Am Yisrael Sher 10 Part I: Musical instructions of the period

From harp and violin, through bells, trumpets and of course up to trumpets - each instrument had special instructions during the Second Temple period

Learn about the peak era in the organization of temple music. It seems that there is no good in setting aside the musical instructions in relation to the temple. These instructions reached a final and final wording, a binding wording, the examination of which will be killed and not passed, for the musical officials. It seems that these instructions and regulations did not come to a final formulation, but after a long and extended period of experiences and learning lessons. Before us, then, is the final and decisive stage in the musical organization process.

It should be noted again that most of the instructions refer to the Levites and not to the priests, since the music was firmly rooted in the landscape of the Levite families.

1. The Levites and their classical instruments

Harps, violins and bells were used throughout the days of the Second Temple as the most famous musical instruments possessed by the Levites.

If we force ourselves to the limits of the reference, it appears that the mishna expressly rules that "there is no pukhtin on two nablins and no musifin on six" (Mishnat Arakhin XNUMX:XNUMX). The addition involved, it seems, a certain event that required a more impressive musical effect, but the minimum number was reduced to only two instruments.

 The continuation of the mishna states that "there is no pukhtin of two trumpets and a musifin forever." "There is no tinkerer of nine violins and a musifin forever, and the ringing alone" (Arachin XNUMX:XNUMX), and an obvious question arises - how is it possible for there to be any connection between the funeral and the blowing of the trumpet, since this was the property of the priests?! It is possible that the instruction is related to the trumpet that was blown here and does not pertain to the Levites, or perhaps a trace of the joy of the house of the Shu'eva is hinted at here (which we will discuss later). Either way, we are not in a position to determine a halachic ruling on this matter.

The Tosefta (Arakhin XNUMX:XNUMX) relied on the Mishna's instruction - that "there is no pukhtin among twelve Levites standing on the pulpit and musing forever" (ibid. XNUMX) and clarified that the twelve Levites standing on the pulpit to perform their musical role, their number - "against nine violins and two harps "One bell." In other words, each of the twelve Levites was assigned a musical role on one instrument or another, a summary teaching examination. And the addition of instruments in the orchestral combination was customary, so it seems, only in special ceremonial events, those that demanded greater musical power.

Does the division into twelve originate from a sacred mythological aspect dating back to biblical times (twelve tribes, twelve stones for the construction of Gilead's tombstone and more). As the same number seven found in Egyptian liturgical music. and even hinted at in the Jewish sources. Does it originate in a tradition that developed in liturgical music from the beginning of the Second Temple? And was it a musical rather than a religious taste that was the foundation of the determination of the aforementioned division?

It seems that it would not be so wrong if we add together the ritualistic-mythological element with the musical element and make an assumption from this, that in the musical tradition in the Temple they wanted to perform a Leviathan orchestra with a certain number of musicians, even if, for this number, there was a significant division and tonal combination. Significantly, since the number of harps, which had great sound power, was reduced and the violin's sounds were thinner and more delicate. And as for ringing, the power of which was tremendous, compared to the harp and the violin, only one instrument was allowed.

And again, if we start from the point of departure that the temple music was not detached from reality, but was involved in the work of sacrifices on the one hand, and saw itself as a mission to find tracks to the hearts of the spectators by examining an impressive and experiential musical performance on the other hand. So there is no doubt that these motives certainly had a lot to say regarding the determination of the number of instruments and the musical division and division of the internal sounds between them.

2: The flutes

In what follows, we will deal with various aspects relating to the operations of the flute. Even so, a number of special instructions stand out here in relation to this tool. And first we will emphasize that we have an interesting innovation. In other words, before the period in question we do not find the flute used as a musical instrument in connection with the worship that took place in the Temple. On the other hand, towards the first century AD, and especially, from the time of Herod onwards, until the peak period, in the last decade of the Temple, the flute became one of the most important instruments in the religious joy ceremonies

 In relation to the Temple. And I think that the matter should be attributed, not a little, to foreign influence. The Mishnah ordered that "there is no fuhtin of two flutes and no musifin on twelve" (Arakhin XNUMX. XNUMX. This also established, in light of existing practices, the number of days on which "the flute is played before the altar", twelve in number, on the pilgrimage days - Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, while attributing first-class importance to the use of the flute, since it is closely related to the singing of the "Hillel", which is one of the most important motives of service in temple music.

