My Musing
What does it matter that the lyre that the Levites played in the Temple Precinct had specifically seven strings? Why use the command conjugation for “take”? Why must the Levites be conscripted into the Divine support service?
The Levites were the musicians. In any society, musicians are some of the most individualistic personalities. The idea that their expression of service is so structured is a challenge. That explains the idea of conscription. But what is the implicit message in the Lyre being only of seven strings?
Even within music one follows the score. Deviate from the score and one is playing music but not the piece. That is the message of the lyre. To do Avodah, true Divine service one must subjugate the will; one is conscripted to the service. How to make it meaningful everyday is our personal challenge.
What does it matter that the lyre that the Levites played in the Temple Precinct had specifically seven strings? Why use the command conjugation for “take”? Why must the Levites be conscripted into the Divine support service?
The Levites were the musicians. In any society, musicians are some of the most individualistic personalities. The idea that their expression of service is so structured is a challenge. That explains the idea of conscription. But what is the implicit message in the Lyre being only of seven strings?
Even within music one follows the score. Deviate from the score and one is playing music but not the piece. That is the message of the lyre. To do Avodah, true Divine service one must subjugate the will; one is conscripted to the service. How to make it meaningful everyday is our personal challenge.
מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת בהעלותך סימן ז
(במדבר ח:ה, ו) "וַיְדַבֵּר יְדֹוָד אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר. קַח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְטִהַרְתָּ אֹתָם"
(במדבר ח:ה, ו) "וַיְדַבֵּר יְדֹוָד אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר. קַח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְטִהַרְתָּ אֹתָם"
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:
'Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
'Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
ילמדנו רבינו: כמה נימין היו באותו כנור שהיו הלוים מנגנין בו?
כך אמר רבי יהודה, ז' נימין היו בכנור. שנאמר, (תהלים טז:יא) "תּוֹדִיעֵנִי אֹרַח חַיִּים שֹׂבַע שְׂמָחוֹת אֶת פָּנֶיךָ נְעִמוֹת בִּימִינְךָ נֶצַח"
אל תהי קורא שובע אלא שבע שמחות. וכן דוד אומר (תהלים קיט:קסד) "שֶׁבַע בַּיּוֹם הִלַּלְתִּיךָ עַל מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ"
ולימות המשיח נעשה ח'. שכן דוד אומר בניגון (תהלים ו:א) "לַמְנַצֵּחַ בִּנְגִינוֹת עַל הַשְּׁמִינִית, מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד"
כך אמר רבי יהודה, ז' נימין היו בכנור. שנאמר, (תהלים טז:יא) "תּוֹדִיעֵנִי אֹרַח חַיִּים שֹׂבַע שְׂמָחוֹת אֶת פָּנֶיךָ נְעִמוֹת בִּימִינְךָ נֶצַח"
אל תהי קורא שובע אלא שבע שמחות. וכן דוד אומר (תהלים קיט:קסד) "שֶׁבַע בַּיּוֹם הִלַּלְתִּיךָ עַל מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ"
ולימות המשיח נעשה ח'. שכן דוד אומר בניגון (תהלים ו:א) "לַמְנַצֵּחַ בִּנְגִינוֹת עַל הַשְּׁמִינִית, מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד"
Our master shall teach: How many strings were on the harps that the Levites played (in the Temple precints)?
Thus said Rabbi Yehudah, seven strings were on the harp, as it says, “Thou makest me to know the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy, in Thy right hand bliss for evermore” Do not read the word שֹׂבַע as fullness rather as it is spelled , meaning seven. And so David said, “Seven times a day do I praise Thee, because of Thy righteous ordinances.”
And in the time of the Messiah the harp will be made of eight strings. That thus David said in tune, “For the Leader; with string-music; on the Eighth. A Psalm of David.”
{( ולעתיד נעשה עשר שנאמר )}
(תהלים קמד:ט) "אֱלֹקִים שִׁיר חָדָשׁ אָשִׁירָה לָּךְ בְּנֵבֶל עָשׂוֹר אֲזַמְּרָה לָּךְ"
ומי התקין להם? שמואל ודוד שנאמר (דברי הימים א,ט:כב) "כֻּלָּם הַבְּרוּרִים לְשֹׁעֲרִים בַּסִּפִּים מָאתַיִם וּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר הֵמָּה בְחַצְרֵיהֶם הִתְיַחְשָׂם הֵמָּה יִסַּד דָּוִיד וּשְׁמוּאֵל הָרֹאֶה בֶּאֱמוּנָתָם"
והם העמידו חלוקי השיר יהיו הלוים עומדים על הדוכן ומזמרין לפני מי שאמר והיה העולם, ראה חבה שחבב הקב"ה את הלוים שכן אמר הקב"ה למשה הרבה הלוים חביבין לפני קח אותם לשמי לשררה מנין ממה שקראו בענין "קַח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם".
{(to the future it will be made from ten as it says)} “O God, I will sing a new song unto Thee, upon a psaltery of ten strings will I sing praises unto Thee;”
And who made it for them? Sameul and David as it says, “All these that were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set office.”
And they established the divisions of song that the Levites would stand on the platform and sing praise before He Who said and the world was, behold, the affection that the Holy One, blessed be He, has for the Levites, that the Holy One, blessed be He said to Moshe, the Levites are more dear before me “take them for my name to serve, from where? Form that which was stated , “take the Levites”
And who made it for them? Sameul and David as it says, “All these that were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set office.”
And they established the divisions of song that the Levites would stand on the platform and sing praise before He Who said and the world was, behold, the affection that the Holy One, blessed be He, has for the Levites, that the Holy One, blessed be He said to Moshe, the Levites are more dear before me “take them for my name to serve, from where? Form that which was stated , “take the Levites”
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