to “play” using the 600,000 different tunes of all the Neshamot in Am Yisrael in his prayers. The Zohar likens Am Yisrael to an orchestra of different instruments, each with their own special and unique sound and Moshe is the conductor of this orchestra.

According to the Vilna Gaon, the origin of music was at Har Sinai. As part of the Torah, Moshe Rabbeinu brought these niggunim down with him and all subsequent niggunim, throughout time, are composites of these original nigunim.

What about the shira at the Red Sea, which preceded Matan Torah? Was that not also music?

Sefer Meir Panim (chap. 13) explores a Kabbalistic concept called “Gvura Shebe’Chesed.” The attribute of “gvura” (courage) is associated with the male and the attribute of “chesed” (kindness) is associated with the female.

The Zohar says that shira emanates from gvura, however gvura on its own is incomplete. To achieve perfection the gvura has to intermingle with chesed.

We asked at the beginning of the shiur why the Midrash says that the first shira was only at the Red Sea, and brought numerous proofs to show that there was shira before that. The answer is that in fact there was shira prior to the shira at the Red Sea, but it was incomplete shira.

Adam HaRishon sang shira, but that was before Chava was created. Adam is gvura and Chava is chesed, so Adam’s shira was only gvura and not a mixture of gvura/chesed.

Avraham sang shira, but this was before the Akeidah. At this point Avraham was chesed, so his shira was entirely chesed, not a mixture of gvura/chesed.

Yitzchak sang shira, but this was before he married Rivka. Yitzchak is gvura, so his shira was entirely gvura, not a mixture of gvura/chesed.

Yaakov only acquired the attribute of tiferet (a mixture of gvura and chesed) after he battled with the angel and was renamed Yisrael. When Yaakov sang shira, this was before this battle and therefore his shira was entirely gvura.

Angels cannot combine gvura/chesed, they are either/or. For example, Gavriel is gvura, Michael is chesed.

Animals also sing, but like angels, animals are either/or. Some animals are only gvura, others are only chesed.

The first time shira achieved this perfect mixture was at the Red Sea. The males in Am Yisrael sang shira, which was purely gvura. Miriam then led all the women out of the camp dancing and playing tambourines – to add the chesed component.

Parshat HaShavua Trivia Question: What does it mean that Am Yisrael left Egypt “Chamushim” (Shemot 13:18)?

Answer to Last Week’s Trivia Question: What is the first mitzvah in the Torah? It is a trick question. The first mitzvah given to mankind is “be fruitful and multiply.. The first mitzvah given to Am Yisrael is Rosh Chodesh.