Time for Tehillim: Hallel for orchestra

Standing at the threshold of Rosh Chodesh Elul, we are about to recite our last Hallels for six weeks--the longest gap between Hallels in the Jewish calendar. This is because Rosh Chodesh Tishrei is also Rosh Hashanah, far too solemn and momentous an occasion for the singing of Hallel, and the next chance we get to say it is at the beginning of Sukkot, when we begin a straight run of eight days of full Hallel that culminate with Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah (that's nine days for members who are spending the Chag chutz la'aretz).

We have two days' Rosh Chodesh Elul ahead of us, on Sunday 24 and Monday 25 August.

To get you into the mood to celebrate Hallel in all its joyful majesty, here's a recording of a new composition, 'Hallel for Orchestra', by our member and leading Israeli composer Max Stern. It's Max who's doing the conducting, and the band is none other than our own Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.

So what is this piece about?  According to Max:

Hallel for Orchestra is a hymn of jubilant praise inspired after the Hallel Psalms (Tehillim 113-118). Its asymmetric rhythmic motifs are derived from trope-like pronunciations of the Hebrew text to Psalm 113. These alternate with traditional melodies sung to Psalms 114 and 117 in Ashkenaz synagogue liturgy.

You can enjoy Hallel for Orchestra (all 12 minutes and 34 seconds of it) by clicking here.

The text of Tehillim 113, with English translation, runs like this:

Psalm 113 תְּהִלִּים

א  הַלְלוּ-יָהּ

הַלְלוּ, עַבְדֵי יְהוָה;    הַלְלוּ, אֶת-שֵׁם יְהוָה

1 Hallelujah. 

Praise, O ye servants of the LORD,

praise the name of the LORD.

ב  יְהִי שֵׁם יְהוָה מְבֹרָךְ--    מֵעַתָּה, וְעַד-עוֹלָם

2 Blessed be the name of the LORD

from this time forth and forever.

ג  מִמִּזְרַח-שֶׁמֶשׁ עַד-מְבוֹאוֹ--    מְהֻלָּל, שֵׁם יְהוָה

3 From the rising of the sun unto the

going down thereof the LORD'S name is

to be praised.

ד  רָם עַל-כָּל-גּוֹיִם יְהוָה;    עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם כְּבוֹדוֹ.

4 The LORD is high above all nations; His

glory is above the heavens.

ה  מִי, כַּיהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ--    הַמַּגְבִּיהִי לָשָׁבֶת

5 Who is like unto the LORD our God,

that is enthroned on high,

ו  הַמַּשְׁפִּילִי לִרְאוֹת--    בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ

6 That looketh down low upon heaven

and upon the earth?

ז  מְקִימִי מֵעָפָר דָּל;    מֵאַשְׁפֹּת, יָרִים אֶבְיוֹן

7 Who raiseth up the poor out of the

dust, and lifteth up the needy out of the

dunghill;

ח  לְהוֹשִׁיבִי עִם-נְדִיבִים;    עִם, נְדִיבֵי עַמּוֹ

8 That He may set him with princes,

even with the princes of His people.

ט  מוֹשִׁיבִי, עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת--    אֵם-הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה

הַלְלוּ-יָהּ

9 Who maketh the barren woman to

dwell in her house as a joyful mother of

children. Hallelujah.

Ode to Zion

There is a famous kinah, penned by Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi. It’s called "Tzion Halo Tishali" (“Zion, will you not ask?”), and we recited it in shul yesterday morning following a beautiful explanatory introduction by Eli Friedwald.  A prominent part of the Tisha b'Av liturgy, it expresses the poet's deep love and longing for the Land of Israel and Jerusalem. The author, a 12th-century Spanish Jewish poet and philosopher, wrote this kinnah while yearning for a return to the Land of Israel. 

Max Stern took this kinah as his inspiration for composing a two-part Ode to Zion for violin solo, woodwind quintet and strings. Max describes this Ode as a tone poem in two parts. The opening section, “Ani Kinnor”, is the song of a bird awaiting the dawn while it poses the question “O Zion, will you not ask how your exiles are?” The second section, “Dawn”, describes the breaking forth of the light:  "Happy is he who waits to see your dawn breaking forth".

You can listen to Ode to Zion on Max’s YouTube channel here.

A year earlier, Max wrote a shorter Ode to Zion, for flute and viola, that you can listen to here.

