The Temple Orchestra

 

From the age of thirty years and upward until the age of fifty years, who are fit to perform the service for the service and the work of carrying, in the Tent of Meeting.                                            Numbers 4:47

“The service of the service” – this refers to the music with cymbals and harps, which is service for another service (the sacrifices). Rashi, based upon the Babylonian Talmud, Arachin 11a

            haK’tav v’haKabala adds an enlightening comment:

Just as performing the mitzva is service of God, so too, rejoicing in the mitzva is considered service. As the verse states “Because you did not serve the Lord, your God, with joy and with gladness of heart.” [Deuteronomy 28:47] Indeed, rejoicing is the perfection of (Divine) service; therefore the songs which the Levites sang were to arouse rejoicing in the mitzva of offering sacrifices, that it be performed joyously, and they are aptly called “The service of the service.”

            One who reads the street signs of the Jewish Quarter will be treated to an excursion through our traditional sources. The names of the majority of the alleyways of the Quarter were chosen to reflect the glorious past of Jerusalem, and in particular, the peak of its glory, the period when the Temple stood within the Holy City.

            Levites had two major jobs in the Temple, to provide musical accompaniment when the public sacrifices were offered and to guard the Temple and lock its gates. Thus writes Maimonides in his Book of the Mitzvot [positive mitzva 23]:

The Levites exclusively were commanded to perform specified tasks in the Temple, such as locking the gates and singing when the public sacrifices were offered. This is what is written “The Levites shall perform the service of the Tent of Meeting” [Numbers 18:23].

            In the Laws of the Temple Vessels [3:2], Maimonides writes:

Their (the Levites’) service was to guard the Temple. Among them there were gate-keepers, who would open the gates of the Temple and close its doors, and there were singers who would accompany the sacrifices with song each day.

            There are parallel alleyways in the Jewish Quarter named for the jobs of the Levites; “Meshorarim” (the musicians) and “Shoarim” (the gatekeepers).

            Based upon Rashi’s comment, we will focus on the alleys of the Jewish Quarter which are connected to the Levites’ musical activities.

            The Sages of the Talmud differed in their opinions on two fundamental questions:

1. Is the essence of “song” vocal or instrumental? – on this matter Maimonides [Laws of the Temple Vessels 3:3] determined that the halacha is that vocal music is the essential form of the Levites’ function.

2. Does the lack of musical accompaniment invalidate the sacrifices? – surprisingly, Maimonides offers no halachic decision on this point; however, Aruch haShulḥan heAtid [Laws of the Temple Vessels 20:7] notes the opinion of the rabbis is that lack of song does not invalidate the sacrifices, and comments that since the general rule is that the halacha follows the majority opinion, seemingly, the halachic decision is that lack of song does not invalidate the sacrifices.

            Even though the essence of “song” is vocal, nonetheless, the Levites’ songs were accompanied by an “orchestra,” composed of no fewer than one dozen instruments” a minimum of nine kinorot (“lyre” in modern Hebrew “violin”), with no maximum number; at least two and no more than three nevelim (“harp” in most translations and in modern Hebrew)` a single set of metziltayim (“cymbals” in translation and in modern Hebrew). [Babylonian Talmud, Arachin 10a]

            Each of these instruments has given its name to an alleyway of the Jewish Quarter.

            “Kinor” is the musical instrument mentioned most frequently in the Bible (forty-two times), and the verses provide us with an unusual amount of information concerning it, including the name of its “inventor,” Yuval, a member of the eighth generation of mankind, who is described as “the father of all those who handle the kinor and ugav (“organ”). [Genesis 4:21] We are also informed of a kinor virtuoso, who was the first music therapist in history, David of Bethlehem. [I Samuel 16:17-23] The verses even tell us of the “Stradivarius” of kinorot (and nevelim), which King Solomon made for his musicians out of almog wood imported along with gold from Ofir. [I Kings 10:11-12]

            Nevel, along with kinor, is presumed to be a stringed instrument; though based upon the fact that the Biblical word can also mean a water-skin, some suggest that it was a wind instrument made of leather, making it akin to bagpipes.  The ancient historian Josephus defined both kinor and nevel as string instruments, and stated the following differences between them: nevel had thicker strings, hence a deeper sound; it was played by hand, while kinor was played with a pick; nevel was twelve-stringed, kinor ten-stringed.

            The majority of times that nevel is mentioned in the Bible (eighteen of twenty-seven), it is mentioned in connection with kinor. For this reason, the two instruments not only gave their names to alleyways of the Jewish Quarter, but in effect, “Nevel Street” is the continuation of “Kinor Street.”

            The percussion section of the Temple orchestra, metziltayim, also has an alley named for it. Metzudat Zion [I Chronicles 13:8] defines metzilayim as “Two copper instruments which were struck together to produce a loud sound,” indeed, what we now calls cymbals.

            Aruch haShulḥan heAtid [Laws of the Temple Vessels 20:12] adds an explanation of the composition of the Temple orchestra: “the prime skill of playing music is with kinor, nevel and metziltayim.” Further, the decision that there is no limit to the number of kinorot, while the maximum number of nevelim is six reflects the fact that “the greater the number of kinorot, the more beautiful the music is, while more than six nevelim would interfere with the balance of the music.” The restriction of the percussion section to a single set of cymbals also reflects a musicological consideration, the need to maintain the proper balance.

            Perhaps those whose ears are sharp and attentive will be able to hear the echoes of the music of the Levites while walking through the alleyways of the Jewish Quarter.

            May it be God’s will that we be privileged to hear the songs and music of the Levites with the rebuilding of the Temple, speedily in our days. Amen