Preserving Chabad Music for Posterity

מוקדש לחיזוק ההתקשרות לכ״ק אדמו״ר בקשר עם יום הבהיר י״א ניסן נדפס ע״י הרה״ת ר׳ מנחם מענדל וזוגתו מרת חנה שיינא ומשפחתם חי׳ מושקא, לוי יצחק, רבקה מאריאשא, ברכה, ויקותיאל זוסמאן שיחיו גנזבורג שלוחי כ״ק אדמו״ר לטאראנטא, קאנאדא. NichoachPreserving Chabad Music for Posterity The Nichoach records and tapes have been the background music in the homes of anash for decades. The Rebbe was closely involved in the production of these records. We present our readers the story of this important production.1 NISSAN 5778 34 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER Avodas Hashem One of the loftiest elements of through Music the service in the Beis Hamikdash Music is an integral element of was the singing of the Levi’im that avodas Hashem, serving as the highest accompanied avodas hakorbanos. expression of the neshama’s connection Chazal describe in detail the with Hashem since the birth of am sophistication of the choir and the Yisrael. After experiencing krias yam orchestra, which incorporated musical suf, the Yidden sang Az Yashir and talents and instruments unheard of the women even played musical today. Chassidus explains that the instruments. Upon witnessing the music in the Beis Hamikdash played an miracles at Nachal Arnon, they once essential role in the giluy haShechina again expressed their thanksgiving to that was accomplished through avodas Hashem through song. hakorbanos. Sefer Tehillim is a compilation of After the destruction of the the beautiful compositions of Dovid Beis Hamikdash and the galus that Hamelech—Ne’im Zemiros Yisrael— followed, the limitations on music and all previous tehillos v’tishbachos instituted by Chazal applied mainly dating back to Adam Harishon. to regular celebrations, whereas They were all composed with ruach mitzvah occasions (such as tefillahand hakodesh. weddings) continued to feature the NISSAN 5778 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 35 spiritual depth and beauty of Jewish stanzas), known simply as “The Alter in an organized fashion in Yeshivas melody. Rebbe’s Niggun”—serve as a blueprint Tomchei Temimim.2 There were set During the Middle Ages, the G-dly for Chabad neginah throughout the times for the bochurim to learn and art of Jewish melody continued to generations. sing niggunim (such as prior to the thrive in all Jewish communities, In addition to the niggunim Rebbe Rashab saying a maamar and but as the pain and suffering of galus composed by the Rebbeim, every on Shabbos after Mincha). Ultimately, intensified, the light of Jewish music generation of Chassidus featured its the Tomim Reb Noteh Paharer dimmed. own cadre of Chassidim who were organized a proper system of neginah excellent baalei neginah. A melody in the yeshiva. The Renaissance accompanied every part of avodas of Jewish Music Hashem and there were different Chevras Nichoach through Chassidus niggunim for learning, davening, The Communist revolution and The revelation of Toras Hachassidus hisbonenus, farbrengens, and other the Holocaust ushered in an era through the Baal Shem Tov breathed occasions. Each one a unique of unprecedented upheaval and new life into am Yisrael and its music, expression of the intellectual or destruction in the Jewish world and in which had remained dormant for emotional stage of the Chossid. Chabad life. Although the Frierdiker the Rebbe escaped the Nazis, ym”s, and ,(תר“ס) generations. Chassidus emphasized the On Simchas Torah 5660 importance of serving Hashem with Rebbe Rashab instructed that Chabad established the capital of Lubavitch in joy, and music plays an integral role in neginah be learned and developed America, the majority of Chassidim banishing depression and inspiring the were physically disconnected and heart and mind. From the dawn of Chassidus, the Baal Shem Tov and his talmidim composed various niggunim and tenuos (soulful movements). Greatest among the talmidim who engaged in neginah were Reb Yechiel Michel Zlotchever, Reb Levi Yitzchok Berdichever, the Shpoler Zeide and others. Chabad Neginah With the revelation of Chassidus Chabad, an inner dimension of neginah began to develop as well. The ten niggunim composed by the Alter Rebbe—most prominent among them the Niggun Arba Bavos (four REB SHMUEL ZALMANOV. NISSAN 5778 36 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER The 200-year heritage of Chabad neginah was in danger of extinction. This was a revolutionary and monumental task since throughout the history of Chabad, until recent years,7 Chabad niggunim were never transcribed in sheet music. Their very nature defies the classical rules and construct of music, as they are all expressions of the soul and rife with subtle nuance. Sefer Haniggunim Rabbi Zalmanov first set about collecting and organizing all the Chabad niggunim known to Chassidim. Drawing on his phenomenal memory and several other sources8 he succeeded in collecting 175 niggunim. A choir of Chassidim (including some who had learned in the city of Lubavitch) sang each niggun as would be done at a Chassidisher farbrengen, and the famous chazan Yehoshua Weisser transcribed the niggunim in musical notes. The members of