Beaten, but never down

 In this week's Torah reading we revisit the story of Balak, Balaam and his talking donkey. The whole episode of Balak and his failed attempt to get Balaam to curse the People of Israel is a departure from the hitherto unbroken narrative of the departure from Egypt and the increasingly problematic period that leads to the long-awaited entry to Canaan, our Promised Land. While humour and irony abound, this episode is loaded with deeper meaning and also with vivid imagery, as the wicked prophet Balaam unwillingly pours out his blessings upon the wandering tribe. But, before he does so, he receives some astringent mussar at the hands of his donkey and a sword-brandishing angel.

Never losing its freshness nor its fascination, the tale of Balaam and his donkey has inspired art, literature and music. Here, in this YouTube clip, in "Balaam and the Ass", our member Max Stern depicts it as what he calls "a contemporary duo for trombone and percussion".  Referencing the biblical passage of Bemidbar 22:21-35, Max writes:

Beaten because she strays from the way, the dumb animal -- on beholding an angel -- miraculously speaks back. More than a humorous animal tale, this is a commentary on what it means to be human. 

Credits: Contemporary Duo for Trombone and Percussion (played by Stewart Taylor, trombone and Gene Cipriani, percussion).

The Song of Miriam's Well

This coming week’s parashah says different things to different people. Many of us are preoccupied with the mystery of the Red Heifer, but others focus on the death of Miriam and Moses’ punishment for hitting the water-bearing rock instead of speaking to us. But for our member and distinguished composer Max Stern the stand-out feature is a curious song with puzzling words, apparently sung by a well. This episode inspired Max to write a short work, The Song of Miriam's Well, which you can listen to here.

Let Max tell you about it in his own words. He writes:

The Well of Miriam was a sieve-like rock out of which water gushed forth and supplied the Children of Israel with water on their 40-year wanderings in the desert. Legend has it that the Well itself sang while the people responded as a chorus.

This composition recreates the sparkling joy of the Well, and the spirit of universal goodwill that accompanied it.

צִדְקָתְךָ, כְּהַרְרֵי-אֵל

מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, תְּהוֹם רַבָּה

 אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה תוֹשִׁיעַ יְהוָה

Thy righteousness is like the mighty mountains; Thy judgments are like the great deep; Man and beast Thou preservest, O LORD. (Ps.36:7)

 וְצִדְקָתְךָ אֱלֹהִים, עַד-מָרוֹם

אֲשֶׁר-עָשִׂיתָ גְדֹלוֹת; אֱלֹהִים, מִי כָמוֹךָ

Thy righteousness, O God, reacheth unto high heaven; Thou who hast done great things, O God, who is like unto Thee? (Ps. 71:19)

 צִדְקָתְךָ צֶדֶק לְעוֹלָם; וְתוֹרָתְךָ אֱמֶת

Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy law is truth. Ps.119:142)

The piece is scored for a two-part choir, two-part speaking chorus, and contrabass. It was recorded and edited by Shalom Kinnory.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

As a footnote, some of you may be thinking there's something wrong here. The Song of the Well in parashat Chukkat comes well after the death of Miriam and the end of her well -- so how can the well in question be Miriam's well?  For an excellent answer, click here.

Prophet or King?

This coming Shabbat our haftorah is taken from the First Book of Samuel. While the Torah reading addresses the leadership crisis that occurs when Korach challenges the authority of Moshe, the haftorah depicts the prophet Shmuel confronting a people bent on setting a man over themselves as king.  

Prophet or King, another composition by our member Max Stern, vividly sets this confrontation to music, drawing upon the attitude and mindset of mass protest. As Max himself explains:

Reaching beyond the purely historical, this episode marshals power from the voice of the angry mob of all times by placing it within a contemporary context. Strikers, protesters, agitators, and grumblers of all sorts, add their voices to the ancients in demanding the needs of the moment, while ignoring the call of Eternity. 

How ironic is it that challenges to leadership so often lead to divisions in society and to the destruction of achdut, unity, while the ability of any orchestra or choir to function properly depends upon its individuals coming together and accepting the leadership of a single conductor.

Max's piece is scored for baritone soloist, narrators, choir and various instruments. It was first performed on 28 May 2007. The text is based on 1 Samuel, chapters 8, 11, 12 and Psalm 146:10. 

You can listen to this dramatic composition here.

