People speak in different ways. Some with their voices and some with their action. But just like any good movie scene, the background music is what sets the tone to what you see. It gives context to what is happening and how you should feel at that very moment.
If you could only imagine for a second and look around you. Every person you see or image in front of you has a tune playing with them in the background. When you notice someone misbehaving, you can sense a thumping noise that is quite disturbing. Or even worse, you could hear a monotonous tone of static on the AM radio channel. The sound you hear is really an expression of what they are going through deep down inside. There is frustration in them that is being expressed via their voices and action.
When the Alter Rebbe would learn Torah, those surrounding him would know what type of subject he was learning, just by hearing his tone of voice. He learned the text out loud, and hummed as he learned. The sound of music accompanied him in his actions.
When Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to bring more food, he instructed them to bring along musical instruments. He told them to gift the man in charge of food distribution, Yosef, with a song. A song that Jacob’s children created. The greatest music one can ever make is your personal sound of music. The sound that you create.
Our actions as Jews can sometimes sound monotonous and lacking individuality. Putting on tefillin, eating kosher, learning Torah, keeping Shabbat all play a sound. A beautiful melody of joy and serenity, but if it is the same way as yesterday or last week’s, without any new focus or discovery then it loses its beauty and more importantly your attention. We do not need to reinvent Judaism, but rather delve deeper into it and connecting with it’s true inner beauty and divinity. The commentaries and explanations of Torah are incredible. When we are able to express ourselves via Torah and mitzvot with energy and excitement, we create harmony in our personal world.
When I was in third grade, we spent an entire year memorizing the blessings Jacob gave his children, before his passing. To make it easier to memorize, a tune was added for every few verses. At the time, I wondered why we spent so much time singing, but today I actually know why. A parent wants their children to succeed in life. It is not the profession or how much money they make that gives their parents real “nachas,” pride. It is the song they sing with their actions.
Jacob wanted his children to sing good songs and constantly be in a good mood, even after his passing. For that they had to dig deeper and connect with their infinite souls. Let us help our children play that type of music today and for the rest of their life.
