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In the Ancient Near East, music played a major role in the religious and secular life of the individuals. In fact, in Egypt and Babylonia, the leader was expected to master it. Israel, being part of the same milieu, gave music a great prominence in many life settings.
According to the Bible, Jubal was “the father of all who play the lyre and pipe” (Gen.4:21). Moses sang ( or, better, a song was attributed to Moses) at the parting of the legendary sea (Ex.15) . Miriam, Moses’ sister, led the Israelite women in singing “with tambourines and dancing” (Ex. 15: 20-21). A song was attributed to Deborah and Barak (Judg.5). When Jephthah returned from battle, his daughter met him with timbrel and dance (Judg. 11:34). David was considered to be “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (II Sam. 23:1) and credited with writing about half of the 150 Psalms in the Bible. Many of the individual psalms are directed to someone called menatseah, probably ,a choir master. Several psalms are called “songs” (shir) (for ex. Ps. 108). Ps. 150 mentions the horn, harp and lyre, timbrel, lute and pipe and cymbals.
During the temple period there were a number of musical guilds , such as ”the sons of Asaf” or “the sons of Korah” that functioned during sacred occasions. Music was used during coronations (I K 1:39), events at the royal court (II Sam.19: 36), and feasts (Isa. 5:12). Priests and prophets often used music in their respective work. An entire book called The Song of Songs, attributed to King Solomon, was included in the Hebrew Bible. Even though they are beautiful secular love songs, the ancient Rabbis considered them as an allegory of the love between God and the people of Israel.
After the destruction of the second temple of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the Rabbis forbade listening to music as a sign of mourning (Git. 7a) but they allowed and even encouraged it during festive occasions such as during Purim and other happy events like weddings. It is customary for the Torah to be chanted in the synagogue, either following the Ashkenazic or Sefardic style of singing.
In more recent years, most liberal synagogues , like many churches, featured an organ that was played during religious services. In the early 60’s at the chapel of the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, my alma mater, there was an organ in the balcony. Nowadays, it is the cantor or the guitar playing song leader that plays a major role in the religious services of the synagogue as well as during weddings and funerals.
I am very impressed by congregational singing and maintain that the congregation that sings together stays together.