this choir were Reb Yochanan Gordon, Reb Berel Rivkin, Reb Shlomo Aharon the famous baal menagen Reb Kazarnovsky, Reb Berel Chaskind, Reb faced unbearable persecution. The Shmuel Zalmanov to lead the newly Shmuel Kantaroff, Reb Shimon Leib 200-year heritage of Chabad neginah established organization called Greenberg, Reb Binyomin Levitin, was in danger of extinction. “Nichoach” (an acronym of Niggunei Reb Dovber Ushpal, and Reb Mendel In the spring of 5704, the Frierdiker Chassidei Chabad) with the goal of Tenenbaum. Rebbe instructed the hanhala of publishing all Chabad niggunim in Sefer Haniggunim is divided Tomchei Temimim in America 4 musical notes. into three sections. The first section to organize a group of “talmidim In subsequent letters to hanhalas is reserved for niggunim that were menagnim” based on their musical Nichoach, the Frierdiker Rebbe gives composed by the Rebbeim and are capabilities. Three times a week they several more instructions with regard reflective of higher realms. Each should learn Chabad niggunim and to the collection of the niggunim and nuance is accurate and specific (the sing them during the seudas Shabbos 5 their publication, and requests that ten niggunim of the Alter Rebbe, Yemin and after Mincha before and after several niggunim be recorded with Hashem, etc.). chazaras Dach.3 a choir and to register the proper The second section contains During the summer of that year, 6 copyright. niggunim that were composed by the Frierdiker Rebbe appointed the giants of the early generations of NISSAN 5778 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 37 Sing a Sample During the farbrengen of Yud-Beis Tammuz 5721, the Rebbe gave a bottle of mashke to Rabbi Zalmanov in honor of the upcoming release of the second record of Nichoach and said: “Perhaps sing something from the new record—a song. The custom in America is that before you sell merchandise, you provide a sample. Give a sample! Announce that this is a sample, and [the record] will cost such-and-such...” Rabbi Zalmanov made the announcements as instructed and sang the niggun Ata Vechartanu.14 During the farbrengen of Motzaei Shabbos Bereishis 5739, the Rebbe said: “Since a new volume of Nichoach was recently released, which Chassidus (Reb Michel Zlotchever’s Shem Tov, and the 150th anniversary includes the niggun Hamavdil the Bein Kodesh L’chol,15 it would be— (תקנ“ט) niggun, Kol Bayaar of the Shpoler of Yud-Tes Kislev 5599 Zeide, etc.) and niggunim that were release of the Alter Rebbe from prison. appropriate to sing it now.”16 beloved to the Rebbeim (Rostover As there were still many more Rabbi Moshe Teleshevsky Niggun, the Beinoni, etc.). niggunim to be collected and led the crowd in singing the The diverse repertoire of Chabad preserved, the Frierdiker Rebbe niggun. niggunim for all occasions can be instructed Chevras Nichoach found in the seven subsections of the to commence work on a second 9 third section. volume. During this time many to be published in a third volume, and Musical notes of the taamei Chassidim escaped from behind the presided over the musical notation hamikra for krias HaTorah, haftarah, Iron Curtain, settling in the United of 137 more niggunim. After his Yomim Nora’im and Megillas Esther are States, Eretz Yisrael, and throughout passing in 5735, the Rebbe constantly at the end of the sefer. the world. Through various modes of encouraged the completion of the As an introduction to the sefer, communication, many more niggunim project in the best way possible, and Rabbi Zalmanov penned an original were collected and transcribed and Sefer Haniggunim Volume Three was anthology of the rich history of music 35 more niggunim were published in finally published in honor of Yud in Yiddishkeit in general and Chabad the second volume in honor of Yud Shevat 5740. neginah in particular. In addition, Shevat 5717. (This was meant to be the there is a beautiful collection of first of several installments that would The Records the Frierdiker Rebbe’s sichos on the comprise the entirety of the second Following the publishing of the topic of Chabad neginah, as well as a volume of Sefer Haniggunim, but this second volume of Sefer Haniggunim detailed description of each niggun. did not come to fruition for various in 5717, the Rebbe instructed Chevras Sefer Haniggunim Volume One was reasons.10) Nichoach to begin producing musical published in the year 5708—dedicated In his later years, after immigrating records of Chabad niggunim. This to the 250th anniversary of Chai Elul to Eretz Yisrael, Rabbi Zalmanov was an entirely new frontier for the birth of the Baal continued to collect Chabad niggunim Chassidim. No one in Lubavitch at the— (נח“ת) 5458 NISSAN 5778 38 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER The Rebbe commented: “Moshe Herson? I did not know he was a menagen!” several of the Rebbe’s farbrengens we Records International determined sang niggunim as a choir as well.” that Chassidic music records would The Rebbe commented on Reb sell nicely and they partnered with Shamshon Charitonow’s rendition of Lubavitch to record this event live.

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