Kiddush Levanah: Under the Light of the Silvery Moon (Part 15)
“My walk on the moon lasted three days. My walk with
(Charles Duke – Lunar Module Pilot, Apollo 16)
Kiddush Levanah then continues with chapter 150 of Tehillim: “Hallelu-kah, praise Hashem in His sanctuary, praise Him in the firmament of His power. Praise Him for His mighty acts, praise Him as befits His abundant greatness. Praise Him with the blast of the Shofar, praise Him with the lyre and the harp. Praise Him with drum and dance, praise Him with the organ and the flute. Praise Him with clanging cymbals, praise Him with resonant trumpets. Let all souls praise Hashem, Hallelu-kah.”
Chapter 150 is the final chapter of Tehillim. The Rabbis teach that it was chosen to conclude the beautiful, lyrical and poignant Sefer of Tehillim because it is a summary of the essence of the entire Sefer. As Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer writes in his anthology on Sefer Tehillim, the challenge of life is recognizing Hashem in every situation. Sometimes it seems to us that Hashem is far above us in His “sanctuary” or in His “firmament of power.” But under all circumstances, we must praise Him for His “mighty acts.” Sometimes, we are overwhelmed by the awesomeness of Hashem’s judgment that reverberates like a shofar. And at other times, we feel His Presence as serene and tranquil like soft music.
What is its connection to Kiddush Levanah? The commentaries explain that the three-letter root word “hallel”– ‘heh’ ‘lamed’ ‘lamed’ – which means praise, appears in this chapter thirteen times in different variations. These thirteen times correspond to the twelve months in a regular year and the thirteenth month in a leap year.
Chapter 150 mentions nine different kinds of musical instruments. Perhaps the reason for such a detailed description is because musical instruments, playing at the same time but not synchronized, sound discordant. However, the moment they play together, their music blends together and produces one of the most elevating and soul-touching experiences a person can have.
Our Rabbis teach that true harmony is experiencing how enormously different factors can blend together to produce something truly wondrous. Anyone who has ever been to Switzerland in the summer will probably have experienced a sense of awe when looking at the majestic, snowy peaks of the famed Alps, surrounded by the deep, rich greenness on the lower slopes. Their beauty is undeniable, but it is the enormous contrast that turns their view into breathtaking. In the words of Rabbi Elie Munk (Likrat Tiferet, Ascent to Harmony), “The great ideal that gives beauty and meaning to creation is not perfection but harmony. Perfection is a lofty and noble ideal but it is fixed and static. Once perfection is reached, progress must stop because there is nowhere to go. Perfection is a golden dead end; it leaves no room for further improvement. Harmony, on the other hand, is a dynamic, ongoing process. This is symbolic of life. It is the very purpose of life, for it is man’s mission to harmonize the threads of his being, his talents, his thoughts, his actions and his emotions so that he will be in harmony with Hashem’s Creation.”
Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg (1785-1865), the Rabbi of Konigsberg in East Prussia, writes in HaKetav v’Hakabblah that the Hebrew word for song – shir – is closely related to the Hebrew word for straight – yashar. He explains that in order for music to be appealing, the musical notes need to follow one another in a perfectly arranged sequence to provide a harmonious melody. In fact, the ability to create music is so profound that he calls it a “glorious wisdom.”
Chapter 150, the final chapter in Tehillim, the “condensed version” of the entire Sefer, is replete with contrasting emotions and so many diverse musical instruments. Not to highlight their dissimilarities. But, rather, to teach us how to live with the differences. To celebrate their diversity. And to create the most harmonious composition of all – the Neshamah stretching upwards to unite together with Hashem in this imperfect world that we live in.
To be continued
