Know someone who would love this shiur?
The shiur in English
The Yanuka’s own words in this shiur, translated into English by Lehallel · 770 words · 37:12. Press a time to hear it said.
32:43 He said that in order to understand the whole Torah, one must know the art of music. - Sorry? - He said that without knowing music, it is impossible to know the Torah completely. Right. He writes that he wanted to know music. Music. Why, in fact, did he not take up music? One would need to study it.
33:07 I think he said that, because if there were no obligation of Torah, then he would have taken up music, because that is what brings him closest to the Creator. There is, in the name of [unclear], something similar, but this - where does he write this, in the book on the Gra, the Vilna Gaon? How? In the big book on the Gra there is a book from Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, the original, they heard the thing - what they heard from him, testimonies and reports from him, that they heard from his holy mouth itself, that he said that to attain the Torah there are chambers that without the wisdom of music it is impossible to attain it.
33:41 He said that he very much wanted to know this wisdom. These are the seven kinds of wisdom - music, and music is another wisdom, and he wants to know it. In the end he did not learn it - I don't know. I believe the Gra knew everything, but... Is the wisdom the music itself, or is it [unclear]? - It is also composing music. Try sometime to invent a niggun - do you know how hard a thing that is? Try to invent a melody - it is not a simple thing. But sometimes [unclear] on the way.
34:11 And [unclear] - he hears it, say, on the way: [singing] - that's two chords. - Rebbe, [unclear] we bring it down from Heaven: we hear the angels and bring it down here. - Ah, beautiful. - Rebbe, the Gaon said that music elevates a person. - But [unclear] said that a single niggun has the power to bring a person out of the deepest mud he is in.
34:38 You can hear a niggun and come out of all the problems, simply come out of all the mud a person is in, from one good niggun. It really works on the soul. Music really repairs the chambers of the soul. It simply repairs. What happened with King David and Shaul? King Shaul had a [unclear] spirit. He could not be happy, he could not... And they looked for someone who knew how to play - knows how to play. 'And it came to pass, when the musician played, that the hand of Hashem came upon him.' The niggun simply healed him, King Shaul.
35:07 A niggun simply repairs the chambers of the soul. One can simply reach the highest and most tremendous levels. From a niggun one can reach levels that have no measure. You hear the musician: he stands, he exerts himself, this - he puts his intention into it, [unclear], and you, it does not end. Because the moment a person listens, he has more calm of mind to attain things. The one who plays is [unclear] concentrated, so as not to make a mistake, not this.
Read the whole shiur in English (3 more parts)
35:34 - What is the difference between a niggun and...? - There is no difference, it is the same thing; it repairs [unclear]. Music was not blemished, and the sense of smell was not blemished. Music too was not blemished; musical instruments were not blemished. The sin of Adam, the first man - the instruments are pure. One hears clean music - new. One smells perfume, spices, spice woods, spice herbs, kinds of spices, pleasant oil, 'Who gives a good scent to fruits'.
36:06 This was not blemished by the sin of Adam, the first man. But in a person's voice there is a blemish. In these pure sounds - why is it pleasant? Why does everyone love such clean sounds? Why? Because it was not blemished by the sin of the first man. It is clean, it stayed clean, clean, clean. Pure, there is no blemish at all. The Rav said that [unclear]: there is an eighth note, a ninth note and a tenth note that will be revealed in the future.
36:33 King Mashiach will know the eighth note, which is hidden from us, and the ninth and tenth King David knew. That is why he said, 'With a ten-stringed harp I will sing to You.' What is 'a ten-stringed harp'? 'With a ten-stringed harp' - with the tenth note. King David will attain the ten-stringed harp, the secret of the tenth note.
Get the week’s best, by email
One email a week — a handful of shiurim and music. No account needed.
Know a family who would use this? Give a Lehallel membership.