Nishmat Kol Chai: A special song for 23 Sivan

Earlier this week we posted this piece by Rabbi Paul Bloom on the significance of 23 Sivan. Another of our members, Max Stern, has added to this by sharing with us a musical rendition of the first part of Nishmat Kol Chai for female voice, bassoon and piano. 

You can both watch this work (there are some cute visuals) and listen to it on Max's YouTube channel here.

Max has styled his work "Blessing of Song". It was composed during the Covid pandemic as a prayer for all humanity, expressing a profound and immensely topical desire that life should return to normal.

Megillat Ruth: Three Declarations

One of the highlights of the festival of Shavuot is the public reading in shul of Megillat Ruth, a powerful and moving narrative of love, of commitment, of honesty and sincerity. Three of the most famous passages in this Megillah has been the inspiration for "Three Declarations", a piece for solo bassoon and strings that our member Max Stern dedicated to his friend, musician and fellow educator Mauricio Paez, who commissioned them. What is this piece all about? Let Max explain in his own words: 

These Three Declarations for solo bassoon and string quintet encapsulate three scenes from the Book of Ruth in brief musical portraits, which musically synthesize traditional ethnic sources (Yemenite women’s wedding songs) with freely expressive instrumental interpretations of statements by Ruth, Boaz, and “People at the Gate.” The Three Declarations are as follows:

Ruth I: 16-17

וַתֹּאמֶר רוּת אַל-תִּפְגְּעִי-בִי, לְעָזְבֵךְ לָשׁוּב מֵאַחֲרָיִךְ:  כִּי אֶל-אֲשֶׁר תֵּלְכִי אֵלֵךְ, וּבַאֲשֶׁר תָּלִינִי אָלִין--עַמֵּךְ עַמִּי, וֵאלֹהַיִךְ אֱלֹהָי

בַּאֲשֶׁר תָּמוּתִי אָמוּת, וְשָׁם אֶקָּבֵר; כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה יְהוָה לִי, וְכֹה יוֹסִיף--כִּי הַמָּוֶת, יַפְרִיד בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵךְ

16 And Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people hall be my people, and thy God my God; 

17 where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the LORD do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me".

Ruth II: 11-12

וַיַּעַן בֹּעַז, וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ--הֻגֵּד הֻגַּד לִי כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-עָשִׂית אֶת-חֲמוֹתֵךְ, אַחֲרֵי מוֹת אִישֵׁךְ; וַתַּעַזְבִי אָבִיךְ וְאִמֵּךְ, וְאֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתֵּךְ, וַתֵּלְכִי, אֶל-עַם אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָדַעַתְּ תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם

יְשַׁלֵּם יְהוָה, פָּעֳלֵךְ; וּתְהִי מַשְׂכֻּרְתֵּךְ שְׁלֵמָה, מֵעִם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲשֶׁר-בָּאת, לַחֲסוֹת תַּחַת-כְּנָפָיו

11 And Boaz answered and said unto her: "It hath fully been told me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people that thou knowest not heretofore. 

12 The LORD recompense thy work, and be thy reward complete from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge".

Ruth IV:11-12

וַיֹּאמְרוּ כָּל-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר-בַּשַּׁעַר, וְהַזְּקֵנִים--עֵדִים; יִתֵּן יְהוָה אֶת-הָאִשָּׁה הַבָּאָה אֶל-בֵּיתֶךָ, כְּרָחֵל וּכְלֵאָה אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ שְׁתֵּיהֶם אֶת-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַעֲשֵׂה-חַיִל בְּאֶפְרָתָה, וּקְרָא-שֵׁם בְּבֵית לָחֶם

וִיהִי בֵיתְךָ כְּבֵית פֶּרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-יָלְדָה תָמָר לִיהוּדָה--מִן-הַזֶּרַע, אֲשֶׁר יִתֵּן יְהוָה לְךָ, מִן-הַנַּעֲרָה, הַזֹּאת

11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said: "We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel; and do thou worthily in Ephrath and be famous in Beth-lehem;

12 and let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman".

You can experience "Three Declarations" as played by Mauricio Paez on YouTube here. 

Chad Gadya! What's the story behind the lyrics?

