| Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught… |
“When a person heard the melody of a wicked musician, it damages his service of G-d, but when he hears the melody of a “kosher” musician, it is good for his Divine service… Music is rooted in a very lofty place on high. When it is produced impurely, it is like the song of impure birds, like flying rumors that cause damage. But when it is produced purely, it derives from the same spiritual source as true prophecy.” |
| What does this mean to me? |
| As a lover of music and a person who also loves to play music, I always have this lesson either at the forefront or the back of my mind when engaged with music. I’m not going to address the whole subject of how we are to make the distinction between “kosher” and “impure” music, since Rebbe Nachman does not provide a formula for making such a judgment. Just prior to teaching this lesson, he did have a run-in with a certain chazzan, whom Rebbe Nachman indicated was focused on singing as a way of building his ego. So that is one problematic area. But really, Rebbe Nachman does provide some guidance: instead of seeing his words as only prescriptive, we can also see them as descriptive. If the aftereffects of listening to certain music lead me to better serve G-d, then it is likely to be positive. If they are negative, then I should avoid that music. Of course, a person needs to be paying close attention to his connection with G-d in order to discover this, but isn’t this what hisbodedus is for? |
| A prayer: |
“In Your loving mercy, dear G-d, “Guide me so that I avoid music We encourage hearing your feedback and may anonymously publish your remarks. Please send email to: [email protected] |
| Your Feedback: These words touched my heart and put into words that infinite light that Rabbeinu keeps shining so bright. Now I feel like the Torah is mine! SC Shalom dear Jews. All of us experience times that are painful, sorrowful, and stressful. We occasionally wonder whether we can weather the current situation. Did we not summon the strength to pass all of the previous tribulations? When we summon our emuna and bitachon we will likewise pass the future ones. Not to worry. All is good and we are in good hands. NarrowBridge.Org sends out twice weekly inspirational emails. These emails include small doses of Rebbe Nachman’s wisdom, enabling us to get through the week in a more spiritual way. If you are not signed up and would like to receive these emails, click here. These emails are sent free of charge and are part of the ongoing work of the Breslov Research Institute to make Rebbe Nachman’s Torah available to people of all languages. If you enjoy these emails and our other work and would like to contribute to our mission, we encourage you to do so by clicking here or the PayPal (P) icon below. All US donations are tax deductible. |
