Psalms and Music from a Jewish Perspective
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Staffroom Psalms and music from a Jewish perspective Norma Massel is headteacher of a voluntary However, since the poetic and emotional qualities of the phrases aided Jewish primary school in Lancashire. contain such depth of meaning that even in translation they are uplifting, many composers have been inspired to create music for them. Here she provides a perspective on the Psalms, the Tehillim. ‘Tehillim’ was a piece of music written in 1981 by American composer Why not get your pupils to read selected Psalms, and create Steve Reich, who chose to do this because he felt that the Psalms’ texts of their own that show their learning from the Psalms? oral tradition in Western synagogues was lost and that he was free to Jumping about! compose his own melodies. In Temple times a choir of Levites 5 would sing on the steps as people entered. Psalm 30 was sung when David ‘Sefer Tehillim’ are the Hebrew words for the book of Psalms and finished building the Temple 6 in Jerusalem. translate as ‘book of praises’. Praises is a verbal noun taken from the Hebrew word ‘Hallel’ which is also the first part of Hallelujah (Praise- I will praise You Lord because you have lifted me up . Yah). Psalm 147 begins ‘Hallelujah! For it is good to make music to our You have turned my sadness into dancing G-d 1 for praise is pleasant and befitting’. The root meaning of the word Therefore my soul will sing out to You and will be quiet. is first ‘to jump’ or ‘dance about’ as light does and then ‘to throw light Lord, My G-d I will always thank You for ever. upon’ so as to illuminate or glorify. Tehillim therefore illuminate, show At Shavuot 7 time, people from all over Israel would carry new G-d’s glory and call forth praises. They uncover and illuminate G-d’s fruits to the Temple to celebrate, and when they arrived in the purposes as they relate to man, to Israel and the earth. ‘Psalm’ has its courtyard the Levites would sing these Psalms. origins in the Greek word ‘psalmoi’ meaning a song to be played on a stringed instrument. Psalms 120–134 are Songs of Ascents. The ascents correspond to the 15 steps leading to the inner courtyard at the Temple. Groups King David the psalmist of Levites would stand on the steps singing these Psalms. Every David had numerous roles in life. He was a shepherd, a poet, a Sabbath and festivals, in our grace after meals – Shir HaMaalot singer, a Torah scholar, a fighter and a leader. However, he had – we sing a song of ascents. When G-d will return, the captivity many problems in his lifetime and was consequently loved by of Zion will be no more and ‘We will be like dreamers and our some people and hated by others. No matter what happened to mouths filled with laughter and our tongue with glad song.’ him, David always saw the hand of the Almighty. When times were Psalm 137 refers to the destruction of the Temple and exile of the good, he thanked the Lord; when times were hard he prayed for Jewish people to Babylon. It was actually made into a pop song in comfort, peace and healing and when he himself had behaved 1978 by a group called Boney M. badly he did ‘Teshuva’ 2 – he repented and turned to G-d. He saw the beauty of the world: sunrise, the roaming animals, the plants By the Rivers of Babylon – there we sat and also wept when and trees, the valleys and the hills, and he praised G-d. When he we remembered Zion. was anxious in fearful times for himself and the Jewish people, he On the willows within it we hung our lyres playing knew that only G-d could help. joyous music. Sing for us from Zion song . He expressed his feelings in poetry and song and pleaded for help If I forget you O Jerusalem let my right arm forget its skill. with outpourings of his heart. Thus Jewish people today still use the lessons of Tehillim to support whatever we experience in our Nebuchadnezzar insisted that the exiles play for him and his court daily lives. while they ate. The captive Jews hung their instruments on the willows in protest – ‘If I forget you O Jerusalem’ – singing joyous Although the Hebrew words in Tehillim have authoritative songs seemed wrong. This is interpreted as: no matter what punctuating notes and cantillation of the verses (like the Torah 3), personal joy, the memory of Jerusalem must come first. From today they are more often read as a chant. In the final Psalm, 150, this verse stems the custom of breaking a glass after a Jewish a number of musical instruments are mentioned as used in joyous wedding, a reminder of the destruction of the Temples and exile. song to G-d. They have been interpreted as lyre, harp, shofar, 4 drum, organ, flute, cymbals and trumpets. 