Does the singing of "Chad Gadyo" feature among your earliest and most powerful childhood Pesach memories? That beloved song -- now rebranded "Chad Gadya" -- remains eternally young even we we grow old. Here's Max Stern's arrangement of Chad Gadya for unaccompanied female voices. It's a real treat -- and it sounds much like the tune this blogger learned when he was a small child.  If you want to know more about the lyrics, read on. The information below is taken from Wikipedia.

Chad Gadya (Aramaic: חַד גַדְיָא, "one little goat", or "one kid"; Hebrew: "גדי אחד,  gedi echad") is a playful cumulative song in Aramaic and Hebrew. It brings to an end the Passover Seder. Curiously this song first appeared in print in a Haggadah compiled in Prague in 1590, which makes it the most recent inclusion in the traditional Passover seder liturgy.

As with any work of verse, Chad Gadya is open to interpretation. According to some modern Jewish commentators, what appears to be a light-hearted song is deeply symbolic. One interpretation is that Chad Gadya refers to the different nations that have conquered the Land of Israel:

·       The kid symbolizes the Jewish people;

·       the cat, Assyria;

·       he dog, Babylon;

·       the stick, Persia;

·       the fire, Macedonia;

·       the water, Roman Empire;

·       the ox, the Saracens;

·       the slaughterer, the Crusaders;

·       the angel of death, the Ottomans.

At the end, God returns to send the Jews back to Israel. The recurring refrain of 'two zuzim' is a reference to the two stone tablets given to Moses on Mount Sinai (or to Moses and Aaron themselves). This interpretation, first widely disseminated in a pamphlet published in 1731 in Leipzig by Philip Nicodemus Lebrecht, has become quite popular, with many variations of which oppressor is represented by which character in the song.

Though commonly interpreted as an historical allegory of the Jewish people, the song may also represent the journey to self-development. The price of two zuzim, mentioned in every stanza, is (according to Targum Yonatan to I Shmuel 9:8) equal to the machtzit hashekel tax upon every adult Israelite male (in Shemot 30:13); making the price of two zuzim the price of a Jewish soul. 

Also, we have these explanations:

Rabbi Yaakov Emden: a list of the pitfalls and perils facing the soul during one's life.

Rabbi Yonatan Eybeschuetz: a highly abbreviated history of Israel from the Covenant of the Two Pieces recorded in Bereshit 15 (the two zuzim), to slavery in Egypt (the cat), the staff of Moses (the stick) and ending with the Roman conqueror Titus (the Angel of Death).

Rabbi Moshe Sofer (the Chatam Sofer): a description of the Passover ritual in the Temple of Jerusalem. There the goat is purchased for the Paschal sacrifice. The cat is an allusion to the Talmudic notion that dreaming of a cat is a premonition of singing such as occurs in the seder. Likewise, dogs bark after midnight which is the time limit for the seder. The Kohen who led the cleaning of the altar on Passover morning would use water to wash his hands; many people at the Temple that day would bring oxen as sacrifices, and the Angel of Death is the Roman Empire that destroyed the Second Temple.

The Vilna Gaon: the kid is the birthright that passed from Avraham to Yitzchak; the father is Yaakov; the two zumin is the meal Yaakov paid Eisav for his birthright; the cat is the envy of Yaakov’s sons toward Yosef; the dog is Egypt where Yosef and his clan were enslaved; the stick is the staff of Moshe; the fire the thirst for idolatry; the water the sages who eradicated idolatry; the ox is Rome; the shochet is the Messiah; the Angel of Death represents the death of Moshiach; the Holy One is God, who arrives with Moshiach.

Hava narishah - rash, rash, rash!

How many times have we heard our children gleefully singing “Chag Purim”? But where does this song come from. It seems that it was composed by Levin Kipnis, employing a traditional melody. Kipnis (1894 to 1990) was an Israeli children's author and poet who wrote mainly in Hebrew and Yiddish. He won the Israel prize in 1978. Max Stern has set this song for unaccompanied female voices (the Antifona Women's Choir, conducted by Constantin Ripa) here. For the lyrics in Hebrew, transliterated Hebrew and English click here.

Max has also arranged “Shoshanat Ya’akov” for a group of instrumentalists from the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. We all sing this song with great gusto when we conclude the recitation of Megillat Esther, but where does it come from? It is actually the concluding section of a poem, Asher Heni, an anonymous acrostic dating to early medieval times (the closing lines are not part of the acrostic scheme). You can enjoy Max’s orchestration here. For the lyrics in Hebrew, transliterated Hebrew and English click here.

