The Levitical Choir
The Levitical Choir is am essential element of the Divine service of the Holy Temple. The performance of every offering was accompanied by the singing of the Levitical choir. An offering performed without the musical accompaniment by the Levitical choir was invalid.
In January 2023, under the leadership of Rabbi Menachem Rosental, the Temple Institute established the first self defined Levitical Choir in 2,000 years. Consisting of only Levites, (Jews whose lineage originated from the ancient tribe of Levi), with golden voices, the mission of the Levitical choir is to prepare in every way possible in order to be ready to perform the moment that the temple offerings as prescribed by the Torah are renewed. Part of the preparation is, of course, regular rehearsal as well as public performances, especially on holidays.
WHO ARE THE SINGERS THAT MAKE UP THE LEVITICAL CHOIR?
Every member of the Levitical Choir is a Levite. That is, he can trace his genealogy through his father to the tribe of Levi whom Moshe entrusted to tend to the service of the desert Tabernacle, and later, the Holy Temple. Levites who were the direct descendants of Aharon, the brother of Moshe, and Israel's first Kohen Gadol, (High Priest), became the kohanim that performed the offerings in the Holy Temple. The Levites who were not descendants of Aharon were entrusted with forming the Levitical Choir which accompanied every offering on the Temple altar with song, served as guards and were assigned other tasks in the Holy Temple.
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE LEVITICAL CHOIR PERFORMS ACHEINU KOL BEIT YISRAEL
On Passover, (2024/5784) the Temple Institute's Levitical Choir performed an outdoor concert in Jerusalem's Old City Jewish Quarter Central Plaza. Among the songs they performed was Acheinu Kol Beit Yisrael, (Our brothers, the whole house of Israel), an ancient prayer for the safe delivery of Jews in distress, wherever they may be. In light of today's global assault on Jews by jihadists, woke leftists and assorted hate camp followers, the words of Acheinu Kol Yisrael seem more urgent than ever.
LEVITICAL CHOIR PERFORMS AT THE SOUTHERN WALL OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT!
Last week, during the intermediate days of Sukkot, the Temple Institute's Levitical Choir joined dozens of other musical Levites in a festive performance of Psalm 27. The Temple Institute's Levitical Choir performers can be recognized by their Levitical uniforms, and, of course, the silver trumpets are those reproduced by the Temple Institute. The concert was a joint production of The Temple Institute, the East Jerusalem Development Company, the Municipality of Jerusalem, and others.
The performance took place on the steps leading up to the ancient Hulda Gates on the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount, the gates through which thousands of pilgrims once ascended from the City of David to the Holy Temple.
"One thing I ask of HaShem, that I seek - that I may dwell in the house of HaShem all the days of my life, to see the pleasantness of HaShem and to visit His Temple all the days of my life."
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE'S LEVITICAL CHOIR PERFORMS PSALM 114
During Chol Hamo'ed Sukkot the Temple Institute's Levitical Choir performed the Hallel prayers, (Psalms 113-118), in the Cardo, the ancient Roman road in the Jewish Quarter of the old city of Jerusalem. This video captures the choir singing Psalm 114.
Today, in the month of Kislev/December, when the days are shortest and the nights are darkest, and Chanukah, the eight day Festival of Light is still two weeks away, it is a great time to brighten our days and lighten our hearts with the Temple Institute's Levitical Choir's rendition of Psalm 113, which they performed on Jerusalem this past Passover.
"Hallelujah! Praise, you servants of HaShem, praise the name of HaShem.
May the name of HaShem be blessed from now and to eternity.
From the rising of the sun until its setting, the name of HaShem is praised.
HaShem is high over all nations; upon the heavens is His glory.
Who is like HaShem, our God, Who dwells on high,
Who lowers His eyes to look in the heavens and the earth?
He lifts the pauper up from the dust, from the dungheap He raises up the needy,
To seat him with princes, with the princes of His people.
He seats the barren woman of the house as a happy mother of children. Hallelujah!"
Psalms 113
SHIR SHEL YOM - THE SONG OF THE DAY
"And he [David] appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the Ark of HaShem, and to celebrate and to thank and praise HaShem, the G-d of Israel: Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Yeiel, and Shemiramot, and Yechiel, and Mattitiah, and Eliav, and Benaiah, and Oved-Edom, and Yeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud; and Benaiah and Yachaziel the kohanim with trumpets - continually, before the Ark of the Covenant of G-d." (I Chronicles 16:4-6)
THE SONG OF THE DAY PROJECT
The Temple Institute's Levitical Choir has been rehearsing the seven Psalms which the Levites would sing every day during the morning Tamid service in the Holy Temple. Once they have achieved a level of performance respectful of the Holy Temple the intention is to enter a professional recording studio and to record the seven psalms. The seven psalms will then be posted on the Temple Institute's Facebook page each day, each psalm according to its day and at the time that the daily Tamid offering would be made in the Holy Temple.
If you would like to be a part of this project or to support the continued work of the Levitical Choir,
please make a contribution. Be sure to designate that your donation is intended for
the Levitical Choir!
Mishnah Tamid 7:4
These are the songs that the Levites would say in the Holy Temple:
On Sunday they would say, "Of David, a song. The land and the fullness thereof are HaShem's; the world and those who dwell therein." (Psalms 24)
On Monday they would say, "A song, a psalm of the sons of Korach. HaShem is great and very much praised, in the city of our G-d, the Mount of His Sanctuary." (Psalms 48)
On Tuesday they would say, "A song of Asaph. G-d stands in the congregation of G-d; in the midst of the judges He will judge." (Psalms 82)
On Wednesday they would say, "G-d of vengeance, HaShem G-d of vengeance appear." (Psalms 94)
On Thursday they would say, "For the conductor, on the gittit, of Asaph. Sing praises to the G-d Who is our might, sound the shofar to the G-d of Yaakov." (Psalms 81)
On Friday they would say, "HaShem has reigned; He has attired Himself with majesty; yea HaShem has attired Himself, He has girded Himself with might. The world also is established that it cannot be moved." (Psalms 93).
On Shabbat they would say, "A song with musical accompaniment for the Sabbath day." (Psalms 92)