This is the tasteful Mishna, with a clear, terminological allusion, to that foreign influence on musical instruments in the temple, that one should not "beat" the space "with a copper pipe but with a reed pipe, because its voice is Arab" (ibid.). This additional instruction continues in the Mishnah - "And he would not skate except with a single oboe, because he skates beautifully." In other words, the melody of the song or the break in it should not be finished with only one flute due to the significant musical effect inherent in it.

3: Additional tools and accessories

Instructions regarding shofaras and trumpets, especially in relation to holidays and times and special reference to the "rake" and the organ will be brought during the discussion. We will highlight here the lack of a symbolic pseudo-musical effect, the absence of which was well embedded in the entire musical system which, as mentioned, reached its peak during this period. And we are talking about the high priest's bells that were woven on the saying of his coat and in which expressions of cosmological, supernatural significance were embodied. Although Yosef ben Matatiyo is suspected of high loyalty to the priesthood, the truth of his testimony about the bells on the high priest's coat should not be doubted even in the late period of the Temple days. However, the fact that they are not mentioned in the sources of the Mishnah, even though they provide a very detailed description of the practices of the temple, says Darshani. It seems that the silence of the sources points to another expression in the struggle between the priesthood and the Levites, between the Sadducees and the Pharisees, when the victory of the latter and the rise of the status of the Levites towards the end of the days of the Temple, may serve as a key to solving the mystery: the Pharisaic sources tended, literally, to ignore the bells.

4: The explosions

None of the number of explosions in the Temple was lost from the eyes of the arbitrators and Halacha teachers. The Mishnah is a general paragraph that "there is no Pohtin from twenty-six

None of the number of explosions in the Temple was lost from the eyes of the arbitrators and Halacha teachers. The Mishnah is a general paragraph, that "there is no Pohtin of twenty-one takiyas (so in the text) in the temple (each and every day), and no Musifin on forty-eight" (Arakhin XNUMX), and care is taken to specify elsewhere the number of takiyas as a word - twenty-one takiyas were distributed every day for three blasts (for opening the relief gates in the morning); Nine blasts (at the time of the wine formulation at the time of Shahar) and nine blasts (at the time of Inter-Arab.

Thirty-six blasts included the number of 21 each and every day plus nine blasts on days with an additional victim. That is, on Saturdays and holidays, and six strikes on Shabbat - three on Shabbat evening and three on Shabbat.

Forty-eight blasts included the Shabbat in the holiday, which is Sukkot, the most impressive and colorful of all three customs: "Three for opening gates, three for the upper gate (which descends from the help of Israel to the help of women) and three for the lower gate (it is the gate with the help of women that goes to the east) and three for filling the water (at the time of filling) from the sending) and three on the altar (at the time of mixing the water). Nine for always for Shahar and nine for always for Inter-Arabs and nine for Musfin. Three to invalidate (disable) the people from the work and three to distinguish between the holy and the profane" (From Sukkah XNUMX:XNUMX).

Internal quorums, including the general quorum of forty-eight strikes, were brought up by sages as the root of disputes, but the 21st or 48th quorum was carefully preserved.

In conclusion, it was said that the musical instructions were nothing more than a real test of how well the music was organized in the temple. True, the oil blasts were not musical, but they were integrated into the overall system of the temple's music, an inseparable part of the ritual ritual and the singing of the Levites. All these elements were cast into one musical crystal, for an experientially interesting compound.

Furthermore, the musical instructions served as an interesting examination of the rise of the status of the Levites-poets and even the victory of the Pharisees, since these regulations were formulated by the Sanhedrin, the one whose sages came from the Pharisees, and it began at that unprecedented gathering of the Sanhedrin by Agrippa II, ad hoc, to grant privileges for poets. A convention, whose backing was royal, and hence its power and the extent of its publication and influence.

And the fact that the Sanhedrin intervened in musical-class issues was to indicate the degree of recognition, growing and increasing, in the eyes of the sages, the leaders of the people, of the importance of music. And it is worth emphasizing that the interest they discovered in music stemmed from comprehensive considerations, which are above and beyond the music itself.

There may have been a socio-political undertone to this matter, which was expressed in the desire to strengthen the power of the Pharisees against the Sadducees, who were closer to the circles of the priestly aristocracy in Jerusalem, by raising the status of the Levites. However, one way or another, the many rulings of the members of the Sanhedrin regarding temple music, only some of which have been brought here, indicate to us the status of music among the Jewish public and the organization and institutionalization of its performance in the overall system of work in the temple.