As Tu b'Shevat draws near ...

 As Tu b'Shevat draws near, it's time to contemplate the wonders of the natural world -- not least of which is the tree. Over a century ago, the American poet Joyce Kilmer summarized his feelings in lines which many Hanassi members will know from their schooldays:

Trees

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Two of our more creative members, Heshy Engelsberg and Max Stern, have developed other ways of expressing their relationship to the natural world, as epitomised by the plant kingdom. 

Heshy has produced a splendid video, Tu b'Shevat Jerusalem 2025, with nearly six minutes of brilliantly coloured foliage plus trees in close-up and at a distance. You can enjoy it by clicking here.

Max's forte is music, and here you can listen to his unforgettably rhythmic arrangement of the folksong Atzei Shittim Omdim. for a four-part choir and wooden sticks. The lyrics? "And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up" (Exodus 26:15). Max adds:

When the shittim (acacia trees) were selected for the construction of the Tabernacle in the desert they intoned a song of praise to God. It was their expression of appreciation and thus they sang.

Midrash informs us that the shittim-wood for the Tabernacle came from paradise, whence Adam took it with him when he was driven out. Subsequently, it came into the possession of Abraham, who bequeathed it to Isaac, who bequeathed it to Jacob. When he reached Egypt, Jacob planted a grove of acacia trees and admonished his sons to do the same: 

“Plant shittim trees, then when God will bid you build Him a sanctuary, you shall have in your possession the wood required for its construction.” 

The boards that were made for the Tabernacle out of shittim wood never decayed but endure to all eternity.

Have you registered yet for this year's Tu b'Shevat Seder? Time is running out, so be sure to do so very soon!  For details, click here. To register, call Jeremy on 053 455 8367.

Oh, dreidl, dreidl, dreidl, I made it out of clay

Love it or loathe it, few of us will have missed The Dreidl Song.  If our children never sang it, our grandkids almost certainly did. What's more, it might even have been sung by our grandparents. Published in 1927, it was performed both in English and Yiddish: you can read all about its history here on Wikipedia.

Popularised by Chabad, parodied by South Park and promulgated by thousands of gananot from one end of this country to the other, it has drummed itself into the Chanukah-consciousness of our generation. 

Not to be outdone, our musically-minded member Max Stern has provided his own arrangement of this seasonal earworm. For 77 seconds of undiluted fun, just click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJVfJWTMzeg

When the lion roars, we question our values

 Here, thanks to our member Max Stern, is a cantata which he composed for his students at Ariel University and which is based on the haftarah that accompanies this week's parashah, Vayeshev. 

This haftarah, explains Max, features extracts from a prophecy by Amos that condemns the value system that led to our exile -- the same scale of values that led to Joseph's brothers selling him to the Ishamelites for "a pair of shoes". 

Below you will find a link to a performance of this cantata by Max and his students. The first four minutes make for tough listening, before it transitions to a more lyrical theme with a subtly hypnotic effect. 

The text is based on Amos 3:1-2 and 3:6-8.

For the link to the cantata click here.

For an explanation of this haftarah on My Jewish Learning click here.

"I will not let thee go, except thou bless me"

The Torah is written in Hebrew because it was given to us, the Jewish people, in Hebrew, and some of us have achieved so great a level of proficiency in Hebrew—lashon hakodesh—that we never need to turn the pages of an English translation in order to gain a better understanding.

For many of us, however, an English version is an indispensable support. We may sometimes also use it as an interpretational aid or a commentary, for what translation cannot claim to be a commentary when so many Hebrew words have no exact counterpart in another tongue?

If you follow the link to the YouTube video and sound recording of Jacob and the Angel, for piano and orchestra, you will find that composer and Hanassi member Max Stern introduces a classical Torah narrative with the following English text:

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when the man saw that he prevailed not against Jacob, he touched the hollow of his thigh; …and he said: 'Let me go, for the day breaketh.' And Jacob answered: 'I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.' And the angel said: 'What is thy name?' And he said: 'Jacob.' And the angel said: 'Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed' (Bereishit 32:24-30).

Over the centuries there have been many English language translations of the Torah. Some aim at simplicity, others at modernity or clarity. Others again reflect political or religious bias.  The King James version, published in 1611, probably aspired to all these things. Now, however, more than four centuries later, the text—archaic in the eyes of young readers—is replete with a degree of dignity that is absent in modern prose.

