flirt? In the temple?

What is that mysterious instrument called Reduel or Adderbals that was part of the repertoire of the Second Temple? Is it an instrument consisting of a system of windpipe, pipes, water basin and containers invented in the third century BC in Alexandria and popularized in the first century AD?

The president of the Sanhedrin, Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, testifies in the Tofsa (Arakhin XNUMX Yad) that "the radal were not in the temple, because it mixes the voice and spoils the pleasantness." In the Babylonian Talmud the words are mentioned by name and a Babylonian sage clarifies the definition of the instrument as "tabla gorgadna" (Arakhin XNUMX p. XNUMX) - we were a big drum, "because its sound is Arab (tzel aba) and mixes the pleasantness." Even there it is said that "he was not in the temple". It is interesting, by the way, that in some versions the word "no" was deleted, when the instruction was - "The raduli was in the temple".

The Jerusalem Talmud explains the Toseftai term from the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish as follows: "An organ is an ardbals." Let Rabbi Shimon ben Gamaliel tell us - there were no ardavles in Jerusalem because they stink of pleasantness" (Sukkah chapter 221 page 246 p. 68). , "Hardolim", or "Ardbalis" - "Ardbalis") is derived from the Greek - "Odraulos", "Odralis" and refers to a musical instrument invented by Ctesibius of Alexandria (54-XNUMX BC) and enjoyed a renewed flourishing during the reign of the Roman Nero (XNUMX -XNUMX AD). The instrument consisted of a system of windpipe, pipes, water basin and containers, from which very special sounds were produced. If so before us, so it seems, a water organ. The mishna tells about an automatic device, a complicated and complex mechanical mechanism related to water found in the temple. Near it, from a parallel source, it is told about the Nicanor gate in the temple brought from Alexandria. Interesting automatic devices were found in the Egyptian temple, and the Greek Pausanias testifies to an ingenious automatic device found in the Jerusalem temple.

It is not impossible to assume that a minor who made "mechanics for the sink (in the temple), so that there will be no Nefslin in the night" (Yoma III) was influenced by Alexandrian inventions, or even helped by Alexandrian experts who were well-known when it comes to mechanical mechanisms.

Moreover, the Tosefta, after telling about the "Hardaolim" from the mouth of Rabbi Shimon ben Gamaliel, expands on a number of cases involving certain tools that were used in the temple such as "a bell in the temple, made of copper... and was damaged." Sages sent and brought Omanin from Alexandria in Egypt, who corrected him, and his voice was not as good as it was" (Thus. Arakhin XNUMX:XNUMX).

In the Parashat Hazakat Omni Alexandria and Amenia, the Bariata brings the following story: "Tano Rabban: Abov was in the temple. part was It was thin. Cana's was and Moshe's death was... the king commanded (probably Agrippa II) and they coated him with gold, and his voice was not Arab. They took away his coating and his voice was evening as it was" (Arakhin XNUMX, p. XNUMX). And it is known that Agrippa II saw to the completion of the temple building, especially with regard to the architectural decorations and the various gold coatings on the walls and columns.

Similar, it seems, the words of the Rashbagh that appear in the sources, in a careful wording, imply that an attempt was probably made (perhaps intended to please the Emperor Nero), but without much success, to integrate the organ into the system of musical instruments in the Temple. However, the sounds that emanated from it threatened to "swallow" the sounds of the violins and harps (about its significantly powerful sounds can be learned from sources - Tosefta Arakhin XNUMX:XNUMX; Babylonian Talmud, Arakhin XNUMX:XNUMX, etc.) and so the plan was shelved. It should be noted that nowadays, although the organ has been perfected, its sounds can fill the space of a huge church or a spacious concert hall.

Although such a plan was shelved, there is reason to assume that an attempt was indeed made to integrate the organ into the temple musical system, and above we saw that they wanted to coat the oboe, made of reed, with gold and its voice was damaged, "and there was no evening as it was" - according to the sources.

Let us present this matter in front of one of the musical instructions in the Archin Mishnah, the one that deals with "hydraulis" and the damaged temple instruments, in this language: "And he did not strike with a copper pipe, but with a reed pipe, because its sound is Arabic" (Archin XNUMX:XNUMX). In other words, an attempt was made to strike with a "copper flute", but without much success. More than that, the box concerning the guarantee of the voice is also repeated in the two cases above - the hydraulics, the flute or the oboe and the bell that were in the temple, and there are probably no coincidences here.

On the same subject: musical rake