intended to increase the knowledge, interest, and anticipation of the reader, thereby hastening the realization of our hopes and prayers for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash.

The Musical Nisuch Hayayin
"How do we know that the Leviyim did not sing except 'over wine'? In the (Biblical) parable of Yotam son of Gideon it is written, 'And the vine said to them, 'Shall I leave my wine which rejoices G-d and man and go sway over the trees?' (Shoftim 9:13) And how may wine cause G-d to rejoice? When the Leviyim sing Tehillim during Nisuch Hayayin" (Arachin 11a).

The first reference in Tanach to an organized Levitical choir in the Beit HaMikdash is in the days of Chezkiyahu HaMelech during Bayit Rishon. II Divrei HaYamim (29:25–30) relates how this righteous king "set the Leviyim in the House of the Lord with cymbals, lyres and harps…" The Leviyim did not only play musical instruments but also "sang praises with gladness". Illustrations of musicians found in Egyptian tombs and representations excavated from Assyrian ruins graphically depict the musical instruments used in those days. In Bayit Sheini, the Leviyim stood on the Duchan, the step-like platform located between Ezrat Yisrael and Ezrat Kohanim further to the west. When the two daily T'midin were offered, a Kohein poured wine into a silver cup embedded in the southwestern corner of the Mizbei'ach. (But note Ma'asei HaKorbanot 2:1,2, the comments of R'ABaD and Lechem Mishna.) This wine libation is called Nisuch HaYayin and, at the time of pouring, the Leviyim sang Shir Shel Yom (Psalm of the Day) and played their music. Nischei HaYayin accompanied only Olot and Shelamim animal sacrifices.

The Levitical Choir consisted of Meshorerim (singers) accompanied by instrumentalists playing lutes, harps, lyres, flutes, and a cymbal. "They did not have fewer than two lyres nor more than six, they did not have fewer than two flutes nor more than twelve, they did not have fewer than two trumpets nor more than 120, and there were no fewer than nine harps and their number could be increased without end. There was only one cymbal" (Hil. Klei HaMikdash 3:4). The Mishna notes, "The flute was played on twelve days of the year… at the slaughtering of the first Korban Pesach (at the recitation of Hallel), the second Korban Pesach (which was offered on Pesach Sheini), Yom Tov Rishon of Pesach, on the festival day of Shavu'ot, and on the eight days of Sukkot. They did not play on a bronze flute but on a reed flute because its tone was sweeter. (The music) was concluded with only one flute because it made a pleasant finale" (Arakhin 2:3). But thought- less tinkering could lead to problems. As a result of being overlaid with gold, a "smooth thin pipe" lost its sweet sound. When the gold was removed, its sweet sound returned. A similar tale told how a cymbal "from the days of Moses" was "repaired" (Arachin 10b).

Every weekday, the Leviyim sang Shir Shel Yom twice; once during the Nisuch HaYayin, which accompanied the morning Tamid, and once again during the Nisuch HaYayin which accompanied the afternoon Tamid. During the Nischei HaYayin which accompanied the Shabbat Musafin, the Meshorerim sang selections from “Parshat Ha’azinu” (Devarim 32: 1-43) in a six-week cycle. On Shabbat afternoon they sang excerpts from Shirat Hayam (Shemot 15:1-18) and from the “Song of the Well” (Bamidbar 21: 17-20) in a three- week cycle (Rosh HaShana 31a). The Meshorerim sang their Shabbat renditions unaccompanied by musical instruments because the vocal singing was considered an Avoda and therefore permissible on Shabbat whereas the musical accompaniment was not considered an Avoda and therefore was not permissible on Shabbat (Sukka 50a,b). The voices of the Meshorerim were considered "sufficient" even if they were not accompanied by the musical instruments (Arachin 11a). The Leviyim sang Tehillim related to Rosh Chodesh and the festivals as the Musafin of these holidays were being offered (Sukka 55a, Rosh HaShana 30b). Leviyim residing outside of Jerusalem were also expected to participate when called (Ta’anit 4:2). Yalkut Shimoni quotes an ancient Midrash which almost "justifies" the judicial murder of Nabot the Jezreelite by Queen Jezebel wife of King Ahab (I Melachim 21). The Midrash relates that Nabot was a Temple singer. When he went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, he attracted many people to the Mikdash by the sweetness of his voice. Once he refrained from ascending to Jerusalem and then the wicked queen initiated her devious machinations which were to end in Naboth's death (Yalkut Shimoni, Melachim, 221).

The Mishna preserves a description of the Levitical choir, instruments in hand, waiting for the signal to begin.

“They gave him the wine for the libation and the S’gan (adjutant Kohein Gadol) stood beside him at the corner horn of the Mizbei'ach with scarves in his hand. Two Kohanim stood by the (marble) 'table of the fat pieces' (one of two tables located between the ramp south of the Mizbei'ach and the Bayit) with two silver trumpets in their hands. They blew a prolonged blast, a quivering blast and again a prolonged blast. Then they came and stood by Ben Arza (the choirmaster) – one at his right hand, one at his left. When the Kohein bent down to pour the wine libation, the S’gan waved the scarf as a signal, Ben Arza struck the cymbal and the Leviyim burst into song. When the Leviyim reached a break in the singing, they blew a prolonged blast on the trumpet and the people in the Azara prostrated themselves. At every break they blew a prolonged blast and the people would prostrate themselves" (Tamid 7:3). The eye- witness Ben Sira upon beholding the glory of the Nisuch Hayayin rhapsodizes:

He stretched out his hand to the libation cup
And poured out the blood of the grape:
At the foundations of the Altar he poured out
A sweet-smelling savour to the Most High, the King of all.
Then the sons of Aaron gave a shout;
They sounded forth on trumpets of beaten work:
They made a great sound to be heard
As a memorial before the Most High.
Then all of the people hastened together
And fell to their faces, to the ground
To bow in homage to their Lord
To the Almighty, G-d Most High.
The singers than praised with their voices,
Sweet was the melody made with the greatest sound.
And the people besought the Lord Most High
In prayer before the Merciful One,
Until the order of the Lord was completed
And they had perfectly completed His service….
Catriel is in the process of writing a book: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrims Prospective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service