38 REtoday Spring 10 Psalm 23, ‘The Lord is my shepherd’, denotes trust in G-d. David In the classroom: wrote this when he was a young man whilst being chased by the armies of King Saul. G-d is described as a shepherd because • Ask pupils to read some psalms or extracts from psalms He provides care for us – without Him we would be helpless as (1, 8, 23, 51, 139, 150 might be good examples). sheep: ‘Though I walk in the valley overshadowed by death, I will • Ask pupils why these sacred song lyrics have lasted fear no evil for You are with me’. and been popular for nearly 3000 years. There is a custom to sing this Psalm at the third meal of Shabbat 8 • Consider the way psalms can say ‘please, sorry, thank (Sabbath). It is prefaced by this verse: you, I love you’ to the Almighty. Prepare the feast of perfect faith • Invite pupils to choose one of these four expressions, The joy of the holy king and write their own snippet of reflective text: it could Prepare the feast of the king be modelled on a psalm, or it might take ‘please, sorry, This is the feast of David thank you, I love you’ and express one of these ideas to The anointed king. someone else, to the universe at large. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob • Point out that these pupil-written texts will not last 3000 Come to the feast with him years, or become holy to millions: but they might express David, King of Israel, lives and endures a deep thought for a moment for one of your pupils. May a good sign and good fortune Come to us all and to all Israel. Amen Glossary 1 G-d: it is customary not to write the name in full, out of respect; only used in prayer books as other usage can be discarded and destroyed. 2 Teshuva is repentance, a return to G-d. The Jewish New Year is at the end of September: a time to do Teshuva, atoning for any unkindness or wrongdoing. David articulated his ‘return’ in his poetry. 3 Torah: the Old Testament. 4 Shofar: ram’s horn. 5 Levites were members of the tribe of Levi who were selected to take care of the Holy Tabernacle in the David was referred to in Hebrew as ‘Neim Zemirot Yisrael’ Temple. – Sweet Singer of Israel. Indeed many of the Sabbath songs 6 The Temple in Jerusalem, known in Hebrew as Beit sung on Friday night, at Saturday lunch and evening meal use HaMikdash (the Holy House) was built to house the David’s poetic words. Tunes vary and have grown out of family Ark of the Covenant. It was the religious centre of or communities’ traditions. The nature of the Jewish Sabbath the Jews until it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar is to reflect on G-d, to praise his glory and to sanctify oneself in in 586 BCE and again by the Romans in 20 BCE. (Look spiritual observance of the laws9 of the Sabbath. up Temple in Jerusalem on Wikipedia.) Psalm 67 is the Aaronic10 blessing said on many occasions, but 7 Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount the most beautiful example is the eve of Shabbat on Friday night Sinai. when it is a Jewish custom for parents upon reaching home from the synagogue to say the following blessing over their children: 8 Shabbat is the seventh day of the week and begins on Friday night at sundown and ends on Saturday night The Lord bless you and keep you when three stars appear in the sky. The Lord make his face shine upon you And be gracious unto you. 9 Laws of Shabbat are complex, but essentially it is a The Lord lift up his face and give you peace. joyous sacred day. Biblical sources: Genesis 2: 1-3, Exodus 16: 26, Exodus 20: 8-11. Psalms found their way into our daily services, and in its words Jewish and Christian believers have found comfort and rejoiced 10 Aaronic: pertaining to Aaron who became the priest in renewal of divine favour. The sacred singers deal with the great of the Temple. simplicities of religion as reflected in the general experiences of With reference to: Shmuel Blitz, TheArt Scroll Children’s everyone as they sound the depths of human nature. Tehillim (Artscroll/Mesorah Publications, 2008). Singing engages the body, mind and spirit and makes us feel united. Joining in community song is to create oneness, and whether using clapping, chanting, made-up tunes or traditional melodies, psalms can be beneficial and beautiful: a hymn book of humanity.