Does Max Stern’s music, performed by the Israel Sinfonietta with Bart Berman at the piano, reflect the solemnity of the King James prose, and the unfolding drama encapsulated in its weighty words? Click here to listen and you can decide for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6lbQOiXRmU&ab_channel=MaxStern

The Rainbow: an adventure in sight and sound

It's only a little more than seven minutes in length, but our musical member Max Stern's Rainbow for Seven Saxophones has quite an appeal to it. Starting with the occasional raindrop, this piece leads to a full-blown flood as the storm-tossed ark is ravaged by the element. Eventually the torrent ceases, the flood begins to subside and out comes the rainbow, God's sign for all mankind.

You can check this delightful little piece out on Max's YouTube channel here. 

The Creation: Bereishit set to music

Here's another topical music clip from Beit Knesset Hanassi's very own Max Stern: it's "Creation of the World (Bereshith) for soprano, flute, strings and percussion". The text is based on the words of the Torah (Bereishit 1:1-31 and 2:1-3). In this clip it is performed by the Ashdod Chamber Orchestra conducted by Luis Gorelik. The soloists are Amalia Ishak (soprano) and Avihai Ornoy (flute). 

This recording was made at a live concert at Kibbutz Yavneh nearly 30 years ago, back in 1995. Of this work, music critic Uri Epstein described it as, 

"...an expression of exhilaration and awe in witnessing the phenomenon on creation."

The piece, which is of 20 minutes in duration, is structured in seven variations, each being a day in the process of the world's formation: 1 darkness-light, 2 seas-heaven, 3 land-vegetation, 4 sun-moon-stars, 5 fish-birds, 6 beasts-man, 7 Sabbath.

You can watch and listen to it by clicking here.

The water-drawing ceremony set to music

We've just received from our member and composer Max Stern a charming YouTube clip of his reconstruction of the Water Drawing Ceremony for Beit Hasho'evah: This clip (which lasts one minute and 41 seconds) was made in October 2012. It seeks to describe the ancient ritual prayer for rain in the courtyard above King David's Tomb on Har Tzion.

You can check out this jolly piece by clicking here. Thanks, Max, for sharing this with us.

Ha'azinu set to music

Besides Rabbi Berel Wein's divrei Torah, we can also share with you Max Stern's Ha'azinu. This piece lasts around half an hour and Max -- a leading Israeli classical composer and a long-standing member of Beit Knesset Hanassi -- is playing the double bass in it. 

The link is on YouTube is here.

Mizmor LeDavid -- a psalm of thanksgiving

It has been a hard year for us all -- but we all respond to the problems and pressures of the moment in different ways. Our esteemed member Max Stern, a leading light among modern Israeli composers, has responded creatively. He writes:

“In these troubled times I managed to record this song that David wrote when he brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (with almost the original instruments).

 וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד, לְשָׂרֵי הַלְוִיִּם, לְהַעֲמִיד אֶת-אֲחֵיהֶם הַמְשֹׁרְרִים, בִּכְלֵי-שִׁיר נְבָלִים וְכִנֹּרוֹת וּמְצִלְתָּיִם--מַשְׁמִיעִים לְהָרִים-בְּקוֹל, לְשִׂמְחָה

May it bring us a blessing in our days as well.”

We asked Max what inspired him and where his idea came from. He told us this:

"I got the idea to set this to music from reading this commentary:

This Song of Thanksgiving was written by King David for Asaph and his brother Levites following the celebrations in bringing the Holy Ark to Jerusalem (1 Chr. 15). It was sung in the Tabernacle which David erected as accompaniment to the daily sacrifices: the first 15 verses (1 Chr. 16:1-15) during the tamid-offering in the morning service, and the last 14 verses (1Chr. 16:23-36) during the mincha-tamid-offering in the afternoon. It continued to be sung for 43 years until Solomon inaugurated the Temple. They were later incorporated into liturgy, as pesukei d’zimra (verses of praise) in the daily morning service of the synagogue.

I then read the passage from 1 Chronicles which gives the instruments he used:

16 And David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy.

Because I didn't have a Levitical choir or harps to work with I substituted them with local singers and piano. But this could be done with many harps & trumpets and a 2-part choir as well. Maybe someday..."

You can enjoy Max’s song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNL9tAfO4iQ