Some of the musical instruments used in the Beis Hamikdash were those fashioned in the wilderness during the life of Moshe Rabbeinu. Chazal taught (Arachin 10b), “There was a flute in the Beis Hamikdash. It was straight and thin, made of bamboo, and it remained from the time of Moshe. The king had it plated with gold, but then it failed to produce a fine tone. The plating was then removed, and it produced a tone as fine as it had done previously.”
Chazal chose not to tell us to which king this passage is referring, but Shlomo Hamelech made many musical instruments from gold for the Beis Hamikdash. He also fashioned stringed instruments from coral imported from overseas (the land of Ofir, which has not been positively identified). Josephus claimed that Shlomo Hamelech fashioned 200,000 trumpets and 40,000 stringed instruments using an alloy of silver and gold (electrum).
The minimum number of instruments, as listed in the Mishnah (Arachin 2:5), is nine kinoros and two neivel. It is permissible to have extra kinoros (there is no limit) but not more than six neivel. We do not know what these instruments looked like, but it is certain that a kinor is a stringed instrument. Rashi (Yeshayahu 5:12; Tehillim 81:2) writes that a neivel is similar, but has more strings than a kinor. Rabbeinu Gershom (Arachin 11a), however, described a neivel as a percussion instrument.
The Kedushas Levi (Parashas Vayeitzei) suggests that when the Leviim sang high tones, their intent was to shut the flow of abundance to the wicked, and they sang low tones to encourage the flow of Heaven’s bounty to the entire world, even to the undeserving.
Today, we have no record or tradition preserving the tunes used in the Beis Hamikdash. The famed traveler, Binyamin of Tudela, testified that when he visited Baghdad, he met Harav Elazar ben Tzemach, who claimed to be a direct descendant of Shmuel Hanavi. He and his brothers were reputed to know how to sing the mizmorim of Tehillim in the same tunes that were used by their ancestors in the Beis Hamikdash.
The Rebbe Rav Nachman of Breslov pointed out that only human beings are capable of song and music. All animals and birds can make sounds and calls, but none can compose or sing any real tune. Therefore, he said, it is important for a shepherd to play music or sing while he is tending to his flock in the pasture. Otherwise, since he is totally alone with his flock, he could be drawn to imitate the beasts’ base nature. Harav Shlomo Zalman of Liadi likewise taught the hidden meaning of the Mishnah (Shabbos 5:1), kol baalei hashir yotzin beshir: “This is a reference to the human soul, for only human beings are baalei hashir, meaning that they are capable of singing. People can rise from the level of dumb beasts through song.”
How Does It Work?
The Ma’or Vashemesh (Parashas Korach) cites the Bris Menuchah, teaching that when someone brought an animal to the Beis Hamikdash to be offered as a korban, the officiating Kohen was able to read the person’s thoughts. If he saw that this person had not repented sufficiently, he would give a signal to the Leviim, who would then adjust the tune of their singing in such a way that it inspired the person to complete his teshuvah. They would direct their thoughts to the World of Binah, which is the realm of teshuvah in Shamayim. (The passuk Divrei Hayim I 25 refers to the choir members as meivinim — those who possess binah.)
The Sanzer Rebbe, cited in Shaar Yissachar (p. 287) describes the follow-up: Once the person realized the gravity of his sin and fully regretted it, the Kohen would again signal to the Leviim. They would then switch to a happy tune so that the korban would be offered with sincere simchah and gratitude for receiving Hashem’s forgiveness.
We pray that we will soon have the opportunity to be inspired to teshuvah and joy through the Leviim’s singing once again.
