It is told that the students of the Baal Shem Tov took some of the melodies of the non-Jews and elevated them to the side of kedusha. Many of these tunes spread among the Jewish people.
One example of this is the melody called “Galus.”
R' Yitzchak Isaac of Kaliv (1751-1821) related he heard this melody from a non-Jewish shepherd in the field and he put his own words to the tune. Many chassidish rebbes sang this song with dveikus, attachment to Hashem.
It is known that many tunes sung in Vizhnitz are of non-Jewish origin. The Minchas Elazar of Munkatch would sing on Yomim Noraim tunes originating from the marches of non-Jewish soldiers.
R' Dov Ber Schwartz (1943-2020), who was born in Hungary, said that the known tune for ובאו כלם בברית יחד נעשה ונשמע אמרו כאחד is of non-Jewish Hungarian origin. Likewise, the famous tune to Eishes Chayil that is sung at a mitzva tantz stems from non-Jews. R' Schwartz testified that he heard in Hungary how the non-Jews sang the tunes with Hungarian words.
A hint to this idea is found in the words of Yaakov, קחו מזמרת הארץ בכליהם והורידו לאיש מנחה. The sefer Kedosh Yisrael cites from the Ahavas Yisrael of Vizhnitz an alternate explanation: Take the zemiros (קחו מזמרת) from the non-Jews (הארץ refers to the nations of the earth) and transfer those melodies towards kedusha (בכליהם). And bring it as a present (מנחה) to Hashem (לאיש) who is called איש מלחמה. That is to say, when you go to daven for the amud (which is referred to by the word והורידו, since davening for the amud is called יורד לפני התיבה) to Hashem (לאיש), utilize these tunes.
When the Baal Shem Tov visited Serentch, Hungary, he blessed a childless couple that they would have a child. In 1751, a son was born to them, who later became R' Yitzchak Isaac of Kaliv. R' Yitzchak Isaac was discovered by R' Leib Sarah's, a student of the Baal Shem Tov, who first met him when he was a young child, a small shepherd boy. R' Leib told the boy’s widowed mother that her son had a high lofty soul from the supernal world of song and that he was destined to become a great tzadik. He took the small child to Nikolsburg where he learned with R' Shmelke of Nikolsburg. He also studied under the Noam Elimelech. R' Yitzchak Isaac was known as “the Sweet Singer of Israel,” as he composed many popular chassidish melodies. Often, he adapted Hungarian folk songs, adding Jewish words. He related that the tunes he heard were actually from the Beis Hamikdash, and were lost among the nations over the years. He found them and returned them to the Jewish people. He said that the proof this it was true was that the non-Jew who would teach him the song would forget it as soon as he would learn it.
See the Beer Hataiv, 53:25, Machatzis Hashekel 53:31 and the Maaseh Rokeach on the Rambam, Hilchos Tefilla 8:11.
See Zemiros Divrei Yoel, 104.
Kedosh Yisrael, chapter 14, p. 145.
Shortly before his death, the Munkatcher Rebbe, known as the Minchas Elazar, made a special trip to meet from Hungary to meet the Sabba Kadisha, R’ Shlomo Eliezer Alfandari (c. 1820-1930). This was considered a historic confluence between two worlds, the Sefardi genius of the Middle East and the Chassidic tradition of Eastern Europe. He died from pneumonia, while the Munkatcher Rebbe was at his bedside. (R’ Shlomo Eliezer’s father died when he was a child. His mother, who lived into her eighties taught him Torah on her own. His mother’s mother was said to have known Shas and Poskim. When his centenarian grandmother decided to move to Eretz Yisrael, she brought ten Torah scholars and one Sefer Torah along with her at her expense because she didn’t want to daven without a minyan! At 17, R’ Alfandari married and had a son who died shortly after birth. They never had more children. In his youth, he corresponded with R’ Akiva Eiger and the Chassam Sofer. For decades, he served his community as a Rav and Rosh Yeshiva, holding the titles of Chief Rabbi of Kusta [Istanbul] and Damascus, among others. At around age 90, he emigrated to Eretz Yisrael and became the Chief Rabbi of Tzfas and the Gallil.)
He arrived in the United States in 1955 and became a close student of the Divrei Yoel of Satmar. In 2020, he passed away from the Covid Pandemic. He authored Artzos Hachaim, Imrei Devash and Shu”t Meishiv Devarim.
Breishis 43:11. Simply this means, “Take of the land’s glory in your baggage and bring it down to the man as a tribute.”
Chapter 14, p. 145.
Shemos 15:3.
See Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 53.
