Lesson 31

Kabbalah Music

Selected Excerpts from the Sources

Slides 2-4

From: Baal HaSulam, "Pri Hacham: Conversations", "The Pleasantness of Songs and Music"

"The matter of melody is the intermediary between the spiritual and the corporeal. This means that everything grasped by the mind of imagination, and everything that the heart can think and contemplate, and the mouth can speak and the ear can hear, are the main forces that operate in the heart. Therefore, all the above discernments are corporeal, and there is no spiritual form among them at all, for if they were not corporeal, they would not produce sensation in a corporeal being.

And there is no sensation in the world that is not connected with imagination. Since imagination is considered corporeal, the sensation becomes corporeal together with it. However, the sensations that are awakened by music do not carry with them any corporeal force or imagination, except that they connect with sensations that have already passed through that being because of imaginations, and everything has been forgotten.

Now, by the law of music, the old sensations are revealed without any resemblance to the previous imaginations. Therefore, they contain pleasantness, even when they come from sad sensations. Although at the time, meaning when they were connected with the imaginations that preceded them, they were very turbid, nevertheless now, since the actions have been forgotten and the imaginations remain in their place, and only the sensations are revealed, they are therefore more related to spirituality and eternity.

For this reason, there is great pleasantness in them and no turbidity at all, for eternity remains in the secret of pleasantness, as is known."

Slides 5-6

From: Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Art. 50 "Two States"

"...as the Creator gives, so the world is now occupied solely in bestowal.

It is like a sad tune. Some players know how to perform the suffering about which the tune was composed, because all melodies are like a spoken language where the tune interprets the words that the person wants to say out loud. If the tune evokes crying in the listeners to the extent that each and every one cries because of the suffering that the melody expresses, then it is called “a tune,” and everyone loves to listen to it.

However, how can people enjoy suffering? Since the tune does not point to present suffering, but to the past, meaning torments that have already passed, were sweetened, and received their fill, for this reason, people like to listen to them, for it indicates the sweetening of the judgments, that the sufferings one had were sweetened. This is why these sufferings are sweet to hear, and then the world is called “The Holy Shechina [Divinity].”

Slide 7

From: Rabash. Art. 238. The Joy of the Groom and Bride

"The joy from the dance is like a sad tune that people enjoy. The tune depicts a collection of sufferings that have already passed, but now we enjoy the benefits we gained from the suffering. Likewise, the dance contains joy that after all the ups and downs they went through, they nonetheless remained standing firm in their place."

Slide 8

From: Rabash, Art. 1 (1991) "What Is, “We Have No Other King But You,” in the Work?"

"How can one sing to the Creator when he sees that he is full of faults and his heart is not whole with the Creator, and he feels far from the Creator? And sometimes, he even wants to escape the campaign. How can he say that this is the Lord’s mercies and he is singing about this to the Creator? <...>

This is the meaning of the words, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.” That is, on one hand, he is happy and is singing about this. On the other hand, he sees that he must repent. In other words, he must ask of the Creator to bring him closer and give him the desire to bestow, which is a second nature."

Slide 9

From: Zohar for All, Vol. 3. VaYechi, "Jacob Lived", p. 117

"It is written, “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with singing.” There is no service of the Creator unless out of joy. The Shechina [Divinity] is not present in sadness, as it is written, “‘And now bring me a player.’ And it came to pass that when the player played.” It writes “Play” three times, to awaken the spirit from the source of wholeness, Zeir Anpin, which includes three lines, which is the complete spirit. The threefold “play” corresponds to his three lines."

Slide 10

From: Rabash, Art. 7 (1990) "What Are the Times of Prayer and Gratitude in the Work?"

“The Shechina [Divinity] is present only out of joy,” as it is written, “And he will be as a musician playing, and the spirit of the Lord shall be upon him.” It follows that the primary time when one is rewarded with instilling the Shechina is specifically the time of wholeness, for specifically at the time of wholeness is the time when he can receive his soul."

Slide 11

From: R' Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, "B'nei Machshavah Tovah"

"The melody is merely a kind of revelation of the soul and its feelings. This is revealed in speech, when a person speaks to his friend about his thoughts and feelings of sorrow and joy, and even more so in his voice... Therefore, the melody, which consists of joyful or bitter sounds, awakens a person's feelings, through which the sparks and limbs of the soul are revealed."

Slide 12

From: ״Sichot HaRan״ [Rabbi Nachman of Breslov], 273

"It is good for a person to accustom himself to being able to enliven himself with some melody, for melody is a very great and exalted thing."